Tools

Bernie Kirwin

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

Maureen Cooper

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

Making noise

Anna from PowPig

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

Tracey Clayton

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

Fiona Brennan

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

Carol Redmond

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?

On Resilience: Part One

Clare Mulvany

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 Kind of Beacon

Ciara O’Connor Walsh

One of my earliest memories is sitting in the kitchen with my mother, listening to stories on the radio. It was a Saturday morning, and one of my favourite times of the week. I’d sit there listening and I remember it as being sunny

Vipassa-nah for me

Darren Kelly

Prior to leaving London for India myself and my partner decided we wanted to take part in a spiritual retreat. India itself is a spiritual capital of the world and we both share a keen interest in mind development

Crazy Monkey Mind

Darragh Quinn

I attended a lecture recently in a hotel by a Tibetan Buddhist teacher. It was a public talk called 'mind, emotion and freedom'. I went along as I have an interest in both Buddhism and its teachings

Providing space for suffering

Philip Notaro

I’m writing this for those of us who have a tendency to block out, ignore or strongly resist intense and painful emotions when they arise. Personally, I have had lifelong habits of freezing, numbing and completely misunderstanding

Wellbeing in schools

John Doran

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

‘Surviving a suicide attempt led me on an incredible journey’ – an interview with Caroline McGuigan

Caroline McGuigan

I’m often asked why I chose this line of work. But I didn’t – it chose me. At one point, totally unbeknownst to my family and friends

‘I feel comforted when I write down what’s going on in my head’ – The power of...

Dr. Deepti Kathpalia

The simple act of penning down thoughts connected, disconnected, immediately begins to alleviate one’s feelings of anxiety, anger, sadness or gloom

4 practical exercises in cultivating self-compassion

Padraig O'Morain

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

Stewart Geddes

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?

Karl Melvin

It amazes me how many intelligent (both emotionally and academically), focused and diligent people I cross paths with who completely devalue themselves

How to be an anxious person

Emma Conlon

The first time I met anxiety, it took my breath away. And no, it never felt like a love story, but it felt a lot like forever. Anxiety would dangle promises of a lifetime before my eyes, but it didn't realise that I was becoming tangled

10 mindfulness tips to help you live a more peaceful life

Pete Willette

A short article designed to introduce you to the topic of mindfulness. This notion stems from many ancient eastern philosophies such as Buddhism, Zen, Yoga, and Hinduism

The fear of having a panic attack at work and how vigilance doesn’t help

Stewart Geddes

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

Karl Melvin

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

Staying safe online

Cliona Curley

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

If your January was a non-starter, let February be your reset button!

Mia King

As The Byrds song goes, ‘To everything, there is a season, turn turn turn’……If winter were a person, we would be slow-paced, strolling buddies

Creating better relationships

Annie Lavin

Winter is almost over and we’re heading into spring time, an ideal time to commit to making positive changes as the buds begin to appear and flower, so too can you

Contentment is the springboard for success

Fiona Brennan

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

Joel Curtis

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

Ann Heathcote

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

Pete Watson

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

The year of inner resolutions – 3 questions you need to ask yourself this New Year

Fiona Brennan

Out of the fog of the silly season and New Year’s Eve, many of us ‘resolve’ to make New Year’s goals that will really bring us success and happiness

Unlock your potential – Here’s how to take on ‘Dry January’ and win

Andy Ramage

January is a wonderful time of the year to start afresh and take a break from alcohol. After the chaos of Christmas, it’s the perfect time to regroup and get ready to smash 2018

Developing children’s resilience: Three approaches from Positive Psychology

Fiona Forman

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

Andy Ramage

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

Stewart Geddes

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

Erica McKinney

Difficult emotions, such as sadness, fear and anger are a natural part of life. Sometimes referred to as “negative emotions”, but pleasant or unpleasant

12 tips to help you embrace what is truly important this Christmas

Mia King

I love it, the chill in the air, the buzz around town, the twinkling of lights, the lot! It really is a magical time of year. But being honest, I know that it can also bring a hectic time

Mind your mental health heading into the Christmas period, it can be a tough time for many

Caroline Murphy

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

Ann-Marie Ireland

About a month ago, I facilitated some workshops at the INTO Conference for Primary Principals and Deputy Principals

Work with your subconscious power to lessen the hold fear has on you

Fiona Brennan

What is our greatest fear? The fear of death. The fear of death is the fear of life. The fear of life is a living death. If we live our life fully and at peace as much as is possible

Exciting news Lusty Lifers – Our very own ‘The Little Book of Sound’ has been published and...

A Lust For Life - Irish Mental Health Charity

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

Stewart Geddes

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

Karl Melvin

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

Stewart Geddes

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

Allow pain to wake you up

Philip Notaro

We all experience pain at times, some incredibly more significant than others depending on what’s going on in our lives. Pain is part of the human condition, and the first noble truth of the Buddha is: the truth of suffering

Why comparing ourselves to others causes pain and how to replace it with gratitude

Philip Notaro

Comparison has some wonderful elements, such as recognising that someone has a lot less than us and being moved by compassion to help them

The most important thing I want in life is simple – I want to live

Ellen Downey

Life is good. When you have a family. When you have friends. When you have someone who loves you. When you have a job you love

How anxiety can affect our attention and concentration at work and what to do about it

Stewart Geddes

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

Fiona Brennan

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

Patrick McHugh

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

Taking a step back to see a clearer path forward

Kieran Sullivan

Storm Ophelia blew and blew, and nearly knocked our little bungalow down but my abiding memory will be laughing in bed with my partner and our three little boys

Transforming my life long affair with low self-esteem

Evelyn Marinoff

“A piece of advice,” the man said. “I don’t know why you are so insecure. Really. You have so much going for you—you come from a good family...”

Look Beyond – Empowering people with lived experience of mental health difficulties

Celine Moran

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

Stewart Geddes

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

The feeling of failure and what we can do about it

Nualan O'Brien

Failure. It had been sometime since I had felt that I failed at something. So long, that I had forgotten how desolate it can be

How injury is awakening a fascination for the body and its link to the mind and nature

Easkey Britton

My body has been a little broken this last year. Dogged by a knee injury that left me struggling to connect with my body and for the first time feeling like I couldn’t heal myself

Podcast: Burnout is nothing to be ashamed of – Mental health in the workplace

Dr. Malie Coyne

To mark the importance of 'Mental Health in the Workplace', which is the theme of World Mental Health Day 2017, here is my podcast with the amazing Ciara Plunkett

Five ways to wellbeing at work – 5,000 steps to wellbeing walk

Mental Health Ireland

Mental Health Week (9-14th October) presents all of us with an opportunity to think about our own wellbeing and those we spend time with

Helping children overcome a traumatic event

Dr. Malie Coyne

It is with great sadness that I write this piece in the aftermath of yet another tragic event which was beyond devastating for those who lost their lives

Finding freedom from conditioning to live an authentic life is to find belonging

Dolores Andrew-Gavin

When we claim our right to be here in this world and belong to a place where we can authentically exist and express ourselves in the world

Stop feeding the troll – How anxiety resembles shitposting, clickbait and trolling

Stewart Geddes

I was reading an article the other day on ‘Shitposting’ (outlined below for those of you who don’t know what it is), and it struck me how similar the phenomenon is

The athlete’s secret garden – tending the mind for peak performance

Sue Redmond

We’ve all had good days and we’ve all put down hard days in life and in sport. The interesting thing about the mind is that unless we look after it by weeding out the negative

The pressure to live up to expectations denies us the gift of living mindfully

Sarah Billington

In late August of 2009 I was involved in organising an alternative therapies fundraising day for a children’s arts festival

The benefits and practices of Mindful Self Compassion and Loving Kindness

Fiona O'Donnell, The Mindfulness Centre

When we start to practice mindfulness and notice where the mind is going, we can be surprised to hear how harsh our inner critic can be

How to approach online dating without losing yourself

Geraldine Mulpeter

That old saying “the course of true love never runs smoothly” certainly has merit when it comes to finding that love. There was a time when it was all a little easier

What I learned about alcohol-free-dom from the Happy Pear and Rich Roll

Andy Ramage

Recently I was privileged enough to spend a week at the beautiful Ballyvolane House, Co. Cork with ‘The Happy Pear’ David and Stephen Flynn along with Rich Roll

‘We need more empathy in the world’ – a conversation with Lynn Ruane and Joe Caslin

Ruairí McKiernan

When it comes to mental health, inequality and hope for the future, we need new voices, new visions, and new leaders

How to help children with chronic pain

Helen O’Neill

Chronic pain is a common complaint in childhood and adolescence affecting between 15-30% of children. Recurrent abdominal pain, tension headaches and musculoskeletal pain are the most common types of pain

What I learned from quitting social media for one month

Mia King

The irony is not lost on me; sharing an article on social media about quitting social media! But it cannot be denied that the online world offers a wonderful platform

Retreat with us to the Wild and Dúisigh do Dhúchas

Diarmuid Lyng

We’re going to the Great Blasket Island. We’re going to create a space there, a space where people can break through the initial awkwardness of trying to communicate

Stress management – How to deal with the day from hell

Neil O’Brien

It seems odd to be sitting here writing about stress when it’s a warm sunny summer’s day outside. But I guess stress doesn’t take the summer off

Positive Psychology | Exercises for building happiness – Part 2

Arran Kennedy

To measure and build happiness in a systematic way researchers have broken down happiness into five areas under the acronym PERMA

How to deal with anxiety

Fiona Brennan

Tip 1 - Understand that anxiety is not your fault. Why are we collectively dealing with so much anxiety? Understanding the roots of your anxiety is essential and also realising that it is not your fault is the first step

Making meaning – Carving out personal meaning from a difficult situation

Jennifer Fennell

Crisitunity: Noun. A Chinese word referred to by Homer Simpson that means both crisis and opportunity. No, this is not an article on The Simpsons

Looking to attract a healthy intimate relationship? Be your own partner first

Annie Lavin

“Have you thought of joining a group?” A tried and tested question asked of disillusioned singles everywhere. One of my single friends and I jokingly ask it to each other

Coping with anxiety while loving your partner as well

Todd Griffin

Entering into a relationship with someone requires you to be open, honest, and supportive of your partner. While these may sound simple enough, for those coping with anxiety

Be like water: Understanding how water environments are good for wellbeing

Easkey Britton

In celebration of World Oceans Day on June 8th we launched Like Water. We believe in the power of the sea to connect

The grief of losing my husband, mindfulness and me

Sarah Billington

The request. Write a blog for Mindfulness Matters. My reaction – blind panic, doubt, feelings of inadequacy and the urge to say no straight away – to take the easy way out

Positive Psychology | Exercises for building happiness – Part 1

Arran Kennedy

The pursuit of happiness has occupied humans for millennia – whether creating ancient Greek schools of philosophy, inspiring the United States Declaration of Independence

Therapists have bad days too

Caroline Murphy

So, I’m gonna let you in on a little secret. Counsellors, therapists and everyone else you meet can have good days and bad days. Long before I trained as a therapist I had this misguided belief

Win a 2 night retreat in an Indian style Ashram in Dublin this July

A Lust For Life - Irish Mental Health Charity

COMPETITION TIME! The Beatles used to chill out in an Indian Ashram and now you can too. A Lust For Life in partnership with The Sanctuary

The benefits of going alcohol free

John McKiernan

Drinking makes us feel bad. Many drink to feel good, but it actually makes us feel bad. It can also contribute to increased anxiety, depression and many forms of illnesses. We’re all heard of the saying ‘the fear’

Tips on managing your ‘inner voice’ self-talk

Dr. Olivia Hurley

As a sport and performance psychologist, I am frequently asked by athletes and other performers, ‘How can I control that little voice in my head, so that it helps my performance?’

Don’t believe every shit thought you have

Philip Notaro

Thoughts seem to have such incredible power over us. We seem to believe what we think without question or any further investigation into if it's true or not. The mind has this insanely powerful momentum that can sweep us away

‘Freedom is not caring what people think of you’ – An interview with Frances Black

Ruairí McKiernan

Frances Black is a well-known Irish singer, campaigner, politician, addiction counsellor, and social entrepreneur. She grew up in inner city Dublin

Self-love and acceptance are the foundations upon which a powerful life is built on

Deirdre Clohessy

We usually associate the word foundations with building structures. Without laying proper foundations for a structure

Lack of rest and renewal is a one way ticket to burnout

Peter Connolly

At first rest seems straightforward, as it is often defined by the absence of work, lying down or doing nothing at all. However contemporary thinking and research

Mindfulness holiday tips – they work when you’re not on holiday too!

Padraig O'Morain

Whether you holiday with others or alone, mindfulness can make the experience better. Pack these tips - some are from my book Mindfulness on the Go - in your travel bag

We all have a basic need to be quiet, to be still, to be present – An...

Ruairí McKiernan

Sister Stanislaus Kennedy, otherwise affectionately known as Sister Stan, is one of Ireland’s most well-known and respected social visionaries

What if the first question your doctor asked you was “What are you eating?”

Dr. Rangan Chatterjee

“WHAT ARE YOU EATING?” is the question I ask every patient who walks through my door. For mental health, the nutrients you put in your mouth have a profound impact

Give minimalism a try

Jessica Barrett

Minimalism is on trend at the moment, but it’s also often misunderstood. This new way of living, which relies on jettisoning ‘stuff’ and living life as simply as possible

Depression and relationships – What you can do to retain intimacy when depressed

Emma Doyle

If you are depressed your relationship can also become depressed. Depression can wreak havoc on your ability to experience and maintain intimacy within your relationship

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