First Psychology blog

It’s easy to lose sight of your dreams and aspirations when life gets hectic. Whether you’re working on personal growth, exploring a new career path, or building stronger relationships, creating a vision board can be a powerful way to keep your goals front and centre. More than just a creative decoration, a vision board acts as a daily reminder of what you’re striving for and a source of motivation that can boost your overall wellbeing. What is a vision board? A vision board is a collage of images, words and affirmations that articulate what you want to achieve in your life. By placing this board in a prominent location, you create a visual representation of your aspirations, making them feel more attainable. It’s a wonderful exercise in self-reflection and a gateway to clarity about what you truly desire.   The benefits of creating a vision board ·       Clarified goals : The first step in creating a vision board is defining what you want in your life. Thi...

The holiday season often brings joy and connection, but as the memories fade into the distance and February approaches, many face post-holiday blues. The contrast between the festive period and the full return to everyday life can feel jarring, leading to sadness, fatigue, or even overwhelm. Understanding how to navigate these emotions is key to continuing your year with a sense of balance. Acknowledging post-holiday blues Post-holiday blues are common and are often triggered by financial strain, disrupted routines, or unmet expectations. Research highlights that the transition back to daily life after periods of heightened emotion and activity can evoke a psychological "letdown effect" (Peters et al., 2020). It's important to acknowledge these feelings rather than dismissing them. It's normal to experience a dip in mood after an emotionally charged time. Rebuild through small steps One of the most effective ways to manage post-holiday stress is by re-establishing str...

There’s no doubt that failure can be a hard pill to swallow, but it can also teach us important lessons that spur us on to do bigger and better things. Often, we create our own expectations and set ourselves unrealistic goals which in turn can lead to failure and disappointment. If we experience failure regularly, it can play havoc with our self-worth, leaving us anxious, stressed and lacking in confidence. So, what can we do to overcome failure and move on with a positive attitude? Accept your feelings If you fail at something that was particularly important to you, such as getting that dream job or losing at a competitive sport, the chances are it’s going to sting a little, especially when you didn’t see it coming. But that’s okay and it’s natural to feel disappointed. However, if you dwell for too long, your initial feelings can turn into more destructive emotions such as anger, resentment, and depression. You might start to believe that you’re a complete failure as you become more ...

Now we’re on the twelth day of Christmas, you will hopefully have a better idea of what’s important to you, what you enjoy and where you’d like to be in the future. So it’s time to start setting your new rhythm for the year!  Read how to review your year and plan for the year ahead here >

How is your life at present? Are you happy, or is there somewhere you’d rather be? Perhaps you have your eye on a promotion, new career direction, university course, new hobby or skill, or want to move home or country. Work out where you want to be and what steps you need to get there. Then start leaping like a lord!  Read more about goalsetting here >

If ever there was a year to consider making New Year resolutions, it’s 2020! Although many people believe that New Year’s resolutions are a waste of time, for many they offer focus and a more positive mindset. They don’t have to be about creating a challenge so difficult that you are setting yourself up to fail, they can be something simple to ensure you are more focused on yourself and your own wellbeing. We all need some self care to ensure we are feeling at our best both mentally and physically. Health goals Research shows that our physical health is an important contributor to our mental wellness. A report 'Let's get physical - the impact of physical activity on wellbeing' published by the Mental Health Foundation   says that: “Participation in regular physical activity can increase self-esteem and reduce stress and anxiety. Physical activity can help play a role in preventing mental health problems and improve the quality of life of those experiencing it. For example, ...

What do you hold precious in your life? It’s not always the things that you give priority to. Note down the five most important things in your life and spend today prioritising those things in some way. For example, if your grandparents are important to you, give them a call. If your job is important, think of some ways you could improve your performance going forwards. If your health is important, make an exercise and nutrition plan. When there's a lot going on, it can be easy to do the things that come up and never have time for your important things. Prioritise your important things and you will feel happier and more fulfilled.

In yesterday’s blog we looked at some of the reasons why we procrastinate: Decision paralysis Time inconsistency Lack of self-belief Today, we’ll be looking at how to actually overcome procrastination – something that impacts us all every day to varying degrees. The first thing to keep in mind when trying to overcome procrastination is that everyone is different so some of the tips discussed here might not work for you. However, it’s worth giving them all a try to see which ones you find most effective. Acknowledge that you’re procrastinating This seems really basic, but it’s the first and most important step towards overcoming procrastination. In order to deal with anything, we first need to acknowledge that we're doing it. Take stock of your day and the past week, how much did you really work, how much did you really invest in the tasks at hand, and how much did you procrastinate? Just to be clear, switching focus to other tasks that really require your attention is not procrasti...

We often have so many thoughts swimming around our heads that it can be hard to work out what is actually going on up there. Journal keeping is now seen by many as a useful tool to help solidify your observations and feelings for the day, as well as capturing your dreams and aspirations for the future. Not convinced? Here are just some of the reasons to grab a pen and paper and jot your thoughts down in a journal. More open to mindfulness There’s a strong link between happiness and mindfulness and as keeping a journal focuses your mind very much on the present, it can make you happier. When you write things down, past frustrations and future anxieties lose their edge and cease to occupy precious mind-space. Programmed to achieve We’ve said a number of times about the importance of writing things down if you want to actually achieve them. Keeping a journal encourages you to crystalise your hopes, dreams and ambitions. Once articulated, they become real – and once real, ...

It’s the most celebrated time of the year - an occasion when it’s perfectly OK to hug your neighbour and hold hands with strangers as we sing Auld Lang Syne together. However, for the introverts amongst us, New Year’s Eve may have been a painfully awkward affair. Fear not, we have some tips to help you embrace your introvert nature and use this brand New Year to set resolutions that will help you to live the life you want – rather than conform to what others expect you to do. Step out of your comfort zone – just the once If we always do what we’ve always done, we deny ourselves the opportunity to grow. Yes, we know that socialising and partying can be uncomfortable, especially if you find small talk painful, but try and commit to going out at least once a month – or even, once a quarter. And it starts now. After that, it’s up to you to decide where you go and what you do with your time, but by pushing yourself to do something you wouldn’t normally do, it will heighten your senses a...

We’re in October now – have you joined thousands of others to declare this as the month you'll give up smoking? Stoptober is an NHS initiative designed to support people wanting to kick their smoking habit. Their figures claim that if you can give up smoking for 28 days you’re five times more likely to stop for good. In many ways, the growth in popularity of e-cigarettes is proof that you’re not alone in your desire to give up – they also provide an excellent tool to help you cut your nicotine intake. However, giving up the smoking habit for good is about more than swapping your cigarettes for another addiction. It’s about retraining your brain and body so that you no longer desire cigarettes in any form – or at least can refrain from smoking one, however much you crave it! Dealing with any addictive behaviour is not easy – it’s a daily battle – so we’ve developed a few simple psychological tips to help you get through Stoptober – and beyond… Identify your motivation We a...

The first of March marked the meteorological start of spring and the time of year when we start to think everything is possible with the promise of longer days ahead. Very often we mark the start of Spring with a good old clear out – to wipe away the Winter cobwebs and enter the season with a clean slate. There’s a saying that most of us have everything we need, if not everything we want. This suggests our desire to have things surrounding us often detracts from what we need to really make us happy. Minimalism is the practice of living with only those things you need. It is said to enable you to focus on what you most value in life, without being distracted by things. Some  practising minimalists  claim that getting rid of 'stuff' can actually set us free. So, this March why not take the opportunity to go to town on your Spring clear out? For every item you remove from your house, you release trapped energy. People often talk about feeling as though a weight has ...

There’s a saying that: if you do what you always do, you’ll get what you’ve always got. So today, we thought we'd encourage you to reflect on your lives; to take stock on where you are right now and the changes you would need to make to get somewhere else. Self-reflection is as it suggests: taking a look at yourself, your actions and behaviour and being honest about what you see. ‘Reflection’ is the practice of thinking about things and assessing where improvements could be made. We’ve defined three key areas where self-reflection should be focussed. Strengths What are you good at? Where do you excel? Which tasks do you complete easily and without hesitation? You may find you have to look at your perceived weaknesses in order to establish where your strengths really lie. Skills What specific skills do you have? How do these compare with the tasks you are often asked to perform? Self-reflection is about recognising what we can do readily and the areas where we need to improve. ...

At this time of year, there’s a natural inclination to look back on the previous year and assess how it was. We very often hear people talking – in general terms - about what a great year it’s been, or saying that they’ll be glad to see the back of the year, hopeful that the new one will fare better. Rather than a superficial assessment, have you thought about conducting a more comprehensive review of the year? As you would in a work situation, a review of your year can help you identify learning opportunities and set goals that will help keep your life moving in the direction you’ve planned. There are many aspects to our lives that – when compounded together - make us feel happy and fulfilled: Work Play Health Growth Spiritual It’s unrealistic to expect every aspect of your life to perform in equilibrium and it’s natural to feel as though certain elements of your life are getting more attention at certain times. Problems tend to arise, however, if we neglect one aspect of our l...

As we approach the end of January, it's a fact that many of us will have given up on our New Year's resolutions already. So why don't we stick to our goals in life? Professor Ewan Gillon, Clinical Director of First Psychology Scotland, believes that we can become demoralised when our one change doesn't lead to a change in our whole life. "People often believe that when they change one thing, it will 'fix' other parts of their lives too. They may not even realise they have this belief, but people who think like this, often give up when the greater gains don't materialise."  Ewan believes that thinking through why we are setting a particular goal and what we hope to get out of it, is important to sticking to new behaviours. For example, if you want to lose weight, it may be that you associate being slimmer with a better social life, or wearing more fashionable clothes, or it may be that you really hope to be healthier, fitter and more ene...

New Year is often a time when we look to the past, take stock and think how we can improve and build for the future. It may be that we are hoping to improve at a skill, want to take up a new hobby or are looking to get fitter and more active - perhaps run a marathon. Whatever our goals, the best way to achieve them is to emulate the habits of tops sports people. There's a good reason why only some people reach the top levels of sport. It takes a whole range of skills and behaviours, as well as an excellent ability at a sport, to join the sporting elite.  The good news is that many of these behaviours aren't specific to sports. Five habits of successful sports people that could help you achieve your goals Here are five habits of successful sports people, that could help you achieve your goals in the coming year. Motivation: Keep motivated because if you really want it, you are more likely to achieve it. While this sounds simple, it can be hard to keep going ...

In the next few weeks, Sir Alex Ferguson will reveal the secrets of his success in leadership at two talks taking place in Scotland. (Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow on 28 September 2015; Music Hall, Aberdeen on 1 October 2015) The former football manager will talk about the leadership skills he developed during his long football management career and the many lessons he has learned along the way. Can we learn from sport? You may wonder whether the skills required of someone in a high profile sports management role can be transferred to someone who perhaps manages a business or a team of individuals within a large organisation. Interestingly, the sports world has by its very competitive nature, been a key area of expertise in not only sports coaching but also performance coaching. In recent years there has been much written on the subject of what has been termed 'the inner game' and how the way we think can make a huge impact on how we perform. Self belief and confidenc...

Those of the less sporty among us, may have distant memories of being made to run four laps around the school sports field as a warm up before embarking on the sport for that day. It's not surprising then that these memories may have been pushed to the backs of our minds - sport isn't for us and we are glad we no longer have to do it. But wait, are we throwing the baby out with the bath water? Can we learn lessons from sport that are useful in our lives more generally, and if so what are they? While many people struggle to manage pressure in their everyday lives and perhaps fail to achieve their goals as a result of this, elite sports people manage to achieve their goals despite the pressure. So what can we 'steal' from the way top athletes do things, to use in our own lives? Five lessons we can 'steal' from top sports people 1. Keep motivated If you have one specific goal to achieve, set yourself a range of related goals to keep you motivated along the ...

There are only a few hours left of 2014 and at this time of year people traditionally review the outgoing year and think about things they'd like to achieve/ improve in the incoming year. It can be easy to get carried away and set unrealistic goals that are almost impossible to keep. Statistics show that only 12% of us actually stick to our New Year's resolutions. "Setting realistic, achievable goals is the key to success", says First Psychology's Professor Ewan Gillon. Here are some of Ewan's top tips to setting achievable goals for 2015. Start small and build up. Make sure you don't get carried away. Promising yourself that you will do 5 exercise sessions a week when you currently do none is not realistic. Start smaller, perhaps set yourself a goal of walking to work or going for a run at weekends. As you gain fitness and adjust to the new regime, you can add more sessions in. Setting realistic goals helps you remain positive and will keep you on track...

So you’ve set your 2013 resolutions, but now for the hardest part… keeping them. Evidence has shown that 40% of us give up our resolutions by the end of January. but if you follow this simple advice you can make 2013 a year for real change. Put your resolutions in writing. Studies have shown that writing down your intentions improves your chances of sticking to them.  Have a role model.  Find someone who has achieved what you want to achieve. Whether they are a celebrity or a friend, knowing that someone else has done it can give you the confidence to do it too.  Pinpoint potential obstacles. Figure out a plan beforehand so you are prepared to tackle the situation. For example if you are going for dinner but are trying to diet, have a healthy snack beforehand so you aren’t so tempted to have a huge meal.  Believe in yourself! As long as you have set yourself manageable goals you are more than capable of achieving them.  Do it with a friend. Going through th...