Here at Petersgate Counselling Centre we hear many different excuses for why clients cancel their appointments. “I have to work”, “I can’t afford it”, “I’m on holiday”, “My cat is sick”. Whatever the stated reason, the real underlying message is that the person does not consider counselling to be that important. They shouldn’t then be surprised if they think that their counselling is not that helpful, or they do not notice any difference in their life. The person is also saying that they don’t believe that their own mental well-being is a priority.

What is Social Anxiety Disorder and how you can get help

Sleep, both its quantity and its quality, can affect your mental health.

Recent surveys have found that more than one-third of New Zealand adults are unable to consistently get a good night’s sleep, with many having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. And Covid-19 has made things worse, even for those who were previously “good” sleepers.

Remote work gave many people more hours in the day for personal use, but at the same time turned the workday into a 24/7 endeavour, with emails, texts, and Zoom calls occurring at odd and often unpredictable times.

Working parents who lacked child care options or had to help young children with online schoolwork during the day have resorted to late-night or early-morning hours to get their own work done with minimal interruptions. They essentially became shift workers with erratic sleep schedules. Others lost sleep pondering whether their jobs were worth the stress and how they might reshape their working lives going forward.

For many of us, walking doesn't seem like anything special. It's just something we do every day. But walking is one of the best forms of exercise out there.

Thousands of studies have shown that this simple form of movement has a wealth of wide-ranging benefits, including better mental and physical, increased mindfulness, and enhanced communication skills.

Here are several things everyone should know about this simple, yet beneficial, form of exercise. 

People who come to Petersgate for counselling are often full of sadness and worry and it scares them. Some of them report waking up in the early hours of the morning, the monsters living under their beds filling them with feelings of dread that something horrible is about to happen. That they will then look stupid and be subjected to criticism, ridicule, and rejection. The resulting anxiety, anger, worry, and self-loathing then paralyses them into doing nothing because it’s always easier and safer to avoid the bad than search for the good.

As human beings we like to remain in control.

This is why when things happen in our lives that we can't control it really bothers us. This happens even though we know deep down that, in reality, we can’t change something once it has happened and we can’t predict the future. The only thing we can control is how we react in the present to these events.

When I lie awake at night worrying about the past or the future I, instead, think about, what I call, the art of acceptance. This is all about surrendering to what’s beyond your control. It’s a way of cultivating presence, awareness and calm in the NOW. And once this is achieved it can change your life for the better.

For me, I’m never more calm, clear or confident than when I adopt the art of acceptance.

It is an invaluable tool when managing stress as it has been shown to effectively lower blood pressure, calm the nervous system and regulate the immune system plus so much more.

So, how do you incorporate the art of acceptance in your life?

It comes down to 3 simple principles: