Mental Health

Hug it out: A Summer ‘Project’ for kids to help nurture mental health

Anne McCormack

Everything that a person experiences, their thoughts, tastes, smells, sounds, feelings; all of it requires underlying neural activity in the brain

Minding your mental health during the school holidays

Aisling O’Connor

Many students find their mental health suffers over summer. This may be due feeling a lack of focus in one’s life, due to strained relationships at home, or feeling isolated in a locality

Setting boundaries

Karl Melvin

‘Sorry seems to be the hardest word'. I disagree. I think No is the hardest word, saying No to unreasonable demands; saying No to unhealthy behaviours and attitudes; and saying No to the critical inner dialog which plagues everyone at some point

Practice using the power of your imagination with this positive visualisation

Fiona Brennan

Negative thinking is a habit and habits can be broken. Negative self-talk (the inner critic) is often a habit of which we are not even aware

Combat teacher burnout as the summer approaches: tips for you and your classroom

Ann-Marie Ireland

So it’s mid-June and that time of year again. The sun is shining (well most days anyway) and the summer holidays are so close, we can almost smell the sweet scent of July!

It’s up to us to replenish our reservoirs of well-being

Fiona Forman

Did you know that researchers have discovered that 40% of the differences in happiness and well-being levels of individuals is accounted for by individual behaviour?

Dealing with manipulative people

Karl Melvin

The art of manipulation is alive and well. I call it an art as its proponents appear to spend years crafting their skills and masterfully pulling the strings of others for their own gain. All manipulators have an agenda and that agenda is control

Understanding anorexia

Roísín Duffy and Sinéad Donnelly

“It’s not about being thin for me, I look in the mirror and I’m ashamed for my friends to see me like this, I look emaciated.” Around 80 people a year in Ireland die from Anorexia Nervosa which affects up to 200,000 people, according to Bodywhys

Self-care tools for children starting out on their social media journey

Anne McCormack

Young people are spending a lot of time on social media, and in preparing them for it, parents usually advise them on how to keep safe (not posting any identifying information etc)

Child and adolescent psychotherapy using play

Carol Duffy

So what is child and adolescent psychotherapy and why use it? And does it have to do with play? Play - First we must realise that play is vital to a child’s development

The new definition of wellbeing

Jonni Pollard

Wellbeing is a term that is used a lot, however despite it being the very thing we all desire, wellbeing is not well understood. Perhaps this is the reason why so few of us report experiencing it as often as we would like

How to take a break from alcohol

Andy Ramage

Giving up alcohol sounds so simple - surely you just stop? The beer can’t jump into your mouth. Yet when most people try they fail

Managing stress before it becomes too much

Jonni Pollard

A little bit of stress in your life is great to make you motivated and get things done. However this good stress can turn into bad stress really quickly when we’re under pressure and don’t give ourselves the time to recover

Encouraging confidence: How to support child’s self esteem

Tracey Clayton

Building confidence in your child is a sure way to set them up for success in life in all ways. It will ensure that they lead a happy life full of positive energy and will help them stay strong

Teacher appreciation day: why it is beneficial and top tips on how to organise it in your...

Ann-Marie Ireland

We know that teaching is not a business and is not dependent on a profit and loss system so yes this makes it incredibly different to running a company

Stop listening to the devil on your shoulder – the power of positive self talk

Niall Breslin

Every one of us has an inner dialogue with ourselves on a daily basis, even though at times we are not overtly aware of it. We often see cartoons where there is a devil on one shoulder

Forest Therapy: Where the forest is the therapist

Shirley Gleeson

I have always been deeply connected with nature, spending time in a beautiful, calm and tranquil forest restores my vitality after being drained by the hectic pace of city life

The Positive Habit – 3 lucky readers can gain free access to this powerful self-help programme

Fiona Brennan

So what is the Positive Habit? “The Positive Habit”, devised by Clinical Hypnotherapist, Fiona Brennan is a six week work-out for your mental health

Visualisation – the mind’s ally

Niall Breslin

Hey guys, so we are now in the first week of May and edging closer to the months where we can safely leave the house without being attacked by snow, hailstones or other forms of mother nature’s wrath

5 secrets about therapy other Mums wish you knew

Tracy Donegan

For many women and their families, having a baby is the most significant life-changing event they will ever experience. There are many organisations that can help you adjust

How to support children to worry less and develop mental fitness

Anne McCormack

Worrying does not just automatically stop when someone suggests that you stop and this is true for adults and children alike

Debunking 3 meditation myths

Jonni Pollard

A Lust for Life, with the help of 1 Giant Mind founder Jonni Pollard, are on a mission to support you getting your meditation groove on and over the coming weeks we will be sharing out some helpful tips, tools are resources

SpunOut.ie launches their #KnowAnxiety campaign

A Lust For Life Reader

My name is Marie Duffy and I’m the editor with Ireland’s Youth Information website SpunOut.ie. For those of you who don’t know, SpunOut.ie works with 16-25 year olds around Ireland

Some truths about suicide – my personal thoughts

Ken Barrett

There is a lot of talk in the media at present about mental health and this is fantastic, the more people that feel comfortable talking about issues out there, the better

The battery life of a teacher – Top tips on how to keep your battery topped up

Ann-Marie Ireland

I recently began a discussion with a group of teachers about their ‘battery life’ as a teacher. I showed them an image that illustrated the ‘battery life of a teacher’ as being full on

Mindful walking for mothers

Tracy Donegan

The father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, said, “walking is man’s best medicine”. It’s a wonderful, gentle exercise for pregnancy and beyond with benefits for body and brain

Challenges of meditation – 7 tips to diffuse life’s weapons of mass distraction

Jonni Pollard

To help keep the process flowing, here are seven tips and tricks to help diffuse life’s weapons of mass distraction and stay on the meditation horse

Epigenetics and the subconscious mind

Fiona Brennan

In addition to the wonders that neuroscience has contributed to illustrate human kind's ability to choose how we wish to think, feel and behave, there is also a growing body of scientific research into the area of epigenetics

To err is human

Dr. Jolanta Burke

“I pushed him away” – Maeve said – “and the thoughts of what I have done haunt me”. When one of my clients began telling the group her story, everyone listened to her with curiosity. What could she have possibly done, that was so bad

Creating a culture of well-being in our schools

Fiona Forman

There is a huge impetus at the moment toward putting well-being and mental health at the heart of our children’s school experience

Quitting alcohol for optimial health

Andy Ramage

There is plenty of science to suggest alcohol is a gateway drug to other drugs. A few pints pave the way to a few lines, a few smokes or worse

How your health hinges on your mind-over-matter resilience

Tyler Jacobson

Henry Ford said: “Whether you think you can, or you can’t—you’re right.” While it can be easy to dismiss the phrase, there’s truth to it

How to meditate

Jonni Pollard

Take 5 minutes for a positive pregnancy, birth and parenting experience

Tracy Donegan

When you think about meditation – what comes to mind? Sitting on a mountain top, cross legged blissfully emptying your mind of all thoughts? That’s what I used to think too

Consistency is critical to recovery

Niall Breslin

I often find myself using analogies when I engage with the conversation surrounding mental health as I feel as well as normalising the conversation, it also allows those who sometimes fail to grasp the full extent

You are one thought away from feeling better in every moment

Bryan Ryan

Last year, a Mum of two kids in her thirty’s came to see me. She had been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder some 5 years previously

Positive self-deception – Stop beating yourself up

Dr. Jolanta Burke

I always go for bad boys; I never listen to wise advice; I can never get it right; nobody likes me; now, everyone thinks I’m stupid – these are some of negative self-deceptions we indulge

Will you meditate with us?

Bressie and Susie Q

Over the coming weeks on A Lust for Life our intention is to get as many of you as possible meditating every day, helping you to establish a daily practice. We are hugely passionate about helping you to learn to meditate

Become a healthy perfectionist

Stacey Wonder

What is perfectionism, really? A personality trait that can prevent a person from being happy, basically

Feel the fear and do it anyway – 3 tips to help you find courage

Dr. Jolanta Burke

I am very lucky to be surrounded by courageous people, from whom I learn every day

Taking a step away from social anxiety

Francis Cleary

They say that your school and college days are the best times of your life and should be cherished. Whoever first coined that saying must not have experienced social anxiety. For me, those days were filled with feelings of isolation, excessive anxiety

Teaching children the language of mental health

Fiona Forman

We have come so far in the last number of years in our understanding of our physical health, and it’s great that children learn at an early age about all the factors

Let’s talk about sex addiction

Liz Greene

In 2009, sex addiction hit front page news when it was publicly revealed that Tiger Woods had cheated on his wife, Elin Nordegren. During a press conference, the pro golfer confessed to having attended a facility for treatment

Ireland’s Rugby Players are challenging you to Tackle Your Feelings

Créde Sheehy-Kelly

Tackle Your Feelings is a mental wellbeing campaign driven and delivered by the Irish Rugby Union Players’ Association, the collective voice of professional rugby players in Ireland

How to empower children against bullying and strengthen emotional resilience

Dr. Malie Coyne

I remember looking into the mirror at my reflection next to her in the school toilets. She was small, thin-built, and pretty. Somebody all the kids wanted to be with

Teacher wellbeing – Can we change our perspective?

Ann-Marie Ireland

Close your eyes for a moment and contemplate this question. ‘What do I actively do on a daily basis as a teacher that demonstrates I am looking after myself?’

We forget to acknowledge what has happened us – here’s one way to remind ourselves

Carol Redmond

When I qualified as a Life Coach a few years back, one of my favourite exercises to help the client become aware of their lives in the present moment was firstly to ask them to write out

Bressie: You are the true leaders – Thanks for taking part in the Vhi A Lust for...

Niall Breslin

Standing at the starting line of the Vhi A Lust for Life run in Phoenix Park, it is hard to quantity the addictive and outstanding energy that magnifies from the 4000 participants

What tennis can teach us about newborn mental health

Tracy Donegan

“You’ll spoil the baby” - ”you’re making a rod for your back” - “you’ll never get him into his own bed” - “Don’t pick him up every time he cries” - does any of this sound familiar?

4 easy breathing techniques to calm your body and mind

Sinéad McKiernan

Breathing is vital to our existence, we inhale and deliver oxygen to the body and we release carbon dioxide on our exhale. Our breath is happening all day every day

Suicide and self harm in young people – Some thoughts for parents

Eoin Galavan

There is arguably no more frightening a discovery for a parent who one way or another finds out their child has considered or attempted suicide or intentionally harmed themselves

Cultivating mental fitness

Flor Sylvester

In today’s society, physical fitness gets a lot of attention. Being physically fit generally translates to looking good, but also because a healthy body can help prevent certain conditions like heart-disease and diabetes

Exploring unexpected episodes of anger and aggression

Dr. Terry Lynch

It is not uncommon for people to seek professional help for sudden, unexpected episodes of anger and aggression. These episodes may occur in people who are mostly gentle, reserved, kind, caring

Bressie: Respect the mind – it deserves a workout too

Niall Breslin

Much of what we hear in the media and throughout the expanding dialogue surrounding mental health and emotional wellbeing has been centred around distressing issues such as depression, anxiety and suicide

What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful

Mary Larkin

As a therapist I work with some of the most courageous yet vulnerable people imaginable

Bressie: Accept and love yourself for who you are

Niall Breslin

If ever a television commercial caught the essence and personality of a culture it would have to be the Aldi TV advert where a young woman refuses to take a sincere well-intentioned compliment from a friend

Mindfulness Matters – ‘Irish Weather Inside-Out’ campaign for schools and all those up for a challenge

Dr. Ann Caulfield and Derval Dunford

What is the most talked about subject in Ireland? The weather! What’s the least talked about subject in Ireland? Feelings and emotions or what we call the ‘Internal weather’! Mindfulness matters because everything changes moment to moment

Bullying in Irish secondary schools – Find the courage to speak out

Amy Dignam

As a previous victim of bullying in secondary school, I remember the feeling of waking up, filled with dread and anxiety putting on my uniform, walking up to the school gate

Healing self-harm

Aisling O’Connor

While recently mental health has been talked about more and more, and as a result stigmas have decreased, self-harm is still seen as somewhat of a taboo subject

Help: My friend is in trouble, what do I do?

Dr. Claire Hayes

Aware, as you might know, is Ireland’s national organisation to help people with depression or bipolar disorder and people who are concerned for someone they care about

Neuroplasticity – help your flexible brain create positive neural pathways everyday

Fiona Brennan

Imagine you lived in a world where from a young age you were taught to look after your mental well-being using a similar daily routine to brushing your teeth

Bressie: Looking for that state of calm? Let it flow

Niall Breslin

Improve mental fitness by achieving moments of 'hyper-focus', when your mind and body are in perfect fusion

Equine Therapy: How horses help people find answers within

Joe Slattery

I will do my best to describe the benefits of the EAGALA model of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy as a therapeutic tool for supporting people to look at their mental health

Why we need to teach children about the new science of stress

Fiona Forman

When I asked my class of 31 ten year olds recently ‘Who has experienced stress in their lives?’ every single hand went up. We then shared stories of the different events or situations

The mental trap of Chronic Insecurity

Dr. Padraic Gibson

In the coming few articles I hope to explain and explore the practical ways in which we (all of us that is), as humans create our own mental traps and how this happens despite our best efforts to avoid them

Brothers in arms; “Why we need to talk, listen and act.”

Niall Breslin and Gary Brown

Something that had been playing on my mind leading up to the World Cup was the fact that I would have to share a room with one of my team-mates

Why you should always have mindfulness as a backup without the need to become a monk

Chris Flack

We all know physical exercise is great for mental health; it’s like fertiliser for the brain. However, if you’ve ever had a sports injury you’ll know that the toughest battle is mental

Infant mental health: A critical window of opportunity for future wellbeing and mental health

Dr. Malie Coyne

“Mental health issues are the great epidemic of this generation” were the impassioned words of musician and mental health campaigner Niall Breslin (Bressie)

Bressie: Identify your triggers to combat anxiety

Niall Breslin

I'll be honest, sometimes I have to make the same mistake three or four times before I cop on. You see, the difference with my anxiety and depression now, compared to the past is my self-awareness and ability to analyse the 'triggers'

Before we can be better, we must be well

Niall Breslin

At this prologue stage of the new year, many who committed to a new chapter of change after a debaucherous and exorbitant festive season, have reached the realisation that real positive lifestyle change can be more arduous

Feed your body so you can disempower stress and anxiety

Liz Byrne

Telling an already stressed and anxious individual to ‘slow down’, ‘relax’, ‘don’t over think things’, in my mind is adding fuel to the proverbial fire

Why parental self–care is essential for children’s emotional wellbeing

Dr. Malie Coyne

Parenting is a complete rollercoaster ride from conception to forever. Nothing can match up to creating a human being and witnessing their emerging personalities as they develop

Keeping well and avoiding turmeric enemas

Karen Sugrue

Like someone who is prone to chest infections or tonsillitis, I am prone to depression and anxiety. And like someone prone to chest infections, I’m more likely to get ‘a dose’ if I haven’t been looking after myself

I wish I had let myself be happier

Tony Griffin

When Bronnie Ware took a job as a palliative care assistant nursing the dying through their final days she probably didn’t realise the experience was going to be such a transformative one

Challenge yourself and watch your life change for the better

Dr. Jolanta Burke

According to a study, one-third of people give up on their new year resolutions by the end of March, over 50% quit it by the end of June, and 92% of people fail to achieve

Support of peers was key to recovery

Niall Breslin

The last year of my life has allowed me gain a clarity of thought that for so many years escaped me. Over the recent past I have obtained and refined the knowledge to allow myself deal much more effectively with my own mental and emotional wellbeing

Helping children develop resilience, manage stress and strong emotions using the ‘90 Second Rule’

Fiona Forman

Research shows us that emotional regulation is one of the key factors for the development of resilience and wellbeing. This makes sense when you think about it

How to check in on someone you love

Sadhbh Byrne

Even if you’re very worried about a loved one’s mental health, it can be very daunting to think about broaching the subject with them

Goal setting for the New Year – It’s simple but it’s not easy

Gerry Duffy

As I write this in a hotel lobby, a Christmas song is drifting down the corridor. A soft voice is singing “It’s that time of year” It’s from a Christmas song and I’m sure you can probably sing it

How to survive a Christmas family spat

Dr. Jolanta Burke

In every relationship there are at least two topics that cannot be resolved. Christmas is not the time to discuss them. Find out what you can do to cope with family disputes during festivities

If Christmas is so merry, then why am I feeling so bad?

Dr. Jolanta Burke

Research shows that our life satisfaction and emotional well-being is usually lower around Christmas in comparison to other times of a year. If you don’t find Christmas so merry, don’t worry, you’re not alone!

The difference between baby blues and post natal depression

Dr. Malie Coyne

I still have visions of me wheeling my trolley around the postnatal ward, looking in at my most precious baby girl, tears of joy and sadness streaming down my face. What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I hold it together?

The madness of Christmas shopping – don’t let consumerism consume you

Dr. Jolanta Burke

Beware: Research shows that giving and receiving Christmas gifts may reduce our happiness

What to do if you are concerned about your teenager’s mental health

Dr. Clare Kambamettu

Mental health problems do occur among children and teenagers. Current statistics suggest that about 15% of young people between 12 and 15 experience a significant mental health problem (Lynch et al, 2004)

Forgiveness is for you, not anyone else

Dr. Jolanta Burke

Forgiveness is not about justifying someone’s offence, forgetting their behaviour, nor reconciliation. It is way more than this. It is making yourself feel more positive. Think of a person in your life who cannot forgive, be it a friend, family member (or perhaps you)

Looking aftter your mental health, well-being and prosperity

Psychological Society of Ireland

Psychology is unique among the human sciences and helping professions for the way it uses research to help people solve or cope with problems

How to stay well when job seeking

Róisín McIntosh

Those of us who have gone through a job hunt that’s lasted more than a couple of weeks understand the stress and energy that interviewing can involve

Know your triggers – the importance of self-awareness

Niall Breslin

Self-awareness is one of the key building blocks of a sustainable recovery and allows for recognition of ‘triggers’ that can cause distress

How to navigate the Christmas season if you are struggling

Dr. Ciara Kelly

Two of the best Christmas songs of all time have to be Fairy tale of New York by The Pogues and Judy Garlands Have yourself a merry little Christmas. And of course they have something big in common. Pathos

How distraction can build children’s resilience

Fiona Forman

Developing resilience is one of the key elements in mental health and wellbeing. So it’s good to know that research now shows that resilience is a skill which can be developed, rather than a specific inbuilt disposition

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