Have you ever noticed that you place unrealistic expectations on yourself, or you speak to yourself harshly when things don’t go to plan? Perhaps you do a bit of both, become critical of yourself when you don’t meet those unreasonable demands. If the answer is, ‘yes’, it probably means that your inner critic is in the driver’s seat.

Emotions are complex and confusing. That’s why, from a young age, we rely on the people around us to teach us how to manage them. These people become our emotional role-models and we tend to adopt their ways of coping with feelings. Have you noticed that you cope with your emotions in a similar way to your caregivers?

Competing demands is a key feature of modern lifestyles. Feeling like you’re spread too thin is the new norm. But, what are the impacts of perpetual engagement and activity?

Have you ever wondered what influences the strength of your emotional reactions to situations? Emotional temperament has been identified as a key factor in determining our approaches to people, objects and events in our environment.

In today’s busy world, we have a lot to be anxious about. but there’s a difference between feeling anxious and having an anxiety disorder. Knowing the signs gives you the power to access support and get on with your life.

For many, Christmas is a time for festivities, interacting with friends and family, giving and receiving presents, and overindulging. It can be a time to reflect on the year that’s been, and to be grateful for everything we have. It’s a special and magical time of year. However, this is not the case for all.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted most aspects of our lives on an unprecedented scale. For many of us, 10 months ago we were trying to work out if this new virus warranted the fuss it was creating. And regardless of our position on COVID-19, we can all agree it has impacted everyone in some way.