Feedback Literacy - a less obvious self-care skill
Ok people, this is a long post, but the goal is to give a reasonably comprehensive framework for receiving feedback. My first time covering this topic […]
Archive Tag: self-compassion
Useful Distractions for Exam Season
Wishing everyone a successful end of Semester. In the post I gently nudge you in the direction of some exam-specific resources as well as briefly discuss […]
Why “Good Enough” Is Better Than Perfect: How Perfectionism Can Hold Yo...
Were you looking for a way to feel more satisfied with your work without constantly feeling like it’s not good enough? Lily, a psychology student on […]
3 Wellbeing Traps (and how to upgrade your study workflows instead)
My job as a mental health professional includes telling people how to look after their mental health. But what if you just don’t feel like you […]
When 'Good Advice' Feels Bad: Why Generic Self-Care Doesn't Always Work (An...
When generic wellbeing advice doesn’t fit your life, remember, it’s not you, it’s the advice. Sometimes, what you really need is a personalised plan and a […]
Two protocols for building self-compassion
There are many skills worth developing in life: juggling, joke-telling, changing a flat tire. A useful psychological skill is self-compassion. I’ve spoken about self-compassion previously, […]
Understanding Emotions Through Cinema: Lessons from Manic
Through the lens of the film Manic, Social Work student Fern gently explores how anger, vulnerability, and the courage to seek help can become pathways to […]
Before You Hit the Books: A 5-Minute Mindful Study Routine
Inspired by my colleagues, me and chatGPT designed a simple five-step study ritual that helps you start with focus, stay mindful as you work, and finish […]
Final Mindfulness for Academic Success for 2025 and it is ONLINE!
FINAL Mindfulness for Academic Success for 2025 – and it’s ONLINE! Feeling the end-of-year crunch already? Want to smash deadlines, get focused, AND chill out a […]
Is perfectionism impacting you?
My colleague Sam sent through a brief informative article on perfectionism for clinicians. I thought I’d extract some of the key ideas to give those of […]
Create your own self-compassion script
Failure and setbacks are inevitable. How we talk to ourselves in those moments can influence how we cope with them. Developing a self-compassion script can assist […]
Managing big emotions - tools for the toolkit
Banishing negative emotions from our lives would actually not be a great thing. But learning how to strategically nudge our emotions in certain directions, that is […]
When Insights Make Sense but Action Feels Overwhelming
Read this if you want to get to the end of a self-care article and NOT feel like you need to do anything. I recently read […]
Now is probably a good time to check out our 'Preparing for Exams - The Ser...
Being reminded of exams is like getting a message from your dentist that you are due an appointment. As we careen into the end of the […]
Reminder: Life Hacks Drop-in Sessions start Wed 28th Feb at 2.10pm
Unlock your potential with the Life Hacks Drop-in Sessions starting February 28th, where you’ll gain invaluable tools and insights from counsellor Chris O’Grady and psychologist Dr […]
My end of year message to students and staff (2023 edition)
I set out this year to be a lone wolf. Instead, I found being in the pack was much more rewarding. My end of year message […]
Four psychological tools that might be useful in preparing for exams
The Preparing for Exams series was first posted in 2017. Each year now we update the posts and repost them as exams approach. Let’s face it, the rules […]
A great and practical article on the power of self-compassion
You might have heard people say that we need to be more self-compassionate. What does that mean? In this post I point to a recent article […]
Updated Be Well Plan workshops and Masterclasses 🆕
The Be Well Plan is an evidence-based mental health program. It teaches you how to build and implement your own mental health and resilience plan […]
Coronavirus diary 3/4/20 - tackling procrastination
I’ll be blogging my way through the Coronavirus period, with a focus on the psychological impacts and how to keep yourself and the people you […]
Mental Fitness Workbook - Chapter 7
Having drawn my first Mental Fitness Course to a close, I am setting out with a new goal, to develop a Mental Fitness Workbook, that builds […]
How much of your self-worth comes from your studies?
This is a topic/question I’ve encountered a couple of times in the last 2 weeks. The first was a conversation I had with some topic/course […]
Studyology V2 reflections - procrastination, goals of study, self-compassio...
I just finished sending the current Studyology V2 group the summary of session 2 which was held last Friday. A number of really interesting topics […]
An exercise to build self-compassion
Two of the areas of mental fitness I’ve described previously include being able to build positive emotions, and also better manage distressing ones. The ability […]