Lazy days in the sun, having picnics, sitting outside with friends all evening – these summer pursuits sound very enjoyable and relaxing. For some, however, the longer days and warm weather bring irritability, discomfort and gloom. This is known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. What is SAD? Clinically speaking, SAD is a type of …
What do panic attacks feel like? Imagine you’re out with friends and they decide to go to a funfair. You can’t explain why, but you just don’t feel like going. A sense of unease increases as you approach the crowd. Once there, the noise and lights become overwhelming, you begin to sweat and feel sick. …
How do you do a loving kindness visualisation? Follow these 10 steps: You can read more articles in the latest issue of Teen Breathe magazine.
Why there’s no one way to grieve for a pet In the immediate aftermath of any loss, it’s normal to experience a whole range of feelings. Along with sadness, there might be a sense of injustice, futility, anger and even guilt. Kirsty Godsell, an accredited pet bereavement counsellor based in Dorset in the UK, says …
Why comparing ourselves to others can cause feelings of anxiety Have you ever felt insecure because you haven’t yet experienced some of the things your friends have? It could be that you’re the only one in your friendship group still waiting to go through puberty or you had to take time out of school and …
Why you should schedule your ‘worry time’ Scheduling a short, regular worry time is one way to prevent negative thoughts from dominating the rest of your day. It’s a tool that’s sometimes used by health professionals to help people tackle their concerns and let their worries go. Catherine Hallissey, a chartered psychologist from the Republic …
Read moreHow setting aside ‘worry time’ could help you to reduce your anxiety
What are some signs that you’re suffering from social exhaustion? Signs of social exhaustion might include becoming more irritable, stressed, even anxious. Eventually, you might feel so overwhelmed that you shut off and stop socialising altogether. This behaviour, while understandable, can become problematic if it happens often. ‘If you constantly let your social battery run …
Read moreHow to prevent yourself suffering from social exhaustion
What is anxiety and what are the signs of it? Anxiety is often talked about as if it’s something new, but in fact, it’s an important protective mechanism that dates back to early humans. ‘The reason humans have evolved to have emotions is to teach us and help us remember what we’ve learned,’ explains Natasha …
What is resilience? Suzy Greenwood, co-founder of UK-based wellbeing programme Vitality Works, defines it as ‘the ability to bounce back’. ‘There isn’t just one thing that enables us to become resilient,’ says Suzy, ‘there’s a variety of different techniques that support wellbeing, and different practices will work best for different people.’ Because of this, self-reflection …
Read moreWhy developing greater resilience can help change your outlook on life
Why breathing exercises can help to reduce stress In times of stress, the sympathetic nervous system activates what’s known as the fight-or-flight response, causing sensations such as a raised heart rate, racing thoughts and physical tension. Breathing exercises can ease these sensations. If practised regularly, they might even help to prevent them from occurring at …
Read moreHow breathing exercises can help to relax you and restore your concentration
