The brain naturally prefers what feels familiar. That is why trying something new can feel uncomfortable, even when it is good for wellbeing. The good news is that this isn't where the story ends. In the previous blog, Why Does Your Brain Resist Change?, we looked at why the brain often resists change. This follow-up explores what can help. Training your...
Wanting to change is rarely the hard part. Sticking with it is. New habits, new routines, even good ones, tend to meet resistance from somewhere deep and automatic — and that resistance has more to do with wiring than willpower. Why Does Your Brain Resist Change? The brain is designed to keep people safe because it is biologically wired to prioritise survival...
Uncertainty is something we all have to deal with. We do not always know what will happen with our health, our relationships or our finances, and the future itself rarely come with clear answers. For a lot of people not knowing what is going to happen creates a lot of anxiety. The good thing is that you can learn to...
Ever found a conversation replaying in the mind long after it has ended? Or spent hours trying to work out whether the "right" decision was made? That cycle is known as rumination. Unlike healthy reflection, rumination keeps the mind trapped in the same thoughts without leading to a solution. Over time, these repetitive thoughts can make it harder to concentrate, sleep...
When anxiety takes hold, breathing often changes without being noticed. It may become quicker, shallower or feel harder to control. This is a natural response to stress, but it can also make anxious feelings seem even stronger. Breathing carries on by itself most of the time, but it can also be changed whenever needed. That bit of control turns out...
Big emotions can be difficult for children to understand. One minute everything's fine, the next there's a meltdown over a missing sock, a game not going their way, etc. When worry, fear or frustration takes over, it can feel as though those feelings are too big to manage. During moments like these, gentle grounding activities such as rainbow grounding offers...
Imagine pressing pause on your day for just five minutes to sit quietly and breathe. It seems nearly too effortless to have significance, but research shows these short moments can trigger meaningful changes in both your mind and body. While meditation is frequently seen as long, quiet sessions for those with great discipline. In reality, even a short daily practice can...
As a psychologist, I hear the same thing from my client in the therapy room, in the lunch rooms with other health professionals, and even from my own family and friends about the winter. So many of us are saying the same thing: the dark, cold, and dreary days leave us feeling unusually flat, drained, and unlike ourselves. For some...
We all know sadness. It’s a natural, human response to life’s disappointments, losses, heartbreaks, or even just a run of exhausting days. It feels heavy, but it usually has a story — a reason that makes sense. Depression, however, is something different. It’s not “sadness that won’t go away.” It’s a clinical condition that can reshape how you think, feel,...
Mood swings are a normal part of being human. We all have good days and bad days, but bipolar disorder is something else entirely. It brings episodes of intense mood between (mania or hypomania) and deep depression. It is a condition that can affect the person's thinking, behaviour, energy, relationships, work, and even self-care. These aren’t just “bad moods.” These are...
