Tools

Niall Breslin

A Lust for Life turned one year old on October 1st, and it has just been announced that we are a recipient of a prestigious Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Impact award

We need to talk – why try therapy?

David Foot

Many people would have you believe that talking about your problems and feelings will help you, particularly if those feelings are overwhelming you

My experience with self-care apps

Jeffrey Lin

I’d like to get this out of the way immediately: I’m not a doctor, nor do I think smartphone apps are capable of replacing professional treatment for any mental health challenge

Dream killers – how to recognise and avoid them

James Norwick

Getting closer to realising your dream is a challenging task on its own

Setting habits for a positive daily routine

Kevin McNamara

You wake up early in the morning, take a shower, have breakfast, go to work, university, or whatever it is that you do, come back home, and go to bed

What I learned in an Irish Ashram

Louise Little

Once I had the back pack filled and on my shoulders I felt as if I was heading off travelling the world like I had done so in my youth

The dark clouds that have gathered are sure to drift away

Sara Noone-Davis

I have always loved to write and I find I can express myself easily through the written word

Tips to cope with stress in the work place

Edward Wade

Unfortunately, workplace stress hits us all. Some stress is normal; it is part of an everyday working life. It can even be used to our advantage at times

Worry AKA the crazy sh*t you think about

Karl Melvin

No one chooses to worry. It is a primal attempt to protect us from life's worst case scenarios. A little worry is okay. It encourages us to think problems through and be prepared

Why caring for your needs first is not selfish

Fiona Brennan

The importance of establishing a self-care routine that meets your mental, physical, emotional and psychological needs is paramount to your own well-being and those that you love

It is okay to go through life at your own pace

Dara Maguire

In the days and weeks after my personal story about healing anorexia was published on the A Lust for Life website I received so much positive feedback from family and friends

Cabhrú – Mental health support for the Irish abroad

Lochlann Scott

Helplink Support Services (Helplink.ie) is joining forces with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the GAA to launch Cabhrú

Online pornography and young minds

Anne McCormack

When it comes to the existence of mobile devices and their prominent role in young people’s lives, one thing that we need to all be aware of

A blog by teachers for teachers: Looking at real problems and solutions

Ann-Marie Ireland

So, it’s that time of year again where the summer has drawn to a close and we as teachers have started a new school year

A Lust for Life at Electric Picnic: The future is unwritten

Shane Gillen

There is no denying that the discussion surrounding mental health in Ireland is ever-evolving. We have come to terms with the fact that people are suffering

Meet Nikki and Lisa, the mental health heroes cycling 2,150km non-stop around Ireland

A Lust For Life - Irish Mental Health Charity

Lisa Jacob, a former Irish International Hockey player with 139 caps, and Nikki Dorey a pilot with Aer Lingus and competitive triathlete, are the first all-female duo to cycle the gruelling ultra-distance of 2,150km non-stop Race Around Ireland

Challenging societal roles

Karl Melvin

We all adopt and identify with specific roles in life, whether it's mother/father, brother/sister, etc. As we get older, these roles may halt our ability to understand our own needs and find healthy ways to get those needs met

Mindful athletic performance

Sue Redmond

Many of us athletes spend hours preparing our bodies for whatever sport we are in, but quite often we don’t give our minds the same level of attention

Why random acts of kindness are important now more than ever

Aisling O’Connor

I’ve always thought that random acts of kindness are important. They may not be monumental or change the world but are significant in their own way

Mental health, couple relationships and intimacy – Managing difficult emotions

Anne McCormack

It is true, I believe, that no-one outside of yourself should be the source of your joy and so if you are in a relationship with someone, it is good and healthy that you don’t need to be around that person all the time in order to feel happy

Back to School: 4 activities for teachers to use to nurture children’s well-being

Fiona Forman

As the summer holidays draw to a close, children and teachers are starting to look ahead to the new school year with the usual mix of anticipation, excitement and a certain amount of nerves!

Sneaky Yoga fix – Gentle Yoga moves for confined space or time

Sinéad McKiernan

Alarms, texts, emails, traffic, phone-calls, noise, bills, cash machines, queues, traffic, emails. Just an average few hours in your day?

Compassion takes courage – Building the courage to do what’s hard

Bethan O’Riordan

Whoever you are, whatever you do, whatever obstacles life brings you, whatever values or religion you go by, we all need courage at times to get us through

How gratitude revolutionised my mindset

Doris Murphy

I have spoken at length elsewhere about my battle with low mood and anxiety. One tool that I have embraced this year has been a gratitude journal. This simple technique has revolutionised my bedtime routine and mindset

Tactics to prevent rumination becoming your ruination

Padraig O'Morain

Rumination is ruination is a phrase I repeat to myself every now and then. Rumination means brooding over and over on negative events in the past, present or future

Why are many of us living stressed lives, rather than thriving?

Fiona Brennan

Until the birth of the Positive Psychology movement, most psychologists concerned themselves with fixing unhappiness, anxiety, stress and depression

What you need to know about the sexting talk with your tween

Hilary Smith

Do you remember when your parents gave you the “birds and the bees” talk? Chances are it was awkward and uncomfortable. Fast forward a few years

Understanding and supporting your teenager

Karl Melvin

”I’m too old to get back into football”, remarked my 16 year old client. This was a smart guy with so much going for him, but he was struggling in school as he wasn’t getting along with one of his teachers

How you can help young people break through societal constructs of ‘the perfect body’

Anne McCormack

Summertime, like the New Year is a time when fitness comes into focus. Fitness is extremely important for health, both physical health and mental health

Mental health laid bare – Dublin City FM Dr. Malie Coyne interviews Katherine Lynch

Dr. Malie Coyne

There are a lot of different messages about mental health in the public domain and in the media. Equally there are many organisations carrying out incredible work

Fostering resilience – ‘The map is not the territory’

Leah Aftab

Think for a moment of a time when you did well, where you felt satisfied with your performance, where you felt happy. Now, think of a time when you did not do so well

Parenting is a blessing and self care is essential

Kay Murphy

Whatever way we come to parenthood; planned, unplanned, IVF, surrogacy, fostering, adoption or other means; we know we are blessed, and bravely set off on a lifelong journey

7 Questions to ask when you don’t know what to do with your life

Janet Miller

Every day is a new chance to make a change. Eventually, every person in this world will have to make a decision about what to do with their lives

You are more than your IQ: The importance of emotional intelligence

Katie McBeth

For years - centuries, really - the best determining factor for a person’s intelligence was through their logical assessment of the world, or rational intelligence

Dealing with feelings that don’t have labels

Jose Leon

In today's age, we're surrounded by information that focuses on dealing with anxiety attacks, lowering stress levels, and living with depression

Mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy workshops for schools

Lynn Agnew

Some food for thought… maybe our minds should come first? In recent years there has been an increased level of awareness and discussion in Ireland

The Power of Words: Sensitive ways to talk about mental health difficulties

Dr. Patricia Frazer

The 20th century saw a revolution in how mental health difficulties were perceived and discussed, both by health professionals and by the public

Shields up: Protecting yourself from external criticism

Karl Melvin

You look like shit, commented a friend recently. He was probably right. Having made drastic nutritional changes to resolve a long standing digestion issue

Are your thoughts driving you crazy? Coming back to your ‘senses’ will help

Carol Redmond

When we are experiencing less than good mental health, we tend to use phrases such as, 'I think I'm going mad', 'my head is wrecked', and ‘I think there's something wrong with me'

Discovering the truth within through Yoga

Bridget Boland

“Button your lip.” Whenever I expressed dissatisfaction or some other “negative” emotion, this slightly more polite version of “shut up” is what my father would say. It was meant as a warning

Helping your child come to terms with their sexuality

Lorraine Lynch

An important part of our sexual development occurs during our teenage years when our bodies begin to develop into adult bodies and we begin to act on urges we have

Get your resilience in first

Neil O’Brien

My doctor always starts with two or three measurements of how my health is; blood pressure, listen to the chest and maybe give a small cough. And then we carry on with the consultation

The Bearded Man’s battle for suicide prevention – What is suicide?

Gary O'Dowd

Suicide - a word we've all heard of and for a lot of people, have been affected by. We've all either heard or known someone who has died by suicide

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

Heartfelt living

Bridget Boland

Poet David Whyte reflects that as humans we spend an inordinate amount of time and energy trying to avoid getting our hearts broken, yet that is exactly what our careers, our partners, and all the other myriad circumstances of our lives

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

What does chronic pain and depression have in common? More than you can imagine

Maria Galve Villa

I have worked with patients with chronic pain for most of my career now

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?

Win a 3 night retreat in an Indian style ashram

A Lust For Life - Irish Mental Health Charity

A Lust For Life in partnership with The Sanctuary, has a three night stay at the upcoming Howth Ashram experience to give away

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

The heart of us

Michael Ryan

I woke up this morning and lying in bed noticed a reluctance to putting my foot on the floor. Paying attention to the feeling I remembered a pain I had felt the day before from stubbing my toe

Ways to ‘Ground’ yourself to inner calmness

Karen Ward

In times of life’s inevitable ups and downs we often experience overwhelm and/or major stress. Sometimes, when we seek help, supportive friends or complimentary therapists talk about ‘Grounding’ as a good way to calm down

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

Excellence does not require perfection

Dr. Olivia Hurley

Best-selling author and clinical psychologist Dr Harriet Braiker famously said “Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralising”

Tips to help you build a happier relationship with your partner

Anita Wynyard

Respect is one of the most important building blocks when it comes to creating a healthy and happy relationship with your partner

Happiness is the path, but…

Jerry Mooney

Money, fame and power are attempts to acquire happiness, but their ironic result is generally the opposite: misery. Why is this? Because we confuse desire with happiness and expect that fulfilling our desires will make us happy

Out of your mind and off your head

Clare Foley

Conscious awareness, as we understand it, is seen as the crowning jewel of animal evolution. It developed in the human species as our brains generated the kind of complexity needed to support such a capacity

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

Just being

Leah Aftab

Our culture seems to glorify being ‘busy’. From the constant advancements in technology bringing us to a world where one small device can open up a great deal of possibilities, to a world where we are constantly feeling we need to be ‘online’

5 Tips for handling anxiety at work courtesy of my co-workers

Liz Greene

Coping with anxiety is hard, but dealing with it at work can be a nightmare. There are a number of fast acting medications that can help in a pinch, but they can be addictive

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

Improve your outlook on life by raising your energy levels

Adrienne Erin

You check the clock. It’s only partway through the day, and you’re drooping. There’s still a lot more to accomplish

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

10 Questions with Richie Sadlier

A Lust For Life - Irish Mental Health Charity

Richie who is best known for his career as a professional footballer and as a regular analyst on the RTÉ Sports Panel, is also a practising psychotherapist

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

Creating a healthy sporting mind

Naomi Sturdy

If you are involved in any sports or activities and particularly if you have been for a number of years, you’ll be aware that you can go through phases

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

I am enough

Aoife Kane

I had a dream the other night. I was sitting beside a good friend of mine and we were chatting about life. I looked down to my left hand and I noticed I was holding a heart in it

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

Stress relief with yoga and meditation

Vineetha Reddy

It's a great time to be alive. Technology has fuelled unprecedented growth and has made most of our lives easier. However, one thing that hasn’t reduced is stress. Be it in your professional or personal lives, stress can rear its ugly head

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

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