Health & care

There are some stresses that we can avoid. Not all stress is avoidable and it is unhealthy to avoid situations that need to be addressed. However, you will be surprised how many stressors in your life you can eliminate. Learn to say no - Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal or professional life, refuse to take on additional responsibilities when you are about to fulfill them. Taking on more than you can handle is a recipe for stress. It may be difficult at first, but the more you say it, the easier it becomes. Avoid people who stress you out - If someone is constantly causing stress in your life and you can't turn the relationship back, limit the time you spend with that person or end the relationship altogether. This applies to family members (mother, father, aunt, sibling, etc.) who may love you, but are a burden. Limiting your time with them is not selfish, it is important. Take control of your surroundings - If the evening news worries you, turn off the ...

When you reach that difficult moment of emotional crisis when you decide to contact a psychologist, you will most likely look online. Confusion. You look at a confusing list of accreditation letters - ICP, IACP, PSI, IAHIP, FTAI to name a few - and you realize that there seem to be several methods - psychoanalytic psychotherapy, constructivist psychotherapy, couples and family therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy , and Integrative Humanistic Psychotherapy. You may see the words "counseling" and "psychotherapy" and wonder what the difference is. With so many phone numbers and email addresses to work with, for the uninitiated, it's like entering a PIN on an online card and hoping the person in charge will be nice to you. Finding a therapist is not like finding a dentist. Your friends always have a list of dentists, GPs, and personal trainers to contact. People tend not to discuss their therapists with each other, partly because of the ongoing stigma in Ireland an...

Making your own play dough at home is so simple, and as with everything DIY, it can be such a fun experience for the family and gives little ones a chance to get stuck in too. All you will need for this recipe can probably already be found in your kitchen cupboards, which is the best bit about homemade play dough! As well as being super easy to make, this homemade play dough tends to keep better than traditional play dough , without drying up and falling apart! You can even substitute the flour for gluten free flour if there are any intolerances in the home. Most of the ingredients needed can be bought in bulk stores and put in your own containers, making this recipe plastic free, and when it comes to the food dyes, we recommend using up what you have at home, but if you’re all out, it is super fun to make your own natural dyes from things such as turmeric, beetroot, spinach, coffee and pomegranate! Your homemade play-dough will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 months, and whe...

I am often asked about the limitations of the therapy room . How can I get better at setting boundaries? Do I feel guilty trying to set boundaries? I'm afraid to set boundaries; What if it ends the relationship? We have all experienced when a relationship creeps in and we feel resentment or guilt and end up acting in a way that meets the other person's needs. Sometimes we don't realize that we are sacrificing our own needs while sacrificing our well-being. Remember that creating strong boundaries is a skill and unfortunately many of us haven't learned this skill. Thinking about your limitations (i.e. what I need, what makes me comfortable, what actions drain my energy) is an active process that takes time to recognize and change. We can be guided here and there by experience or by seeing other people. But for many of us, establishing boundaries is a relatively new and challenging concept. In this blog, I want to explore the what, why, benefits, and tips of setting healt...