Perfectionists have created many of our great works of art. Perfectionists are also at the heart of many of our scientific and technological discoveries. Perfectionists also show continued and extraordinary dedication to their tasks. But many pay a high price for their perfectionism. Does this have to be the case? We know that perfectionism can be…
Every day, most of us are doing things for ourselves and for others. Often unrecognised things. Things which keep our lives running smoothly. The childrens’ washing, a morning cup of tea for a loved one, a smile, opening a door, working and paying bills, shopping, loading the dishwasher, and so on. All of these things,…
A Survival Guide For Life Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk I always steer clear of self-help books which offer quick-fix motivation, get rich schemes and strategies which offer unrealistic outcomes. I was fearful that this would be one of those books but, thankfully, it’s not. Although A Survival Guide For Life has a popular light touch and short pithy…
As much as we try to be our own counsellor and coach, sometimes we need some extra help. Some people think, though, that even if you’re struggling, you really shouldn’t need a counsellor if you’ve got good friends. What do you think? My article below explores the differences between friends and counsellors and looks at how distinct their…
The Snow ChildAmazon.com & Amazon.co.uk The opening of this novel finds Jack and Mabel in Alaska’s frontier country, in the 1920s, ten years after the loss of their stillborn baby. They have chosen to withdraw from family and friends as a means of coping with their searing loss and their ongoing childless state. Harsh weather…
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a devastating illness which drives sufferers, and their family and friends, to despair. Although professional help from an appropriate therapist is often needed, and I would actively encourage this, there is an excellent ‘Four Step Self-Help Method’ which I wanted to share with you and which will aid management and recovery. It also helps us all to…
The Happiness Project (Gretchen Rubin) – Amazon.com & Amazon.co.ukHappier At Home (Gretchen Rubin) – Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk When Gretchen Rubin brought out her book The Happiness Project, in December 2009, it sparked an upsurge in people trying to find more happiness in their own daily lives. Her Happiness Project Blog also inspired and motivated others to invest time and energy in their own happiness projects….
How we manage and cope with life greatly determines how successful and happy our lives will be. People cope in various ways but we can all observe that there are both positive and negative styles of coping. How well do you cope with life? Which style of coping do you tend towards? If you’d like to read more about…
Here we are, 18th March 2013, and the launch of the new home for: Be Your Own Counsellor & Coach Firstly, thanks so much for visiting! I really hope that you enjoy this new dedicated home for Be Your Own Counsellor & Coach and that you like the magazine format and the extra topics of the arts, memoirs…
“The best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things – which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And…
“For who will testify, who will accurately describe our lives if we do not do it ourselves?” Faye Moskowitz
You’re walking down a hospital corridor and the woman ahead of you spills some coffee on the polished floor as she meanders unsteadily along. You glance down as you walk past it and think: ‘That’s an accident waiting to happen, someone should really do something about that.’ The street light in your neighbourhood has stopped working. A few…
The Willpower InstinctAmazon.com & Amazon.co.uk At this time of recent resolutions and tests on our, often, fragile willpower an excellent book from health psychologist and lecturer Dr Kelly McGonigal, makes fascinating reading. The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get More Of It, is based on her 10…
I wonder if you ever think that others feel as you do? When you go about your daily life and events occur which make you feel sad, happy, or despairing do you imagine that others feel these emotions exactly as you do? When your partner angers you or you feel defeated at work and you…
As we are coming to the close of 2012, I’d like to thank everyone I’ve met and all the great new friends I’ve made in my first year of blogging (well few months really!) It’s been great to join this new community. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your comments on my blog during these last months. Thank…