‘Perspective thinking’, getting outdoors and having things to look forward to can all help
— Read on www.irishtimes.com/news/health/how-to-stay-optimistic-as-the-pandemic-grinds-ever-onwards-1.4763902
Category: Anxiety
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How to stay optimistic as the pandemic grinds ever onwards
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Dream Great:Ten steps to a happier living
We can all dream so why not make it great?
Great Dream Anagram -
How is your Optimistic October going to work out?
Start by writing down three things you are looking forward to and take it from there…
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Anxiety and Covid-19. It might surprise you.
Some alarming statistics where nearly 20% linked to anxiety based disorders.
Get this quote from the paper :
Anxiety and fear-related disorders were a prevalent condition in our sample; they were also the second highest risk factor for death among the underlying conditions considered in our study.
Of course it doesn’t have to be like this. We as individuals, groups even societies can do something about this.
However we need to be honest with ourselves and take the intelligent first step towards action and seek out the help needed.
I’m sure you will agree it is in all our best interests to do so. Agreed?
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So what would you do?
Dog in water sink swim float A little gift from a former client which was very nice of them. It came with a little note stating that I had helped her stay afloat.
I think it’s not always clear cut on how we need to approach problems and indeed solutions as there may be a third way which is available if only we take the time to appreciate it.
She didn’t want to give up by sinking nor swim away but just staying afloat was enough to keep her head in the right place.
The note concluded with , “It’s been a pleasure”. My sentiments exactly.
So what would you do?
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The simplicity of gratitude
A thank you card you’re a gentleman I received this card , totally unexpected, but humbled and grateful. Sometimes it’s the little personal things that make the difference.
I really enjoyed working with this lady who really put the work in and has achieved her goals.
Life is good when we work together.
Thank you.
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Let the happiness in (Jump Back up July)
Jump back up July Great calendar from the action for happiness crew. Simple daily actions for July that we can all do.
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Happy Father’s Day
Father’s Day card Counting my blessings today as a father and a son.
Hope you are feeling as lucky as I am.
Happy Father’s Day
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Letting the happiness of gratitude in
Just having a little moment of gratitude to say thanks to my beautiful family for a great fun weekend of games and laughter.
It’s the simple pleasure of your company that bonds our connection no matter what we do.
Hopefully we can all find the little moments in our lives that may seem trivial yet have profound impact, even without our conscious awareness.
So when it comes to you just let the happiness of gratitude in whichever way you can.
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Monday Quote
Peace of mind “When you’ve seen beyond yourself, then you may find, peace of mind is waiting there.”
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Breathing in the sun for natural growth
Sunshine herb garden Just breathing in the morning sun aside my herb garden. Watching them grow from seeds to now has given me an enormous sense of happiness and well-being.
A little bit of food and water, a touch of warmth and TLC can bring so many positive benefits.
Our self limiting beliefs and toxic environments may stunt our potential for growth but through choices and action this can change.
Therapy comes in many forms as does growth.
Seasons come and go. Don’t let another slip by.
Breath in the sun and watch how you to can grow.
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Amazingly Simple breathing technique to try right Now.
Breathing to relax Have you ever found yourself feeling stressed or anxious and you are literally gasping for air , struggling to breathe?
This is scary, right?
Probably you have found the more you try to breathe the harder it becomes,true?
Well now you can use this amazingly simple breathing technique that will instantly relax you, letting both your mind and body settle .
The best thing is , as it is so simple, all you have to do is remember 3 numbers : 4-7-8
Simple right?
So this is what you do:
1- Breathe in through your nose to the count of 4
2- Hold that breathe to the count of 7
3- Breathe out through your mouth to the count of 8
When you breathe in just focus on your breath breathing in calmness, love and relaxation.
When holding your breath just visualise this calmness, love and relaxation flowing through your mind and body.
Finally when breathing out imagine you are blowing out through a straw all the while releasing any tension, fears and worries.
Notice and feel how you begin to relax and calm down just by using this simple conscious breathing technique.
This will allow you to begin to breathe normally again.
3 numbers: 4-7-8.
Amazingly simple,right?
Further information can be found at http://anxietyclinicdublin.com or feel free to contact me at anxietyclinic@dublin.com
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Monday Quote of the day
“Happiness is not by chance, but by choice.”
― Jim Rohn
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The Stroop Effect Myth or Reality?
The Stroop Test Just been helping my daughter with her science project with one of my all time favourite psychological experiments. The Stroop Test.
Although used for assessing attention deficiencies and brain injury disorders it can also help people become more aware of how we process information and how we can improve our attention span and focused attention.
Try it out you might just surprise yourself : https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/words.html
For any more information please feel free to contact me:
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10 things stopping you being awesome
Awesome - Stop worrying about what others think of you, as they probably too consumed with worrying about the same thing.
- Spinning too many plates. Stop. No one can do it all by themselves, start delegating or outsourcing to free up time.
- Hate your job? Do something about it as it won’t change itself.
- Too many energy vampires in your life? Ditch them, spend more time with those who help and motivate you.
- Lacking motivation, no.4 above will help, then set a small manageable goal and build from there.
- No direction? Like motivation it’s time to plan what you want in life and set goals.
- Putting other’s happiness before your own? Time to be positively selfish and let the happiness in for yourself first.
- It’s not your fault? Maybe so but don’t let circumstances dictate your life take responsibility and you’ll feel better.
- Ditch the comparison trap, focus on what you already have how more awesome you can be for you and others.
- Stop living in the past or too far into the future. We all only have this present moment. Make it count.
Feel free to contact me for further information.
David Mcallister
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Now you come to mention it Yes I am stressed and anxious.
Anxiety Stressed Stress and anxiety are in my experience involved in a great many of the causes for clients coming for hypnotherapy.
People looking for hypnotherapy may present with an issue such as smoking or weight loss however I see stress and anxiety as an underlying cause and can lead to many problems if ignored.
Relaxation exercises, and other stress management techniques can be very useful in overcoming stress and anxiety caused by everyday life. So much so I utilise these frequently.
Due to a variety of socio-economic conditions, stress and anxiety have now become more widely recognised by both individuals and employers. Globally thousands of work days are lost to these conditions .
In addition there is great personal anxiety which can lead to relationship tension , depression, panic attacks and many other problems.
Effective stress and anxiety management means not just dealing with the presenting stress and anxiety but to also help to avoid reaching high stress and anxiety levels in the first place. Hypnosis can help by:
>Creating an understanding about the reasons and factors underlying stress and anxiety.> Teaching relaxation techniques so you can develop new ways to relax naturally and easily.
>Reframing thinking to help with panic attacks, anxiety and fears.Remember stress and anxiety can cause problems in very clever and unhelpful ways. But it doesn’t have to be like this, even if you don’t think you have choices- you do.
We might not be able to avoid stress and anxiety and indeed we all need a little edge to keep us alive but let’s take action before it gets too much to handle.
Stay safe and for any further information please feel free to contact me:
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Anxiety management and mindfulness
1st year nursing students anxiety management and mindfulness A big thank you to the 1st year nursing students for being a wonderful audience over the last few weeks.
Keep up the good work and remember to use the little techniques I showed you to stay mindful:
478 breathing, 54321 grounding, H-P-F and many more.
Really enjoyed your company and I wish you well for the future.
Feel free to contact me if you need any further information
David McAllister BSc(Hons),Dip App S.S.,ADCHP, MCHPA
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World Obesity Day
World Obesity Day Key facts (according to WHO World Health Organisation)
- Worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975.
- In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 650 million were obese.
- 39% of adults aged 18 years and over were overweight in 2016, and 13% were obese.
- Most of the world’s population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.
- 38 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2019.
- Over 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016.
- Obesity is preventable.
I see anxiety tied in with weight issues but it doesn’t have to be like this.
Time to change these facts. Time to change our lives. Times starts today.
anxietyclinicdublin.com
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Stanford professor reveals the science behind ‘Zoom fatigue’
Constant Zoom calls are tiring and science has been looking at why (Credits: Getty Images/iStockphoto) A new scientific study has backed up the …
Stanford professor reveals the science behind ‘Zoom fatigue’This is a fair assessment, as a medium video conferencing has its place in the world. However its use has gone beyond its original scope. Put it this way it’s like a sofa bed , which was good to be used on occasions but now has to masquerade as a queen sized four poster with an ergonomic designed mattress.
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Tipping the anxiety scales in a global pandemic
Tipping the anxiety scales in a global pandemic I read this morning that more people have now been vaccinated compared to those who have COVID-19. This is great news. I know I’m one of those lucky people.
Necessity is of course the mother of all invention and with the continual roll out of the various vaccines that are available, or soon to be available, will tip the scales even further in our favour.
Or at least we hope so. For nothing can be certain with this virus as it mutates to survive. But science has shown it can get ahead of the curve, we just need our politicians and world citizens to acknowledge and accept that it is in all our (sanitised) hands to keep the scales in our favour.
I have dealt with unprecedented levels of anxiety throughout the last year and this gives me more than hope and positivity that things are going in the right direction. The numbers are an indication that we can manage this current situation , right here, right now, day by day, step by step. If we can keep going , collectively, we can all look forward to a better future.
Stay safe. Following the COVID-19 protocols for your place in the world. Remember the scales are now tipping in our favour.
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Memento mori (we all must die)
Memento Mori Remember we all must die. I’m in my 50s and here I am just listening to some old records(vinyl to those too young to know what a record is) after talking to old friends in the modern communication via Zoom. We are middle aged and beyond, yet I don’t see who we are now but the children we were. To close my eyes, just to listen and it takes me back. Not men, not fathers, not husbands, but just us.
As a student of the social sciences many years ago I discarded the views of ageing as it was put to me then. For youth would of course never die, or at least , have an appreciation of an end. But then those held dear, close, go, gone. It hurts. Perhaps only for a short time and we move on. Youth remains strong. But not forever.
We never can be sure when it happens, when the first cut of age takes it’s quota- a wrinkle, an ache, thoughts of the past more prominent than the future, who can be sure other than to know it just happened beyond our control. Then what?
Do we continue down the path we’ll worn by those who came before us or challenge ourselves to greater glories or wait, just wait for something, anything to change our course?
I come across far too many people who dream and hope that things will improve but like the ancient Romans are willing to leave their fates to the Gods of fortune( Fortuna spinning her wheel of fortune).
This alarms me as I see an abundance of talent and potential just dreaming or wasting their lives away not realising everyone including you has something to offer through being alive.
Sure if you’re content with your life and don’t feel the need to do anything differently, then that’s fine, it’s your choice. You probably don’t need to continue reading but for those who don’t feel that way then please stay with me.
In the long run we are all dead.
John Maynard KeynesI’m not going to preach, that’s not what’s this is about. I just want you to understand, no mortal being lives forever, not you, not me , not the generations past or indeed yet to come.
We all have to start somewhere, no matter your current age or circumstances, if you want to change where you are then do it and do it now.
Remember:
- Dreams and hopes don’t come true without action
- Waiting doesn’t change anything or get things done
- Memento Mori (we all must die) make it a life worth living
David McAllister BSc(Hons), ADCHP, MCHPA
Anxiety Clinic Dublin 