Category Archives: 1. General Wellbeing
Creating a Space for Healing
We need to be in a state that is conducive to healing and repair in order to heal and repair and even sleep well. That may seem like a blindingly obvious statement but it’s not one I’d thought about enough until I came across a quote by Psychologist, Dr Alex Howard who said “We need…
Going Beyond the Bio Psycho Social: the complex human in a complex environment and uncertain world
I’ve been contemplating writing an article about the wider picture of health for quite some time but found the complexity of trying to convey the sheer complexity of the subject really challenging. Then I came across the Theory of Complex Systems – developed by engineers – and realised that it can be applied to the human…
Socially Prescribing the Arts – Will it happen? Will it work?
The media has been full of reports that doctors can now prescribe ‘the Arts’ for a range of physical and mental health conditions. In July 2017 an All-Party Parliamentary Group in the UK published a comprehensive report on the importance of the Arts for health and wellbeing. They concluded that it was ‘time to recognise…
Life’s Uphill Challenges
Living well is about variety, learning new things and setting challenges that require you to move out of your comfort zone from time to time. Over this summer (2018) I have been following the NHS ‘Couch to 5K’ running plan. I’ve attempted it a couple of times before but this time I got to…
Pain Signals and Other Bad Language
I have written an article based on a talk I gave to the Ethics and Philosophy special interest group of the British Pain Society. The subject is the language used in healthcare with a specific focus on pain. It discusses how poor choice of language can cause harm and prolong pain whereas skilful use of…
My Blue Letter Pain
The power of the mind and the role thoughts play in the experience of pain was brought home to me in a dramatic way recently. I am a passionate believer in the fact that every experience you have, your environment, everyone you meet, the people and things around you all affect your feelings of wellbeing…
Making Your Boat Storm Proof
The more I work with clients and talk to people all over the world, the more I realise that no one escapes from life’s challenges. I liken these to storms. Sometimes life’s sea gets a bit choppy, at others a force 12, even a hurricane blows through. We have to stay afloat or sink… Everyone…
Keep your bucket full
I think of life’s energies like a bucket – when you’re under stress that bucket can become very leaky and unless it’s filled you can feel very drained, physically, emotionally and mentally. So the trick is to keep it topped up. You shouldn’t rely on others to top it up. You can keep your own bucket…