Resilience
When I consider the idea of young people and mental health, and how resilience can be such a powerful coping strategy, I wonder what resilience really means in terms of wellbeing for a generation of young people bombarded by not only internal factors (the things directly inside their unique world and experiencing) but the effects […]
Reading a book: how novel! Sometimes we all struggle to find a little catharsis!
As a therapist and the CEO of Harmless often people look to me to tell them what to do, both personally and professionally. This happens both implicitly and explicitly; a request for help, some advice on a pertinent issue, a hand to hold in a crisis… but often in the kind of role that I […]
Some of my favourite things
This week’s theme at Harmless is Positive escapism and coping mechanisms, so I thought I’d talk about the things that I find help me. The things that provide a welcome distraction and a chance to get out of your head and ‘thinking’ mode and get lost in an experience – to be in the moment. […]
Grief, lockdown and coping mechanisms – a few words from one of our clients.
Since I lost my husband to suicide last October, after 52 years of marriage, it was really hard to imagine life without him after being such a big part of my life. Regular support from the Tomorrow Project has been a big help and I thank them from the bottom of my heart. Life since […]
Positive escapism and coping mechanisms
For a while now it seems like everything is about COVID-19. It’s still the main topic in the news and the thing everyone is talking about. So it’s very easy to be so focused on COVID-19 and worrying for our loved ones physical health and our own physical health, that we may not be focusing […]
Creativity and parenting
Collective creativity has been flourishing locally. The outside fencing of the primary school has been transformed into a lovely sea of colour. We have been making pom poms and rainbows at home to add to the collection (when on our daily exercise walk!). Symbolising hope and connectedness which is much needed at the moment. Beautiful […]
You deserve kindness
On the theme of kindness we sometimes forget that the most important person to be kind to is ourselves. I love this poem by Ms Moem because it suggests that the kinder we are to ourselves, the more empathy we gain for others and in turn, the more kindness we have to share. Helen, Suicide […]
Online Safeguarding Software – Impero Guest Blog
Online safeguarding software will protect students both during lockdown and when schools reopen Justin Reilly, CEO, safeguarding specialist, Impero Working as a teacher and school advisor for most of my career, I have witnessed first-hand the essential safeguarding role teachers play. Teachers invest countless hours engaging with their students to form a bond of trust, […]
Teacher’s reflection on UK Lockdown
Teaching during lockdown has produced some unique challenges. Whilst it has shown how flexible we can be in rapidly switching to online learning platforms, it has once again highlighted the issue of social inequality with regards to accessing education. Not every child has access to a tablet or laptop, and in many cases are sharing […]
A creative reflection
When you think of ‘creativity’ what do you think about? This was the question that was asked to me when I attended a course called ‘Creativity for Recovery’ at Nottingham Recovery College some years ago. I made a list of all the things I thought were creative: drawing/painting/visual arts, dance, writing, baking, fashion, origami, music […]