Top tips to teach kids how to be self-reliant
As parents, you want to guide and protect your children. You want to teach them how to make good choices and solve problems. Then as they grow older, you can gradually let them make bigger...
Use mindfulness to achieve your goals more quickly
Previously we’ve discussed how mindfulness can help you achieve your goals. Let’s see this in action by focussing on Bill, who’s been struggling with his study assignments. How can he use mindfulness to achieve his...
What you believe is true isn’t always right
Adults tend to leap to conclusions without enough evidence to back them up. If they’re not careful, these assumptions can lead to bad decisions. Are you aware that what you believe is true isn’t always...
Close enough: successive approximations are better than perfection
“If you can’t do it properly, don’t do it at all.” Did people say this to you all the time when you were young? Does it still echo round your head? This common saying is...
How to make positive affirmations work better for you
You’ve all heard the folk wisdom: positive affirmations change how you see yourself. But how can you make positive affirmations work if you have low self-esteem? According to the theory, you repeatedly tell yourself you...
How pets help us cope better in tough times
At the start of the COVID-19 lockdown, many of us adopted pets. But why are pets so important for our emotional well-being? And exactly how have pets helped us cope in these tough times? You...
How to manage difficult family visits better
Every family has conflict at some stage. It’s inevitable when people with strong views get together. But some family members may be so easily offended, that every visit ends with hurt feelings. How can you...
Tips for better family visits
Family visits can be a hassle when you’re really busy. Add the tension caused by difficult personalities, and it can be a recipe for disaster. Strategic planning, assertiveness and a healthy dose of mindfulness can...
Simple way to make positive affirmations effective
Jessie wants to feel more competent at work. But positive affirmations have made her feel worse. Unfortunately, she’s not using them the right way. Read on to learn the simple trick to make positive affirmations...
Be flexible 1: transform goals when life holds you back
Everyone needs to be realistic when setting goals. Yet being flexible is just as important, especially when longed-for dreams have to be set aside. But don’t despair. Instead, be flexible and transform goals with creativity....
Can you see the future? Only with magical thinking
Can you predict the future? Or is this magical thinking? Anyway, how would that actually work? As humans, we make lots of mistakes in the way we think. Often these are short-cuts taken by the...
Blaming yourself? Maybe you don’t know the real story
Young children only see a limited slice of life. So they can misread situations that happen around them. Then they may jump to the wrong conclusions about why things happen. In fact, they may end...
Are you responsible for the way others act?
Now, everyone likes to be on good terms with people around them. But sometimes even close friends or family don’t act appropriately. So how much responsibility should you take for changing their behaviour? Are you...
Break free of unspoken rules from the past
Most families have unspoken rules everyone obeys. Usually these help the smooth running of the family. But sometimes these rules are pointless, harsh or even harmful. And yet later in life, we can still feel...
You’re an adult. Break free of unspoken family rules
We’ve discussed before the power of unspoken rules in families. Most of the time these rules are relatively harmless. But sometimes they stop you saying or doing what is best for you. You’re reluctant to...
Sleep: fix the habit that makes the most difference
Bill needs to improve his sleep habits. Over the past year, fatigue has caused a cascade of problems in every area of his life. So if he tackles the one habit that makes the most...
