Looking after your mental health

What really is depression? There are so many levels of what might be termed depression. Who hasn't got up in the morning and looked out to a grey sky and rain, and felt a bit depressed? Sun and blue sky makes us feel better straight away. That's just feeling a bit down in the dumps, but something happens and then we feel better. The next level of depression could be when we are experiencing severe anxiety, and we have not found a solution to our problems. We might go on for some time feeling miserable. Nothing makes us feel better. We [...]

What is your definition of happiness?

I saw a fantastic sunset from my garden the other evening. I felt happy. What is your definition of happiness? I was speaking on Radio Norfolk this morning about being happy, particularly with young people who worry so much about themselves. They compare themselves with others a lot of the time and it causes anxiety and unhappiness. Of course the media is responsible for a lot of this. Only this morning I read that if you are a woman, you should have a flat stomach and abs. These poor souls who strive to maintain this are liable to become even [...]

Thinking about the past or the future

Here's a thought. Try going the next hour or 30 minutes or even 15 minutes only thinking in the present moment. Easy? Difficult? Bet you will struggle with this because most people are thinking about the past or the future more than the present. This gives you an idea why some people can be anxious all the time if they think about a past which for them is not so good. Consider this: How many times do you go over conversations you have had previously? Are you reliving the conversations? You know - "Well, she said this, this and this, [...]

How to make the best of yourself

  I am from an older generation, and so I can only recall pop stars and not celebrities. I would not have known what a celebrity was back in the 1960s. The Beatles were pop stars, and nothing else really mattered. As a girl I thought about my looks and being slim, and not fat, was important, but the only faddy diet I did was for two days and that was eating as many apples as you wanted to. The tummy gripes got to me in the end and so I gave up. Celebrities It would appear that anyone who [...]