Useful Links and Articles
Managing the Challenges of Modern Living - How to get out of your head and into your Life!
We are unique individuals and were born to manifest and enjoy that uniqueness in our life. As humans, we are delicate and complex organisms, each quite unique and sometimes with a long life history, that to a greater or lesser extent has been troubled. This organism can readily become dys-regulated - so developing ways to self-regulate to stay in balance in mind and body is key. How we can successfully regulate mind and body 24/7 is the $64,000 question and we mostly never get to learn the answers from ‘conventional’ ways of growing and living - yet it’s important to achieve a stress-free a life, as possible. Simplistic, linear or more superficial approaches are likely to have limited benefit in addressing the more complex and deep-rooted issues that we can experience in life.
The essence of our true nature lies within us. When we are not connected at this level we become estranged from the unique individuals that we really are - which is often at the core of why we struggle to stay in balance. Learning to accept who we are and being at one with our true nature nurtures inner contentment, negative thinking starts to drop away, we will feel more secure and able to connect better in our relationships and with the world.
Life can be very challenging and, as each day unfolds, sometimes we struggle to manage the stresses and strains that we experience in both our mind and body. We live, mostly, in an over stimulated, compulsive world, filled with material wealth and flourishing technology, yet anxiety, stress, unhappiness, and depression have never been more common. As technology connects us in increasingly better ways, at a human level, we can feel more isolated and disconnected from family and friends as we strive to cope with our busy schedules.
Few are exempt such pressures, irrespective of education, wealth, intelligence or background etc. This dis-ease that we can experience in life, manifests itself in stress, which is responsible for most chronic and life-shortening diseases and the root cause of stress typically lies in the relationship that we have with our mind. Life trauma that has not been effectively processed, becomes trapped in our body and anxiety, depression, addictive behaviours, stress related disorders and relationship issues are some of the outcomes.
The ways in which our lives are shaped by the world we inhabit, are typically at the root cause of many of the difficulties that make us feel so stressed. Modern life, in so many ways takes us out of our being, such that we live our lives ‘in our heads’ and through our thinking and with a focus on the world ‘out there’; in these ways we become divorced from our body and its inherent wisdom and much more vulnerable to stress. We need strong foundations in our being to keep mind and body in balance, 24/7, and random, narrow approaches are quite unlikely to achieve that. All too often our ‘foundations’ are as if they were built on sand.
Many of us also suffer with deeper issues that may have their origins from early in our life history. Then we struggled to manage and make sense of our experiences; the more troubling and traumatic and the more that we tried to resolve these via our own defensive strategies, the greater our issues are likely to become in adulthood. We may have suffered trauma that has become trapped in our body and taken on life strategies and conditioned behaviours that now manifest in such troubling issues. Anxiety, depression, addictive behaviours, stress related disorders and relationship issues are some of the outcomes.
Our mind, which for many, has a default pattern of thinking, can be at the root of the stress that we experience and undermine our sense of self and identity. We can, however, learn to experience ourselves and life quite differently and leave behind an unhelpful take on life. An embodied way of being helps keep mind and body in balance and is at the foundation of the optimum and ongoing self-regulation that we need to match the challenges of our busy 24/7 existence. This can be achieved by a mindful way of being - please see Mindfulness.
Useful Links:
The Karuna Institute
UKCP
GoodTherapy.org
Mindfulness was the topic for discussion recently on BBC Radio 2’s programme Steve Wright in the Afternoon. Steve interviewed mindfulness and meditation expert Andy Puddicombe, founder of Headspace, a digital site offering guided meditation training. Andy explained how taking just 10 minutes a day away from texting, phone calls, conversation and work to focus on the present moment can help refresh the mind and reduce stress. You can hear the full interview here.
Sensorimotor (trauma) psychotherapy:
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Background Benefits and Effectiveness https://thehumancondition.com/sensorimotor-psychotherapy/
Pat Ogden (Sensorimotor founder) explains ‘Tracking the Body to Heal from Trauma’
here.
Psychotherapy Based on Depth Psychology is a Superior Approach: Lionel Corbett, M.D makes a strong and coherent case here.
Activity & Wellbeing:
Activity and exercise have been shown to have both physical and mental health benefits including boosting mood and reducing stress. The following links provide some information on this subject:
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Depression/Pages/Depressionexercise.aspx
http://www.ramblers.co.uk/walksfinder/
http://www.myconditionmylife.org/ is a website dedicated to people living with long term health conditions with an orientation to self management
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/yoga.aspx
Sleep:
Some excellent advice here on sleep and mental health, PTSD and SAD:
www.bestmattressreviews.com/mental-health-sleep/
https://www.bestmattressreviews.com/ptsd-and-sleep/
https://www.bestmattressreviews.com/seasonal-affective-disorder/
PODS:
www.pods-online.org.uk or info@pods-online.org.uk The extensive PODS website provides a wealth of information for people living and working with complex trauma, PTSD and dissociative conditions.
Suggested Reading:
• When Things Fall Apart and The Wisdom of No Escape by Pema Chodran
• Healing trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of the Body by Peter Levine
• The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh
• Loving Kindness by Sharon Salzberg
• Full Catstrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn
• A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield
• The Mindful Way Through Depression by Mark Williams et al.
• Mindfulness by Mark Williams & Danny Penman
• Mindfulness for Health by Vidyamala Burch &Danny Penman
• Mindfulness for Borderline Personality Disorder by Blaise Aguirre & Gillian Galen
We are unique individuals and were born to manifest and enjoy that uniqueness in our life. As humans, we are delicate and complex organisms, each quite unique and sometimes with a long life history, that to a greater or lesser extent has been troubled. This organism can readily become dys-regulated - so developing ways to self-regulate to stay in balance in mind and body is key. How we can successfully regulate mind and body 24/7 is the $64,000 question and we mostly never get to learn the answers from ‘conventional’ ways of growing and living - yet it’s important to achieve a stress-free a life, as possible. Simplistic, linear or more superficial approaches are likely to have limited benefit in addressing the more complex and deep-rooted issues that we can experience in life.
The essence of our true nature lies within us. When we are not connected at this level we become estranged from the unique individuals that we really are - which is often at the core of why we struggle to stay in balance. Learning to accept who we are and being at one with our true nature nurtures inner contentment, negative thinking starts to drop away, we will feel more secure and able to connect better in our relationships and with the world.
Life can be very challenging and, as each day unfolds, sometimes we struggle to manage the stresses and strains that we experience in both our mind and body. We live, mostly, in an over stimulated, compulsive world, filled with material wealth and flourishing technology, yet anxiety, stress, unhappiness, and depression have never been more common. As technology connects us in increasingly better ways, at a human level, we can feel more isolated and disconnected from family and friends as we strive to cope with our busy schedules.
Few are exempt such pressures, irrespective of education, wealth, intelligence or background etc. This dis-ease that we can experience in life, manifests itself in stress, which is responsible for most chronic and life-shortening diseases and the root cause of stress typically lies in the relationship that we have with our mind. Life trauma that has not been effectively processed, becomes trapped in our body and anxiety, depression, addictive behaviours, stress related disorders and relationship issues are some of the outcomes.
The ways in which our lives are shaped by the world we inhabit, are typically at the root cause of many of the difficulties that make us feel so stressed. Modern life, in so many ways takes us out of our being, such that we live our lives ‘in our heads’ and through our thinking and with a focus on the world ‘out there’; in these ways we become divorced from our body and its inherent wisdom and much more vulnerable to stress. We need strong foundations in our being to keep mind and body in balance, 24/7, and random, narrow approaches are quite unlikely to achieve that. All too often our ‘foundations’ are as if they were built on sand.
Many of us also suffer with deeper issues that may have their origins from early in our life history. Then we struggled to manage and make sense of our experiences; the more troubling and traumatic and the more that we tried to resolve these via our own defensive strategies, the greater our issues are likely to become in adulthood. We may have suffered trauma that has become trapped in our body and taken on life strategies and conditioned behaviours that now manifest in such troubling issues. Anxiety, depression, addictive behaviours, stress related disorders and relationship issues are some of the outcomes.
Our mind, which for many, has a default pattern of thinking, can be at the root of the stress that we experience and undermine our sense of self and identity. We can, however, learn to experience ourselves and life quite differently and leave behind an unhelpful take on life. An embodied way of being helps keep mind and body in balance and is at the foundation of the optimum and ongoing self-regulation that we need to match the challenges of our busy 24/7 existence. This can be achieved by a mindful way of being - please see Mindfulness.
Useful Links:
The Karuna Institute
UKCP
GoodTherapy.org
Mindfulness was the topic for discussion recently on BBC Radio 2’s programme Steve Wright in the Afternoon. Steve interviewed mindfulness and meditation expert Andy Puddicombe, founder of Headspace, a digital site offering guided meditation training. Andy explained how taking just 10 minutes a day away from texting, phone calls, conversation and work to focus on the present moment can help refresh the mind and reduce stress. You can hear the full interview here.
Sensorimotor (trauma) psychotherapy:
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Background Benefits and Effectiveness https://thehumancondition.com/sensorimotor-psychotherapy/
Pat Ogden (Sensorimotor founder) explains ‘Tracking the Body to Heal from Trauma’
here.
Psychotherapy Based on Depth Psychology is a Superior Approach: Lionel Corbett, M.D makes a strong and coherent case here.
Activity & Wellbeing:
Activity and exercise have been shown to have both physical and mental health benefits including boosting mood and reducing stress. The following links provide some information on this subject:
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Depression/Pages/Depressionexercise.aspx
http://www.ramblers.co.uk/walksfinder/
http://www.myconditionmylife.org/ is a website dedicated to people living with long term health conditions with an orientation to self management
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/yoga.aspx
Sleep:
Some excellent advice here on sleep and mental health, PTSD and SAD:
www.bestmattressreviews.com/mental-health-sleep/
https://www.bestmattressreviews.com/ptsd-and-sleep/
https://www.bestmattressreviews.com/seasonal-affective-disorder/
PODS:
www.pods-online.org.uk or info@pods-online.org.uk The extensive PODS website provides a wealth of information for people living and working with complex trauma, PTSD and dissociative conditions.
Suggested Reading:
• When Things Fall Apart and The Wisdom of No Escape by Pema Chodran
• Healing trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of the Body by Peter Levine
• The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh
• Loving Kindness by Sharon Salzberg
• Full Catstrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn
• A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield
• The Mindful Way Through Depression by Mark Williams et al.
• Mindfulness by Mark Williams & Danny Penman
• Mindfulness for Health by Vidyamala Burch &Danny Penman
• Mindfulness for Borderline Personality Disorder by Blaise Aguirre & Gillian Galen