by Helen Golstein | August, 2019 | compassion, Health
The Message Cancer Research UK has recently decided to lead an awareness campaign highlighting the risk of obesity to certain types of cancer. They have in fact, plastered amongst other places, London Underground with their message, written to look like a cigarette packet. And, this is sponsored by Slimming World. If writing health warnings on cigarette packets worked then, well, most people would not smoke. If commercial diets worked, then there would be no campaign needed. Will it work? I wish, that all we had to do to change our behaviour was to read a risk message and stop. We all know that this is not how it works, for most people, most of the time. I am not going to get into whether this campaign is fat shaming or not… however, it will, if we are to believe the plethora of previous research, increase the feelings of shame in those who identify as being obese, resulting in more of what the campaign is trying to have less of. Causes We know that the causes of obesity are multi-factorial. We know that for most people, diets don’t result in long term behavioural change and in fact, tend to make the situation worse. And, when we explore the many underlying reasons for obesity, very few of them have anything to do with poor nutritional knowledge or the need for someone to tell you what to eat. So, surely, we need to be asking ourselves, why, with all our knowledge, research and understanding of human behaviour,are we still looking at obesity through the wrong end of the lens? The research clearly...
by Caralyn Cox MAPP | December, 2018 | Health
Pain is universal, it’s inevitable, it can be all encompassing and nobody is dodging it across the lifespan. As humans ‘being’, we will do our utmost to avoid this pain, whether acute emotional trauma, ongoing and enduring or raw trauma. Emotional pain as described in this article is just one type of affect, or experience of feeling, other types being mood, temperament and sensation which would include physical pain. However, emotional pain has the capacity to effect the other described affects here, even if we don’t necessarily understand it this way whilst going through it. It can amplify physical pain, cause mood to be unstable or incredibly low and even change a persons temperament. Positive psychology as a therapeutic model Now positive psychology when used within a therapeutic model is usually hailed as the modality that offers a positive spin as a pseudo anaesthetic to pain, yet conversely the opposite is true. Pain exists in dark places, and ironically what we need to be doing is sitting with our pain. When we give voice to pain, we are helping to raise it to a level whereby we can deal with it. Positive Psychology 2.0 delves into this, diving deeper than its original form ever did. It’s geared towards exploring the shadows where we find trauma and pain in a way that offers longer term answers. Rather than pain being something we should shy from, it is something that we should be sitting with. Whether it’s ones own personal pain, or sitting with someone else so that they feel open enough to look at it, exploring it is the way...
by Amy Poole | November, 2018 | Amy Poole, Health
Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) are the recommendations grounded in theory and empirical validity that are designed to enhance our personal wellbeing and experiences of happiness (Lomas, Hefferon & Ivtzan, 2014). PPIs include: meditation practice, creating gratitude journals and practising acts of kindness (Lyubomirsky, 2007). Whilst such tools could, arguably, make the transition from occasional lifestyle activities to everyday routine a lot easier than what we tend to assume, I feel one PPI in particular could be practised every day with little effort nor major adjustment. Laughter is the best medicine Most of us are familiar with the phrase ‘laughter is the best medicine’. Laughter has been found to ease the mind and relieve tension, however, in a corporate, overworked, tired, 9-5 world how often can you honestly say you share a giggle with a colleague, neighbour or friend? Do we make enough time to laugh? Do we prioritise seeing the people who we know are going to make us smile? Who can we be silly with? This year, I have aimed to prioritise spending time with friends who make me feel the most empowered, motivated and happy. I have noticed a strong correlation between how comfortable I am with someone to how often I laugh around them. I wonder if this is because humour is buried so far deep from what we allow people to see in our day-to-day lives? To be able to freely laugh do we need to be around those who allow us to be comfortable and perhaps the most authentic versions of ourselves? From the occasional hard day at work, I have no shame in...
by Bryony Shaw | May, 2018 | Bryony Shaw, Health
I am continually excited about new research findings that add to our understanding of the benefits of doing things that are natural and free. Natural and free are important considerations as it means that they are accessible to most people. The Big Five Recently I have been reading about research conducted by Professor Yannick Stephan who reviewed three separate studies that investigated the long term benefits of exercise, specifically focusing on benefits for the big five personality traits. Simply put these traits are Openness, which includes being imaginative, adventurous and keeping an open mind. Conscientiousness, which includes having an eye for detail, being organised and reliable. Extraversion, which includes enjoying meeting new people, being assertive and talkative. Agreeableness, which includes being friendly, compassionate and cooperative. Neuroticism, which includes emotional instability such as mood swings and tension. Typically the participants in the studies were in their late forties to early fifties at the start of the study, they were then followed up approximately twenty years later. Different types of physical activity were measured including gardening, taking a brisk walk and running, there was a level to suit everyone. Mental Health Benefits The research showed that physical activity increases levels of the first four of the big five personality traits. People were more open, conscientious, extravert and agreeable. While this is not a direct cause and effect relationship, the results are a good indicator of what we can do to help protect and improve both our mental and physical health. Examining the traits, it appears that when we exercise, a positive trajectory is formed. For example, when we exercise, we often...
by Kelly Seaward | May, 2018 | Health, Kelly Seaward
In the journey of life with the trials and tribulations it is so easy to focus on the heaviness of life, which seems to accumulate momentum as we travel our path. These burdens we carry, like lead weight boulders and the more we focus on them the more they travel with us. It is not that they should be ignored as they have influenced us, and they usually come with valuable life lessons, but it is about not letting them help us ignore those moments that brings us joy, peace and love. The need to rest and play With the busy, rushing and fast paced life styles that is so easy to adopt in this modern world, the need for rest and play seems to be an afterthought. As we activate our daily lives in the doing mode, we build tension and stress levels which slowly over time impact on our emotional, physical and mental wellbeing. As the demands for Ofsted ready, lesson plans, resources, tracking, assessment, professional development, differentiation, intervention… the work pile increases, the time decreases, and your mind struggles to shut of at the end of the day because there is still so much left to do. We focus on the scarcity – what’s not done, who hasn’t reach their progress level, which student caused a negative impact on the class, who’s in detention and the list goes on. The draining effect on energy levels while focusing on the negativity reduces creativity and expansion. This does need to be acknowledged but it is important to access the positive outcomes to maintain an equilibrium. The need for...
by Amanda Gould | April, 2018 | Health, Mental Health
When facing challenges in life, whether it is physical, emotional or mental, we have one of three options: let our response push us backward, stand us still or propel us forward. Only one of these options exemplifies resilience, growth mindset, and optimism, which are key ingredients to living a fulfilling life. At the beginning of February I developed a rare autoimmune disorder called reactive arthritis. It has presented many challenges, yet I have remained mostly positive throughout the process. I believe my gratitude practice that began long before the health challenges arrived has propelled me forward in this season and for that I am very thankful. Whether we have allowed our pain to push us backward, stand us still or propel us forward it is important for us to seek healing outside of the conventional sense of the word. To propel us forward in our challenges, I believe the following four tips will help us heal: Help from others Excitement for life Aligning our beings with our truth Love. Lots and lots of love Help From Others The importance of community seems to be magnified when we face challenges in life, as the support we do or do not receive impacts our ability to propel ourselves forward. If you do not feel supported in your time of need, seek out help. Communicate your needs to your community before falling into the negative self-talk that says no one is there for you. If you do feel supported, ensure you express your gratitude for the support that you are receiving as often as you can. To note, our help may come...