What Is Grief? National Grief Awareness Day is on August 30th 2023. Most of us have probably experienced the pain of grief at some point in our lives but what exactly is grief? How can we learn to cope with our feelings of loss? This article explores the nature of grief and offers some [...]
Friendship in Adulthood August 6th this year is Friendship Day. Friendships are something to celebrate. Having friends has positive effects on our physical and mental health. A 2017 study, published in the Journal of Personal Relationships, found that investing in friendships over the lifespan led to increased happiness and well-being. However, despite the importance [...]
What Are Panic Attacks? Panic Attack Awareness is this month, but what are they? Panic attacks are intense but brief waves of fear or anxiety that tend to last between five and twenty minutes although they may last longer. They cause physical symptoms such as racing heartbeat, breathlessness, sweatiness, or dizziness. Panic attacks are [...]
. What Is Birth Trauma? July 19th, 2023 marks the beginning of Birth Trauma Awareness Week. Birth trauma is a way of describing the trauma that can occur following childbirth. This trauma might be clinically diagnosable as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD for short). Alternatively, it might not fall within the [...]
What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder? Despite being fairly common, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD for short) doesn’t often get discussed. With this year’s National Seasonal Affective Disorder Awareness Day on July 24th, it’s a good time to explore more about this mood disorder. SAD is similar to low mood or depression. However, whilst depression is [...]
International Self-Care Day takes place this month on July 24th. Self-care often gets mentioned as being an important part of looking after our physical and emotional health. But, what exactly is self-care? What might get in the way of looking after ourselves? And how can we best start to practice self-care? This article explores [...]
What Is Anxiety? Everyone feels anxious sometimes. Anxiety is a natural response to threats so it’s normal to find our anxiety increasing at the time of difficult life events or when we experience challenges. However, anxiety can become problematic when it seems out of proportion to the situation we’re facing. It’s also unhelpful when [...]
What Is Yoga? June 21 is the International Day of Yoga. Yoga is a practice dating back thousands of years. It involves physical poses, deep breathing and concentration. The physical benefits of yoga include increased flexibility, muscle strength and energy levels. Yoga has even been shown to support recovery from cancer and other health [...]
What Is PTSD? June is PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) awareness month. PTSD is a fairly recent diagnosis. It's often misunderstood and misdiagnosed. Therefore, it's important to raise awareness of it. PTSD is a condition that some people develop after experiencing, witnessing or learning about the occurrence of traumatic events. These events may have been [...]
What Is OCD? OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) is an anxiety disorder. It can affect anyone of any age and background. People with OCD tend to experience obsessions and compulsions. These obsessions and compulsions can be distressing, time-consuming and impact daily life. Obsessions refer to intrusive thoughts or images that frequently arise in the mind of [...]
