This blog looks at overcoming anger and bitterness, and also how and why bitterness can lead to long lasting anxety and depression. My previous blog looked at anger as a normal and healthy emotion, a signal that something is wrong or unjust, motivating individuals to address issues, set boundaries, or…
This is the first in a series of blogs about the dangers of anger and bitterness - how they play out in our lives and in our relationships, how they can negatively impact us and how to avoid getting sucked into the destructive and addictive cycles that they can cause. …
This follows on from my previous blog and looks at a few more ways to live from the heart. Click here to see steps 1 to 3. To live from the heart isn't just a corny concept or an abstract ideal; it's a practical approach that can transform our daily…
Head vs heart What does it mean to live from the heart? I know it may sound a little corny, but most of the time, we are so caught up in what’s going on in our heads that we forget about our emotional selves. And that can cause us to…
STOP - you’re being neurotic! How can we go about embracing the neurotic lifestyle? The word “neurotic” can conjure images of a certain type of psychotherapy: Woody Allen types splayed out on long divans, with Freudian therapists sitting coolly behind them, asking vague questions about Oedipal complexes. Psychology’s come a…
Stop - you’re being neurotic! How do we go about embracing the inner neurotic? Shouldn't we try to suppress it? The word “neurotic” makes me smile - it conjures up either the Woody Allen character in the above image (Alvy Singer in Annie Hall), Monica from Friends, George from Seinfield…
Joy, rest, do less and nourish - how burnout and kindness go together: My final thoughts about recovery from burnout! Joy and Rest - Sound Advice from a Fatigue Specialist https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/jan/21/work-needs-rest-and-rest-takes-work-fatigue-specialist-vincent-deary-on-coping-with-life In his book How We Break: Navigating the Wear and Tear of Living, Vincent Deary professor of psychology at…
This blog looks at burnout at work, especially in the caring professions. We cannot recover from burnout without support. In the workplace, it is essential to examine external solutions: more family friendly flexible working practices, adequate breaks etc But such solutions may seem unrealistic - many of us are employed…
I CAN'T relax! Why is recovery from burnout so difficult? “Why don’t you just take a break? Just relax!” One of the most difficult aspects of burnout is the double bind: People describe two opposites: a feeling of exhaustion accompanied by a nervy compulsion to go on regardless. Burnout involves…
Roots in our childhood? Are there links between personality and burnout? We tend to presume that a stressful job, and challenging life events lead to burnout - and this is absolutely true but are there also internal causes of burnout? Factors that we may not be aware of, that make…
Continuing on from my previous blogs, here are some tools and strategies for burnout recovery. The road to recovery is slightly different for each one of us - what works for you, might not necessarily work for me, so it is sometimes a matter of trying a few things, doing…
Continuing this series of blogs about burnout, this is the first of a short series that look at recovery from burnout. In previous blogs I have talked about the research carried out and excellent book written by Emily and Ameila Nagoski: Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. They…