Something I’ve noticed more and more over recent years is that most people listen to talk rather than listen to listen. Confused? Let me try to explain. In any conversation, it’s vitally important to give the other person our undivided attention. To be genuinely interested in what they are saying and take in every word. …
Tag: Mindfulness
Everyday anxieties – is it just me or do most people have them?
Everyday anxieties – is it just me or do most people have these? To clarify, I’m not talking the level of anxiousness which (thankfully) only happens every so often and forces me into cold sweats and an irrational panic. I’m talking about the peculiar little everyday occurrences which shouldn’t cause concern and prey on my …
Why I often ask myself ‘Is there a better option?’
Like most of us, I have many good intentions, though it’s easy to forget them or to slip slightly off track every now and again. To try to combat this, and in a bid to halt the little bad habits that creep into everyday life, I try to remember to ask myself if there is …
Cathy’s story and why you should define how your life will be, rather than letting life define you
As referenced in last week’s post (which you can find here), a stand-alone post to tell the story of Cathy, a lady who I met during our recent break in Wales. To recap the back story, the house we rented came with a beach hut. This was an absolute godsend and proved to be ridiculously …
It’s the simple things that really matter – why a week away made me feel alive again
I’ve written about this in previous blog posts but the past week has absolutely reminded me that it is the simple things in life that really matter. I spent last week in a stunning part of Wales (Nefyn, on the Llyn Peninsula) with my wife, daughter, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew. Nefyn is a small …
Don’t forget just how important the mental health of our children is
A vitally important subject which was really emphasised to me by an e-mail I received earlier this week (more of that later). The mental health of our children is vitally important and whilst we’re all clearly aware of this, it can be easy to forget it during day-to-day life. I’ll refer to our children as …
The mental health benefits of exercise
Regular readers will know that I really don’t like how I look, primarily as I need to shed a considerable amount of excess body fat. I rarely weigh myself as I believe that people easily fall into the trap of becoming slaves to their scales (and therefore beat themselves up if they don’t lose some …
Coronavirus and increased anxiety due to my general health
In previous blog posts, I’ve written a few times about the British media and my view that most media channels hone in on bad news rather than good as keeping a nation anxious and fearful (to varying degrees) ensures continued sales of newspapers and significant viewing figures. I feel a delicate balance is needed in …
Coping mechanism – my go-to videos
Regular readers will know that I am a fan of motivational images / videos etc and I have a huge amount stored on my phone. There is certain content which I frequently revisit, because I either need a pick-me-up, some motivation, a reason to laugh, or a reminder of the simple yet vitally important things …
We are seeing the inherent good in people and long may it continue
I thought my issues with low self-esteem would be ok during the current lockdown. Surely not having to go out as much, and therefore not being anxious about what other people think of me to anywhere near the same extent as normal, would improve things? Sadly, that hasn’t necessarily been the case as I haven’t …