Blog and News

Dyslexia can have a significant impact on learning and academic outcomes the evidence speaks for itself. ‘Go Red for Dyslexia’ is a global campaign designed to highlight the challenges that people with dyslexia must overcome and remove the stigma associated with it and we are passionate about their mission – why, because it is personal!  

According to the most recent figures from the Office for National Statistics, approximately twelve million people in the UK report feeling lonely. Data also shows around 40% of working adults currently work either some or all the time at home.  

Procrastination is defined as an irrational tendency to delay required jobs or tasks despite the negative consequences this may have.  It is a common behavioural tendency but the fallout is much worse because of the guilt we feel as a result of not doing ‘things’.   We associate procrastination with failure.  From the perspective of our mental health, telling ourselves we are a failure is really detrimental.  So, ‘procrastination’ can actually have some serious consequences, not so much because we miss deadlines but because of how we view ourselves as a result of the procrastination.  Research on procrastination has increased significantly in the last couple of decades.  The impact of digital technology and the distraction of new media is very clearly linked to increased procrastination in certain environments.   We live in what is classed as a ‘media pervasive environment’ which is difficult to manage.  How can we avoid procrastination?  Think first about whether it is context based?  Do you procrastinate in certain environments, or situations?  When and why do you procrastinate?  On the other hand, when do you really find you are in a flow state with tasks and jobs? What does that positive environment or situation look like for you?  Assessing the landscape of procrastination as it is specific to you, is a critical first step.  Then you need to equip yourself with a toolbox of tricks and skills to support yourself day after day until ‘not’ procrastinating becomes a normal state.

Did you know that April is National Stress Awareness Month? This is a really important month for raising awareness of the negative impact of stress – and this is especially important for us busy students!I mean… having a million-and-one deadlines is no good for anyone’s stress levels

We hear the term burnout in relation to University and working life.  So many of us describe feeling overwhelmed right now.  But what is burnout?  How do we know if a colleague or a friend might have it?  Or even if we are burnt out ourselves?

Today marks Uni Mental Health Day and as a student, there is nothing more important than looking after your mental health.

Mark February 17th in the calendar because it’s “Random Acts of Kindness Day”! If you've never heard of it, Random Acts of Kindness Day is a day dedicated to sharing kindness and uplifting others. Student life can be busy and stressful, and sometimes we forget to make time for others and share a little kindness. But it’s acts of kindness that make the world a happier place. So, in this blog, I’m going to talk about the history of the day and list some random acts of kindness to get inspired for the occasion. 

Romantic relationships are a journey.   Ideally, they involve joy and peace.  In reality, for many of us they do involve joy but this is accompanied by feelings of boredom, frustration, confusion, fear, anxiety, anger and a multitude of other emotions. 

January is officially over... finally! I’m sure for most of us students, it has been a hectic month full of long nights and lots of caffeine. But if you didn’t already know, February is National Self-Check Month, which acts as a great reminder during busy times to make sure your health is in check, both physically and mentally. 

Reflective journaling is a great thing to start practising as we go into the new year. It will make busy student life feel more manageable and less overwhelming. So, ditch the “New Year, New Me” motto because in 2023 it's not about creating a “New Me”, it’s about creating a “Better Me”.

Current estimates are that one in seven people in the UK (1) are neurodivergent and yet the neurodiverse community persists as a largely underutilised talent pool (2). With neurodiverse teams presenting a range of benefits, could getting to grips with neurodiversity be your organisations next competitive advantage.  

In January 2023 the majority of us find ourselves managing rather than thriving.  We have been living through a permacrisis (Click here to see our webinar on the Permacrisis) launching from one critically stressful situation to another. From Brexit to the pandemic to climate anxiety and rising living costs.  The things that predispose individuals to mental health problems have been magnified.  For many of us our lifestyle behaviours have subsequently been negatively impacted.  Perhaps drinking a bit more than we should, lacking motivation to eat healthily or to exercise or becoming addicted to scrolling our phone instead of focusing on something that needs our attention. 

It's that time of the year again. The twinkly lights are up and suddenly everyone is singing Mariah Carey. Ahh, Christmas! A time to relax, spend time with your loved ones, and share some holiday cheer.

Between the upcoming Christmas break and the end of year pressure over final deadlines and assignments it’s not surprising that stress and tension can really begin to rise at this time of year.  

Stress. The most overused word in developed countries today.  What is it?  Who has it?  Who has it more? Stress is a reaction.  It is a response. Ultimately it is a choice.  However, so many of us are habitually programmed to issue a stress response physiologically and psychologically to so many situations.   Stress really is not great for us from a physical or mental perspective.  Hormones prime our body for survival and alongside an increased heart rate, muscle tension and higher rate of breathing, glucose is released.  When it comes to piles of paperwork or deadlines, this physiological response really is not required.  The cumulative impact on our health is detrimental and emerges as cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and depression.

There are many theories around positive mental health which you may have heard of…self-determination, self-actualisation, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.  However, for most of us, in order to understand ourselves we need a really accessible and practical solution or model. 

The terms “life sucking content” and “a tobacco moment” really stood out from the recent news articles about the horrific case of Molly Russell.  On this world mental health day, we want to pause to reflect on the impact that social media plays on our psychological wellbeing. 

Fitness is a such a divisive word.  It can create fear and instil guilt. We feel we should be fitter.  We feel guilty that we are not ‘doing’ the things we should be doing to get fitter. We are not even sure what or how to begin. 

The pandemic has significantly increased mental health problems.  The uncertainty, loss of control and repeated trauma we have all experienced over the last two and a half years have meant that the things that predispose us to a mental health crisis…have been magnified.