All posts by Cognisant PDC

Managing a Cluttered Mind

How To

Juggling the demands of work and family life can be a challenge. We spend so much time trying to keep on top of urgent deadlines, essential admin and appointments at work. Then after an often stressful commute, we have to plan dinner, care for the children, keep the house tidy, help with homework and manage family appointments. We might also have elderly relatives to look after, exercise routines to squeeze in and maybe a little social time with our partners and friends.

It is no wonder that our minds get cluttered and we are constantly thinking about what’s coming next, rather than focusing on what’s happening in that moment. It is also unsurprising that things can sometimes get on top of us.

Tales of the Unexpected

The real problems often arise when something unexpected is thrown into the mix. We can just about keep all the plates spinning until we receive a big bill that stretches our finances a little too far, have a serious illness or death in the family, go through a divorce, face redundancy or get bullied by a work colleague.

At this point, the problem can seem insurmountable. Our minds are so full and our time is in such great demand, that finding the clarity or energy to see how to move forward is impossible. Family and friends can provide support at this point, but there can be great value in seeking the objective support of a professional counsellor.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Whilst it may seem difficult to find the time to attend counselling, the process can be exactly what you need to tackle the issue. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a form of counselling that allows you to commit time to work on the issue. In a confidential and supportive environment, you can focus on your situation, pay attention to it, explore the impact it is having on you and consider ways of moving forward.

With many of the same principles that are used in meditation, or mindfulness, the challenge can be easier to deal with when you can focus on it without distractions. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy allows you to gain a realistic view of the issue and how it is impacting on other aspects of your life.

You can build an understanding of your priorities, as well as things that can be put on hold or delegated to allow you time to deal with these priorities. The counsellor will ask questions that help you to explore the issue, so you feel empowered to take actions that will help you to deal with the current situation and find your way out of the predicament.

This could be the first time you have considered counselling and you may feel unsure about whether it is right for you. If you would like to learn more about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Amersham based Cognisant PDC is happy to provide further information. We have helped many people from all walks of life to overcome the challenges that life presents them, we can help you too.

How to Deal With Bereavement

How To

This month many people will be spending time with their mums. An afternoon tea, a meal out or even just popping round with a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates all give us the chance to show our appreciation for the things they do for us.

Our maternal relationship is our first connection with another person and it plays a significant role in forming our sense of self. Even when the relationship goes through difficult times, it is incredibly difficult to break the bond and we typically find ourselves drawn back together.

For many people their mum is someone that they have always turned to for support. From putting a plaster on your knee and a kiss on your cheek when you’ve fallen over, to a reassuring smile or squeeze of the hand before you take your next big step, or a cuppa and a hug when things haven’t gone to plan. The familiar reassurance makes you feel you’ve got someone on your side, no matter what.

Losing Mum

The death of a loved one is always a sad occasion, but when we lose our mum, the sense of grief can be overwhelming. It can feel as if the chair has been pulled from under you as you crash to the floor. A sense of stability is lost and you may feel that it can never return.

As adults we may get a day or two to grieve before we are expected to ‘buck up’ and resume a normal life. We have to turn up and function at work, we may have our own children to look after, a house to maintain. Our feelings of despair have to be disguised as we act our way through the day.

Grief can affect us in many ways. We may lose our appetite or feel the need to comfort eat, we may find it difficult to get motivated and lose our desire to go out, exercise or socialise. It can feel like too much effort to get dressed up, to face people, to shop. We may turn to drink or gambling in an attempt to escape the emptiness. Unless we find a way to grieve, address our feelings and look at ways to move forward, it can be detrimental to our mental and physical health.

Seeking Support

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a counselling technique that has been used to help many people to move forward following bereavement. It isn’t a quick fix that is going to make everything fine, but it does allow you the chance to acknowledge and understand your feelings. It allows you to grieve and also accept that moving on with your life doesn’t mean you have forgotten your mum or are being disrespectful.

If you feel you could benefit from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Amersham based Cognisant PDC is there for you. Taking action will be a challenge, but in processing your feelings in a supportive environment, you can begin to live your life again. After all, that would be what your mum would want.

 

Reinvent Your Life

Uncategorised

Many of us have reached a point where we question if this is really what life is all about. We may have a comfortable life and nothing much to complain about, yet we feel unfulfilled. We know that we aren’t spending time on the things that motivate us and we’re not being challenged in ways which push us to utilise our strengths and skills. We simply aren’t realising our potential.

It can seem like it is too late to change and we are stuck with our lot. We typically avoid focusing too much attention on what we really want, because to start pinpointing the person we would like to become means that we have to take action. Much as we might want to change, there is often a narrative in our heads that is quick to present obstacles and we are easily persuaded to stick with what we’ve got – it’s not too bad really.

Self Limiting Thoughts

Our inner narrative can convince us that it would be too disruptive, that we’d have to sacrifice too many other things, that we’re not good enough or we haven’t the time to follow our dreams. We get stuck in these unhelpful thoughts and that is before we’ve opened ourselves up to the scrutiny of others. The fear of what other people might say or think is just another layer which can stifle our ability to become the person we want to be.

Ultimately, we’re wired to opt for safety and security, so the familiar will always be the easier option, even if it isn’t right for us. We can see others who are following paths that we would like to be on, yet taking the first few steps on our own journey of change can be incredibly daunting. As a result it is easy to stick with what we know.

Even when we are unhappy with our lives, we are more likely to avoid taking action and try to cover the whole thing in a blanket of comfort eating, retail therapy, excessive drinking, gambling or obsessive social media activity. Rather than solving the problem, these distractions can simply add to the issue.

Realise your Potential

If you have an inner desire to follow your heart, achieve new goals, embark on a fresh journey and realise your potential, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can be a valuable tool. This counselling technique has helped many people to engage with their inner voice, understand what factors have led to this narrative and then challenge it.

You could have followed a career path which no longer excites or interests you, but pays a good wage and with other family members’ dependant on your financial support, change seems impossible. You may dream of travelling the world, living or working abroad, but fears about going it alone are stopping you from booking the flight. You may have phobias which are holding you back or you may want the strength to break free from unsupportive relationships.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy isn’t a quick fix, it requires you to focus on your priorities and address the barriers that you are putting up. However, with the conviction to embrace change over a series of sessions, you gain the strength and confidence to take the steps towards reinventing your life. If you would like to find out more about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Amersham based Cognisant PDC encourages you to get in touch.

How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Can Change Your 2016

Uncategorised

The start of a New Year is seen as an optimum time to make plans for the future and resolutions to set us on our way.

We often see resolutions as a time of sacrifice, a time to stop eating sugar, to quit smoking or to stop spending on a credit card to get our finances in order. Even when starting something, it can seem more like a punishment than a pleasure. I’ll sign up for the gym or update my CV are examples of things which sound far from exciting.

The feeling of punishment is one of the reasons why more than half of those who make a new year’s resolution fail to stick with it. We resent having to do it, even though it is a challenge set by ourselves. For this reason it is easy to get tempted towards something more enjoyable.

So, if you are determined to make a fresh start in 2016, a good place to start is really considering the following point:

What is it about your life that you would really like to change?

None of us a perfect, so we all have things that we would like to change. When we can identify the sort of person we would like to become, we can start taking steps towards this goal. Our steps can be small, yet they can still contribute towards moving us towards what we’d like to achieve.

No one wants to lose weight or to stop smoking or to go to the gym. These are just steps that we are taking to fulfil a more important goal. Our desire might be to improve our chances of living a longer, healthier life, to gain body confidence or to get into shape in order to complete a physical challenge. When we understand the true goal, we can start to see lots of different ways in which we could make positive changes.

We might not find time to get to the gym this week, but we haven’t failed because we squeezed in a fast paced walk in a lunch break or whilst waiting for the children at an evening club. We may have accepted an invite to curry night, but have increased the fruit and vegetables in our diet. We may not have lost any weight on the scales, but a new haircut makes us feel fantastic.

With our true goal in focus, we can also identify other resources and people that could help us on our journey. There are many people who can help you to achieve your goals, from free smoking cessation groups that support you to personal shoppers who can help you find flattering outfits that make you feel great.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has also proved of great value to people who are working towards change. We often struggle to move away from our current position because of learnt behaviours, an adversity to change or a certain vision of ourselves that prevents us from moving into new roles. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy helps to see things from a fresh perspective. It challenges your preconceptions and helps you to create a new mind-set which sees things in a new light.

If you want to achieve this year’s resolutions, you could benefit from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Amersham based Cognisant PDC could support you in taking steps in the right direction.