Relaxation – And Breathe……

A Walk in the Woods – Looking for Shinrin-yoku.

November 14, 2018Paul Harris

“A tree with strong roots laughs at storms” – Malay Proverb

We all know that getting out and walking is good for our mental health, but for that bit extra help in feeling better take a walk in the woods.

Walking among trees is really good for our wellbeing. You must have felt it when you’ve been for a walk in woodland; the feelings of relaxation and grounding, of feeling more peaceful? The Japanese call this feeling shinrin-yoku, or forest breathing.

I will be exploring more about why walking amongst trees is so good for us, but for now I want to share a couple of my experiences with you, and yes….. this is when it gets a bit woo woo, but bear with me. Read more →

Gardening to Aid With Anxiety & Depression.

October 26, 2018Paul Harris

Since moving house I have loved spending time in the garden; I have found that it really helps my mood (unless Leo is busy digging holes in the already struggling lawn). I can feel super stressed but just going outside to sweep up some leaves or do a bit of weeding can help reduce my anxiety and stress levels.

Not having a garden was always a down side to living in London. Some of the flats I lived in had a balcony or some sort of outside space, however this was no substitute and whenever we visited our friends, the Saunders Family, I would love being in their garden and it always made me long for one of my own, and now I have it….. wooohoooo!!!

As Kim and I are renting the house there is a limit to what we can do, however we have already achieved a lot when you consider the state it was in when we moved in. A lot of pruning and trips to the recycling centre later, and now it’s a space that we all love to be in, especially Leo. Read more →

Time Pressures and Amended Goals.

September 11, 2018September 11, 2018Paul Harris

One of my biggest anxiety triggers is time pressure. Most people will be able to relate in some way to this because modern life is run at a fast pace, and we don’t seem to be able to take a break.

For me most of the time pressure came at work, I was snowed under and never felt as though I was on top of the workload, I always seemed to be playing catch-up. E-mails were the biggest problem for me because the time taken for people to respond was pretty quick. It is the speed of modern communication that causes a lot of additional stress at work because people can respond almost instantaneously, or jump on the phone as soon as they have seen your e-mail (sometimes without reading it properly…..)

The pressures of time also spread to my home life; working Monday to Friday, it only left the weekend to do homey things, such as cleaning. I had so much I needed to squeeze into a weekend that it was Monday before I even knew where I was. Read more →

Fear and the Giant Green Rabbit.

June 29, 2018Paul Harris

FEAR:

An unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm.
A feeling of anxiety concerning the outcome of something or the safety of someone.
The likelihood of something unwelcome happening.
A mixed feeling of dread and reverence.
Be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or harmful.
Avoid doing something because one is afraid.

Fear and anxiety go hand in hand.

It’s hard for most people to understand how it feels to be so scared of something that you are unable to function, that is why it is hard for people to understand anxiety.

Dr Karl Albrecht (listed in the top 100 thought leaders in American business) believes that there are ONLY five types of fear: Read more →

Sick Days are there for the Taking – The Problem of Presenteeism.

May 3, 2018Paul Harris

We’ve all been there at one time or another, struggling into work when we basically feel like s**t. We sit at our desk taking whatever medication we can, whilst feeling miserable and wishing we were at home in bed.

If you look at your contract of employment, you may find a section which refers to sickness, in particular to sick days.

Sick days are quite simple really, when you feel unwell, you can take time off to get well and still get paid! Read more →