Clients often tell me in therapy: “I just want to be happy…” But is happiness really attainable? The term happiness captures an emotion in which one experience a range of positive responses often expressed as an outward feeling of elation. Philosophers, poets, religious writers, psychologists and the like have researched happiness throughout history. But is it really attainable? Taking a … Read More
Mental Health Workout
There are lots of ways in which we can look after our mental health. In some ways good mental health is like a jigsaw – if we put the pieces together correctly we end up with a nice picture. Over the course of Mental Health Week the Zest Infusion team will look into some important pieces of this jigsaw that … Read More
Letting go of negative self-stories
Do you sometimes find yourself stuck when you want to make changes in your life? Do you find that you talk yourself out of trying new things? Maybe you are stuck in a negative belief about your self or a negative-self story. Most of the time when I meet new clients for the first session and we discuss their expectations … Read More
Practicing a sunset state of mind
In the past month I have been getting caught up in my problem-solving mind. I noticed that it tried hard to convince me that if I only try hard enough I will at some point ‘have it all sorted’ and it will be ‘smooth sailing’ from there. I have noticed myself giving in to its empty promises of lasting organization … Read More
Seeing things differently – the importance of perspective taking
Often it is not really what is happening that brings us down or makes us anxious, it is how we interpret what is happening around us. The issue is not so much that we see things from a negative point of view, but that we don’t realise that this is not the only way to see things. People who can … Read More
Mindfulness and Perseverance
The start of a New Year usually brings with it reflections of the past year and plans and goals for the year ahead. Somehow, starting a New Year seems to inspire us to start thriving again for better health, more success at work, or some other goal or value. However, it seems that whilst it might be easy to … Read More
SAYING THANKS
To keep in line with our previous blog entries for this month which were all about well-being and how psychology can contribute to well-being I’d like to focus in our last blog for this year on the practice of gratitude. Positive psychology research has shown that practicing gratitude can help to reduce stress, increases well being and life satisfaction and … Read More
There is more to psychology than ‘just feeling a bit better’
People often associate psychology and psychological treatment with mental health issues, someone feeling unwell, “crazy people” and in particular with problems like depression and anxiety. However, this is not all there is to psychology. Yes, as psychologists we do want to help relief our clients suffering as best as we can, but most psychologists and specifically we at Zest Infusion, … Read More