How you can help a friend showing signs of suicide ideation
With all the pressures and stresses of life, it’s no wonder that everyone feels sad, angry, or overwhelmed at times. However, some people may struggle
How to Mind Yourself, with Louize Carroll
In the fourth part of our series on ‘How to Mind Yourself’, we asked Occupational Psychologist and friend of A Lust for Life Louize Carroll about how she takes care of herself and her mental health
Why unplugging is good for your mental health
The relationship between technology use and mental health is multifaceted. Advocates of technology tout its benefits, like how its presence has impacted the counselling industry
How to Mind Yourself, with Dr Malie Coyne
In the third part of our series on ‘How to Mind Yourself’, we asked Clinical Psychologist and friend of A Lust for Life Dr Malie Coyne about how she takes care of herself and her mental health
A tutorial on how to set healthy boundaries
We hear a lot about the need to set healthy boundaries, but what does that actually mean? The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a boundary as “something that indicates or fixes a limit or extent”
How to Mind Yourself, with Lucie Kavanagh
In the second part of our series on ‘How to Mind Yourself’, A Lust for Life asks regular A Lust for Life contributor Lucie Kavanagh how she takes care of herself and her mental health
Many of us today lead busy lives. We are focused on our family, friends, our job, the people we come in contact with and to a greater or lesser degree how we appear to other people
How to Mind Yourself, with Fiona Brennan
In the first of a series on ‘How to Mind Yourself’, A Lust for Life asks a Clinical Hypnotherapist & NLP Practitioner Fiona Brennan how she takes care of herself and her mental health
Life is full of challenges, most of which we have no control over. This might sound a little disheartening, but grasping this fully can save you a lot of pain
The homogenised self - that streamlined ‘us’ that reads a room and acts accordingly - is how we manage to live relatively shame-free day to day. But sometimes we find ourselves unexpectedly in a situation where we feel safe
How happiness changes everything… …and how to change everything to happiness, in every single moment
This is a guest post by Jacqueline Pirtle, author of 365 Days of Happiness
How I overcame performance anxiety after 20 years of suffering
Stage fright is a subject close to my heart. I am a singer songwriter, guitarist and drummer as well as a hypnotherapist and coach
How to get moving if you feel stuck in life
Let’s say you decide to take a run after a longer period of being physically inactive. It will be hard. You’ll start with great enthusiasm, but you’ll get tired too quickly. You’ll want to quit way before you reach the target
Inhale confidence, exhale doubt………
Linda Hill writes about how she overcame her personal ‘stuckness’ by setting goals, praising momentum, and powering through wish lists and adventures. They say the core to all successful personal growth
Somewhere inside my head a slight floodgate opened last week at the mention of the phrase “compassion fatigue” at an appointment. It’s a term I am familiar with, but never applied to myself
This week, A Lust for Life were blown away by a stunningly simple yet pitch-perfect article by Journalist Danielle Tcholakian published on Long Reads, called “Surviving Depression”
“You are 99 years old on your deathbed, and you have a chance to come back to right ‘now’: what would you do?” – Cristopher Carmichae. I often ask myself a similar question: Would I put what I’m doing right now on my epitaph?
Your three spoons of sugar: childhood and mental health
Were you beaten as a child? (If you answered yes, it wouldn’t be uncommon). “Baiting” an Irish child was a common occurrence on the Emerald Isle
Mindfulness and social media: An observer’s perspective
Mindfulness is typically described as the awareness that arises by paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally
How to help your teenager appreciate the little things in life
As the summer holidays are in full swing, Tyler Jacobson gives some useful advice for getting your teenager out of their room and to participate in family time
Self-Confidence – A flawed assumption
For a long time I considered self-confidence as the Holy Grail of action taking. On the surface it even seemed like the magic bullet that made things happen. People who were self-confident did things in the word and had impact
Wellbeing – another fully rounded subject, or just common sense?
In a recent survey commissioned by the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN) on children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing over 25% of its members reported
Stuck thoughts: How I got through
Stuck thoughts can creep up on me, whether I’m just waking up or in the middle of a huge project. Anyone who has anxiety knows that there’s no simple way to just shut them off
Learn how to practice your meditation skills at work
Science links meditation to a stress-free work environment and productivity, making it an excellent tool to use at work. Call it another trait of meditation – finding some peace
Values and principles: A forgotten life compass
Do you ever feel a little lost, disoriented or confused? We live in a very complex world…And it’s getting busier by the day
Mindspace: The importance of physical space with mental health
We all know about that acute experience of anxiety around exams. It’s that awful feeling that time is constantly running out, that we know nothing, that we shouldn’t even be here
I've written about migraine before, about triggers, symptoms, treatments and so on but this piece aims to give people an insight into the impact the condition can have on mental wellbeing
The term resilience is one we hear a lot at the moment. The Latin roots of the word mean to spring back, hence where the term bounce back ability sprung from! Think of an object that is resilient like a good pair of shoes
Put the band aid on: some tips to aid your recovery journey
What extremities does it take for us to go through in order to actually care for ourselves like we would a loved one or a friend? What's sick enough?
Sobering thoughts with Dr. Ciara Kelly
Whilst attitudes are changing - and a recent Lancet survey revealed some frightening facts about alcohol consumption by putting it on a par with smoking -Ireland still has some way to go before embracing an alcohol-free lifestyle
Appetite-suppressing lollipops and disordered eating promotion online
Instagram models and influencers are renowned for promoting weight loss and slimming products, from waist trainers to detox teas
The use of metaphor with cancer patients
A diagnosis of cancer can be incredibly hard on your mental health or that of your loved ones. In this piece, Caroline Lloyd describes how we speak in metaphors about illness to help us understand what is happening to us
Is stability the most important quality for your mental health?
Balance is essential for a peaceful and fruitful existence. The most successful people in the world are those who are in control of every aspect of their daily endeavors
A Parent’s guide to talking with a teen that may be suffering from depression
Teenagers are more depressed than they ever have been before. According to research, depression hits as many as 20% of all teenagers
Exam Stress Management Course Week 5: Top tips for bringing “MY OWN” game
Less than 1 week until the exams and you are probably really feeling the pressure and wondering how things are going to pan out for you
Exam Stress Management Course Week 4: “Is my BEHAVIOUR serving my goals?”
It’s best to follow the course week by week, as like any other game, preparing for exams is best done following a step-by-step training schedule. Good luck you CAN do this!
Exam Stress Management Course Week 3: “Is it FACT or OPINION”?
Very wise words from one of our greats. Apologies if the mere mention of Shakespeare’s name brings you out in cold sweats as that is not my intention!
Exam Stress Management Course Week 2: Your BODY as the vehicle to your dreams
This is week 2 of Dr. Malie’s A Lust for Life online Exam Stress Management course for Junior and Leaving Cert students and parents
A Lust for Life Exam Stress Management Course Week 1: “Mastering the game of exams”
Clinical Psychologist Dr. Malie Coyne has kindly developed an online Exam Stress Management Course exclusively for our A Lust for Life readers
Reclaiming your time in an always-on world
You arrive at your desk at 8.45am. You open your emails. Your phone vibrates. You check Twitter. Your phone rings. You go back to the email you were drafting
Chicken or an Eagle… which are you?
“Compared to what we ought to be, we are only half awake… the human individual thus lives far within their limits. They possess power of various sorts which they habitually fail to use” ― William James
Mental health can begin in the classroom
What exactly are we teaching our future generations? As someone who has both experienced and survived anxiety, I often worry exactly what skills children are leaving our current education system with
Has a disclosure of a mental illness left you feeling that you’ve been treated differently in the...
The issue of depression & associated stigma in the workplace is a difficult one to address but it is one that has to be addressed
In a nutshell yes, Imposter Syndrome is very real and can be bad for our mental, physical and emotional health. But, at its essence Imposter Syndrome is just a story we repeat again and again and one that can be retold differently
The Clown-Elizabeth Jennings. This poem is one I read first at the age of 15 and never forgot. I think I finally understand why it has appealed to me so much over the years. Ironically, my mother's all-time favourite song
Hello All, My name is Joshua Deegan and I'm a sixteen year old Irish teenager from Mullingar, Co Westmeath. I am also the founder of Brighter Thought's Ireland, a teenage mental health initiative
Making the link between mental health and lack of sleep
While scientists aren’t entirely certain why humans need to sleep, there is no confusion regarding just how much sleep people need
Why I teach mindfulness to kids
Our resiliency can often be a survival guide for others; and the willingness to share our stories in this forum often gives others the courage to tackle their own. I first came to mindfulness because an early childhood trauma
Any bread makers out there? You’ll know that there is a critical stage in the baking process: the leavening. As the dough sits, the fermentation process commences letting all those lovely bubbles of CO2- the essential raising agent
Ways we can use Performance Anxiety in Our Favour
Evelyn Marinoff explores the difference between a little performance jitters before a big presentation or meeting, and the paralysing effect of true performance anxiety
This is your brain on social media
Social media has become tightly woven into our lives. Smartphones have made Facebook, Twitter and the rest constant companions; windows through which we can gaze at any time
At the age of 6 I wanted to be a cartoonist. I quickly learned that this wasn’t an option. Imagination and creativity didn’t belong in the exam hall. My assumption was that those who successfully forged a career out of these
‘This is going to be rubbish. I am going to fail. I’ll never be published again. All my words will dry up, forever and ever and ever. And so, what then? Well, I’m still breathing, and life goes on, and I’ll be able to learn...’
Positive neuroplasticity and mindfulness (Adapted from Dr Rick Hanson)
I had the pleasure of training with Dr Rick Hanson last year. He argues that through what’s called “experience-dependent neuroplasticity”
А lot of things аnd people contribute to our well-being in аll sorts of wаys. Everything we do, аffects not only our lives but touches others too, sometimes we mаy not reаlise this. In the choppy wаters of fаst-pаced, modern life
As a counsellor and psychotherapist, I am often asked about the effects social media can have on our mental health, mainly by concerned parents of young clients who I see in my private practice
‘When you’re chewing on life’s gristle, don’t grumble, give a whistle, and this will help things turn out for the best…’ Eric Idle may have been strapped to a cross and his little ditty a smack of classic comedy in Monty Python Life of Brian
When someone close to you has cancer
What does “giving care” mean? When someone you love becomes ill, you naturally want to care and support them. Giving care can often be seen as providing physical care to someone who loses their independence due to illness
Why wellbeing at work should always be a priority
When we think about mental health in the workplace, there are some startling statistics we cannot ignore. According to the WHO, by 2020, depression will be the second most frequent cause of disability in the world
So look: mental health. It’s a thing. It’s a big thing. It’s a biiiiiiiig thing. Oh boy. It’s big. I know it is. As of the twenty fourth of January, 2018, I am seventeen. I wasn’t here when mental health was basically non-existent
Helping Your Child Transition to College
If there’s one thing that most students feel when they first come to college, it’s the sense of being completely overwhelmed. School can’t quite prepare them for the sheer, alien feeling of higher education
Social anxiety affects an estimated 16.8% of Irish people according to Social Anxiety Ireland. In my work, I see many clients who suffer from social anxiety. Often they appear to be ‘on the outside’, the most confident of people
Resilience – the Bounce-Back Effect
Resilience is a bit of a buzz word – but it is incredibly powerful: it’s the internal ally we can call on to handle life events that challenge our mental health. What does resilience mean?
What keeps people going when the going gets tough? And what supports people to bounce back? It was a personal experience this week which made me get curious. I was having one of those work weeks
A Lust for Life contributor John Doran gives this powerful talk on wellbeing in schools. This video is a must-watch for teachers, students, and do you know what? Most adults I know could use this advice too
4 practical exercises in cultivating self-compassion
Take a couple of minutes now and then, perhaps with your eyes closed, to do this exercise based on an old Buddhist practice
The role perfectionism can play in our anxiety
Perfectionism and anxiety are not a good combination. Having high standards for ourselves is not a bad thing. Having unattainably high standards, for every little thing
Is your self-worth determined by the recognition and validation of others?
It amazes me how many intelligent (both emotionally and academically), focused and diligent people I cross paths with who completely devalue themselves
The fear of having a panic attack at work and how vigilance doesn’t help
The thought of having a panic attack at work can be too much to handle. Whilst there is obviously no ideal place, the added pressure of our professional environment
Rebuilding self-worth in the aftermath of experiencing toxic childhood house rules
Our home environment is very much a school… it educates us on the type of lifestyle we should (could) lead, it advises us on the rights and wrongs of human interaction
We speak to thousands of children in primary schools every year. One question that we always ask is how long it is since they last spoke to a parent about staying safe online
Contentment is the springboard for success
What does it mean to be content? What does it truly mean to you? Like many words connected to emotions and feelings, these can be interpreted in different ways;
PTSD and the signs you need to watch out for
What you thought was only seen in a horror movie has happened to you in real life – you witnessed a horrible crime scene or a life changing event right in front of your eyes
How counselling and talk therapy can help
Counselling is one of the most powerful weapons we have against a whole range of mental health issues like depression, grief and anxiety
We need to talk about mental health in Recruitment-Land
In my second year in IT recruitment in the UK (circa 1999), my desk was moved. Moving desks was a common practice in our office, designed, I guess to keep the office energised
Developing children’s resilience: Three approaches from Positive Psychology
Resilience is one of the most important gifts we can give our children. As a parent and primary teacher, I’m all too aware of the many challenges and pressures
Keeping off the booze at Christmas
Let’s start with a quick thought exercise - how many days of Christmas are lost to the pain of hangovers, lethargy and regret?
How to keep your worries at bay – Your step by step guide
Searching for certainty in an ambiguous world…Worry is the major feature of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and intolerance of uncertainty is the force behind worry
How to get unstuck when difficult emotions are holding you back
Difficult emotions, such as sadness, fear and anger are a natural part of life. Sometimes referred to as “negative emotions”, but pleasant or unpleasant
Mind your mental health heading into the Christmas period, it can be a tough time for many
As we get closer to the Christmas period in an age where time is rushing past us at an ever-increasing pace
Teacher and school leader self-care is not a luxury; it is your duty
About a month ago, I facilitated some workshops at the INTO Conference for Primary Principals and Deputy Principals
Exciting news Lusty Lifers – Our very own ‘The Little Book of Sound’ has been published and...
As some of you know, a couple of months ago the A Lust for Life crew ran a fairly whopper campaign called #SoundEffect in partnership with Pieta House
Social anxiety and blushing – how to manage the problem
What if you were terrified of social situations? What if one of your worst fears was people knowing how uncomfortable you are?
Making mistakes: Negative perception Vs personal truth
Many of my clients have a deep fear of making mistakes, mostly due to past consequences which were very real and left an emotional bruise which they still carry today
How to tackle Impostor Syndrome – the fear of being found out – at work
The fear of being ‘found out’, or the Impostor syndrome, as it is known, is something so many of us struggle with. The workplace is a stressful environment at the best of times
How anxiety can affect our attention and concentration at work and what to do about it
One place where you need to be able to concentrate, take in information, and decide the best course of action with a clear head, is in the working environment
Feeling safe so you can experience the comfort of being fully present
Why is feeling safe so important? Feeling safe is fundamental to our wellbeing. It's primary, it's primal and it's the springboard from which we can create the life
Understanding OCD: Contamination, guilt and not just right experiences
You’re about to settle down to sleep one night when you get a niggling feeling that you haven’t locked your car. You know it’s probably locked, you’ve never returned to see it open
Look Beyond – Empowering people with lived experience of mental health difficulties
Recent research shows the stigma attached to mental health problems remains a significant barrier for many people
Social Anxiety: If we ignore or hide from our fears, they will come and find us
If we ignore, or hide from our fears, they will come and find us. With most anxieties, this is painfully true. With agoraphobia, which is basically perceiving the environment
