First Psychology blog

Owing to more demanding jobs and lifestyles, finding the right balance and maintaining good mental health should be a top priority in our busy lives. One effective way to achieve this is by embracing a regular routine, whether that involves daily exercise, a relaxing evening regime or focused work schedule. By establishing consistent daily habits, we can experience lots of benefits that positively contribute to our overall wellbeing. How routine can positively impact our wellbeing Improving mental health  Following a daily routine encourages stability and a sense of control, which can help to reduce anxiety and stress levels when coping with day-to-day life. Regular activities like morning meditation, exercise and healthy meal planning can create a real sense of purpose and structure in our life. Sticking to a consistent routine can also lead to improved sleep patterns, which supports both mental and physical health. Increasing productivity A well-structured routine allows us to pr...

Living in an ever-evolving digital age means we can access information, and people, almost immediately, anytime, anywhere. But is this always a good thing? According to an article in  The Independent , adults in the UK will spend the equivalent of 22 years, 1 month, and 4 days of their lives online. So, if you’re concerned about the impact of spending so much time online, how can you avoid becoming part of this worrying statistic? Digital pressure Digital pressure can take many guises. You may feel compelled to post images of your perfect day out, of family events, or even just of a new outfit. You could also feel pressured to interrupt what you’re doing to answer messages or react to your friends’ social media posts. If any of this resonates with you, it’s time to think about taking a break and becoming unavailable as it may be taking a toll on your mental wellbeing. In fact, according to some studies , increased usage of devices can disturb sleep and in turn increase the risk of ...

From Facebook and Twitter to Instagram and Snapchat, social media seems to have taken a firm grip on our lives, regardless of our age. Not only are these platforms a huge distraction in our day-to-day lives, but they can also play a negative role in our mental and physical wellbeing.  In a survey published by  Cureus in June 2020 , it was reported that “the prolonged use of social media platforms such as Facebook may be related to negative signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress”. While we indulge in hours of endless scrolling, trying to snap the perfect selfie, or striving to get as many likes and followers as possible, we are neglecting all of life’s good stuff that is so important to our health. But not only does social media steal our precious time, it has even more detrimental effects: We become less productive – It’s easy to lose track of time when scrolling through social media, which ultimately results in using our time less productively, whether at home...

As essential as technology is to most people, it has its drawbacks. It’s all too easy to spend hours scrolling through social media posts, checking emails, or playing mobile games. This type of behaviour can result in mental and physical health problems as you become too dependent on technology. However, there are ways to get the balance right. Understand how technology affects your life Technology, when used as a distraction rather than a tool can impact your work and social life. The modern workplace often requires technology and so it is difficult to erase it from your life completely, or even for extended periods of time. However, if you actually record how often you spend online you will become more aware of how much time you are spending being distracted. Do you: Check emails and social media as soon as you wake up? Remain logged into to online accounts all day? Receive notifications and respond to them immediately? Communicate with friends and family mostly via apps and social m...

To say that the past months have been stressful would be an understatement. For many, the normality we once knew has been replaced with long periods of solitude, apprehension, confusion, and fear. Covid-19 entered our lives as an uninvited guest and has yet to leave. It is therefore not surprising that so many children and adults are exhausted and stressed by it all.  Although the virus is still very much present, the lockdown we once knew has changed. With restrictions having been lifted and then new measures imposed and people being encouraged to go about essential daily matters (including work where homeworking isn't possible) and to embrace the new normal, many are seeking ways to rebuild their lives. Discover ways you can beat the stress caused by Covid-19 and learn to rebuild your life so you can live it to the fullest. Establish a new routine Whether you were aware of it or not, before Covid you would have had a routine which was interrupted when the virus arrived. Routines ...

Have you ever felt that you’re being pulled in so many different directions that you can’t keep up? Work demands, family commitments, peer pressure and even the pressures of social media can all have a huge influence on your life without you even realising how much they’re draining you of your life energy. When you’re being deprived of your inner strength and natural spark, it’s time to re-evaluate your life and flick the off switch. We have some much-needed tips for preserving your energy and reclaiming your life. What drains you? First and foremost, it’s important to take some time out to sit down and assess your current situation. What gives you the most beneficial return for the energy you spend and what do you need to eliminate from your life? You might find that the most common stressor in your life is the demands of other people, or perhaps you get too caught up in 'keeping up with the Joneses', but whatever it is that’s draining you, you need to reverse the effects. ...

All relationships, platonic or romantic, need to be nurtured if they're to flourish. Even our longest, strongest friendships can flounder, when we lack the time to give them the attention they need. Romantic relationships will often reach a breaking point when they’re neglected. This then acts as the catalyst we need to spring into action. Friendship breakdowns are ‘quieter’. Less dramatic. They are much more likely to simply drift away, sometimes before we’ve even noticed there is anything wrong. So what can we do to show our friends that we value them? Here are some of our tips. Put them first from time to time We get it. Life is busy. There are many pulls on your time and you often feel like you're not giving your best to everyone. Your real friends will see this and understand your predicament. This makes them value any time you spend with them so much more. However a true friend deserves to have your full attention every now and again. You don’t have to mention what you...

Not all of us can change the world, however, as human beings most of us want to achieve our full potential. This doesn’t always happen though and the reason for this often lies at our own door. As creatures of habit, it’s very easy to get locked in a pattern of behaviour that will stop us from doing what we are truly capable of. The good news is that - with a bit off effort – we can change our destructive habits and replace them with a set of behaviours that set us up for success. Remove distractions To switch on your mind and creativity, you first need to switch off the many distractions that eat away at your time. Being connected to the world 24/7 has its advantages, but it also takes you away from focusing on what you need to develop yourself. Nothing ever got done well in front of the telly; nobody ever achieved anything of note watching their tablet. Appreciate the need to have some ‘switch off time’ every day and let your mind rest. Get active With many of us holding more sed...

Meeting up is important for keeping friends The school holidays have come to an end and many kids will have gone back to a class of new faces. Making friends is not always easy and in adulthood it can be trickier still.  A recent study in the Metro found that adults have fewer friends today than in the 1980s. Social media could be a major player in this, as even those people who claim they have lots of friends say they do not feel they’re close enough with any of them to discuss important things in their lives. We’ve developed some top tips for helping you build adult friendships that will last. Forget your Facebook friends – we’re talking about people who’ll be there for you when you need them and offer support and companionship beyond your digital devices. Find people who like the same things you do Most friendships are borne out of a common interest, belief or pastime. It helps to spark conversations and from there you can decide if you like each other enough for a ...

Next week it’s Valentine’s Day. The day when we shower our loved ones with cards and gifts to show them just how much they mean to us. It’s really important to tell other people that we love and appreciate them and, in today’s busy world, sometimes we need a nudge! However, romance is for all year round – not just for Valentine’s Day – so here are our top four fabulous ways to keep the romance alive every day. Show your appreciation It’s the little things that matter – rather than the grand gestures – when you have been together for some time. Very often couples fall into the trap of taking each other for granted and forget what their lives were like before they met. Sometimes taking the time to remind your partner that you're glad they're there is all your relationship needs to keep the romantic feelings alive. An unexpected text message or a note in a workbag or under your partner’s pillow are little ways to show that you're thinking about them – and that makes...

April is Stress Awareness Month - a time to raise awareness of stress. Although it’s fair to say that people have a higher awareness level of stress and mental health issues today than many years ago, it remains a difficult subject to broach with friends and family. When people talk about stress they often talk about things getting on top of them; of matters manifesting themselves that feel beyond their control. However, who or what causes the stress is largely immaterial – we all have to look within ourselves to understand what we need to do during stressful times to regain our equilibrium to be able to take things in our stride. With just one in three adults suffering from stress, anxiety and depression accessing treatment (source NHS data for 2014), self-care plays a huge role in the management of various mental health issues. We’ve pulled together seven steps to beat stress to help you effectively manage any symptoms you may be experiencing. Get moving During times of st...

Life is full of highs and lows – how we react to these events makes us who we are. We’re all different, but have you ever wondered why some people seem able to quickly bounce back from major blows, while others fall to pieces when things don't go their way? Two words: personal resilience. Personal resilience is a widely used term that describes our ability to deal with change and cope with the stresses of everyday life. As human beings we’re innately programmed for self-preservation so the good news is that we can all learn to become more resilient. We just need to invest a bit of time and effort in ourselves.  We can’t promise you a stress-free life, but we can promise that by acknowledging your triggers and changing your old thought patterns you will find it easier to bounce back under pressure. These three top tips will help prepare you for whatever lies around the corner… 1. A little bit of what you fancy does you good It sounds clichéd, but it’s true. If you’re ge...

Not so long ago, holidays were likely to have been a time when we had no contact with work. However more and more people are choosing to keep in touch with work while on their holidays or days off. And people's social lives are coming into the workplace too with many people checking and commenting on social media posts while at work. It is clear that something is happening to our lives in the face of mobile technology - what were once two distinct areas of our lives are merging into one and this has been dubbed 'work/life merge'. So what of this 'work/life merge' and if we vow to keep our working and social lives separate, will that reduce our stress levels? Unfortunately it's not that straightforward. First Psychology carried out research on the impact of technology on work-life balance and found that 89 per cent of participants checked their work emails in the evenings and the figure was an even higher 94 per cent for morning and before work checking. ...

Today we celebrate Chinese New Year - the most important event in the Chinese calendar. In common with 1 January, this is a time when families will celebrate and embrace the coming year. Chinese families may buy each other presents, get a new haircut, or clean their homes. Cleaning the home at Chinese New Year is a symbolic activity, which is all about clearing away bad fortune and making way for good fortune. Chinese New Year is considered a spring event and in this respect has much in common with the UK tradition of spring cleaning. While spring cleaning usually focuses on cleaning the home, it is highly beneficial to apply the same sentiment to our lives in more general terms. Read our article with tips on spring cleaning your life >

If the very thought of the school holidays fills you with dread then read on for some survival tips from our psychologists. 1. Make a plan: what do you need to do to have a great holiday? Try to plan ahead and look at options that allow you to spend time together, but also give the kids a chance to spend time with other kids. Include your kids in the planning stage by asking for their thoughts and integrating them into the family plans. And remember to have some rainy day options up your sleeve! Create a routine: during the school year, our days are highly structured. The holidays are a good time to loosen these routines and generally slow down, however both you and your kids will benefit from some kind of structure such as set play times and meal times. Spontaneity is great, but without any structure at all, kids can feel a bit lost and bored. Build up a support network: check with the kids’ school or nursery for a holiday programme. Community centres also sometimes offer activit...

Today is 'Feel Good Friday'! Organised by the Samaritans the aim is to fundraise while having fun with your co-workers. While it may be too late to organise a big event, it is certainly still possible to do something fun with your colleagues. Studies have shown that workplace friendships generally improve productivity and office morale. While it is important to remain professional, knowing you have emotional support from someone going through the same struggles can help you cope with the stresses of work. Additionally, office friendships provide practical support by sharing knowledge and helping one another with the workload. It is clearly important to establish and maintain healthy relationships at work, both for personal and professional support. Inspired by 'Feel Good Friday' here are our top tips to boost office morale: Organise a 'dress down Friday'. This can make co-workers more relaxed and give an insight into their personality. You could even make it s...

It’s the beginning of a New Year and we all want 2013 to bring us something exciting. Whether you wish to get in touch with old friends, look for a new job or are looking for love, social networking is a good first step. Fortunately modern technology means you can now do this from your sofa! According to recent statistics, 59% of us are now using some form of social networking. Whether it's Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or LinkedIn, social networking is a powerful tool to help you manage and expand both your personal and professional life. It is therefore crucial to portray yourself in a positive way. Here are some hints and tips to becoming social networking savvy. Unfortunately, it is impossible to separate your professional and personal life on the Internet. One simple Google search and your boss could see photos of you dancing on the desk at last year's Christmas party… so be very careful what you upload.  Show off your personality. There is no point trying to portray so...

2013 is fast approaching and we probably all have some goals that we wish to achieve in the next year. However statistics show that only 12% of us actually stick to our New Year’s resolutions. This is largely due to our tendency to set unachievable goals that undoubtedly lead to failure. This year follow our five top hints and tips to setting your goals and you can achieve success. Don’t go too big. Realistically, are you going to be able to go to the gym five times a week? Instead aim smaller, such as trying to cycle to work or going for a jog at the weekends. Setting achievable goals will keep you positive.  Don’t restrict yourself, having broad goals allows for more personal evolution and growth.  Break your resolution into manageable steps. Rather than trying to lose a stone over the whole year, set yourself a target for the next three months. This will keep you more focused and make it seem less daunting.  Don’t only choose resolutions that are chores, such as gi...

Once the excitement of a new promotion has settled, the prospect of asserting authority over your previous peers can be daunting. Almost everyone interested in moving to positions of greater responsibility will face this problem at some point in their lives and the chances are very few will do it with ease. Whether your new employees continue to treat you like their friend or just ignore your requests, the peer-to-boss transition can be a tough one. However, there are ways to negotiate through this bumpy period and emerge both as a stronger leader and a stronger team. Firstly, do not let co-workers reactions ruin your happiness over your promotion. You worked hard and were chosen for a reason. If you believe in your abilities, others will too.  Be confident, acting like a leader will make it easier for others to accept your new role.  Connect with your team; express your commitment to their success and that of the company. If they believe you are still on their side they wi...

Today we look at the third relaxation technique, body scan, which can be used to combat stress. Body scan is similar to progressive muscle relaxation, covered in our previous blog, but involves focusing on muscle groups rather than tensing and relaxing them. Technique 3 - body scan Lie down on your back with your legs straight out and your arms by your sides. Focus on your breathing and breathe deeply for two minutes or until you feel ready to start. Focus on your toes on your right foot. Tune in to the sensations you feel there and imagine your breathe flowing from the sole of your foot.  After a few minutes, move your focus to your right ankle and repeat process. Then move to your right calf, knee, thigh and hip and repeat for the left side of your body. From there, move up to your torso, through your lower back and abdomen, the upper back and chest, and your shoulders. Pay close attention to any parts that are uncomfortable. Move your focus to your fingers on your righ...