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8 Ways Everyone Can Benefit from Seeing a Therapist

Life throws us curveballs sometimes. Everyone will experience challenging situations at some point in their life and talking it through is a healthy way of navigating through it.  Although talking to friends and family is a great option, if you have the means, a professional can benefit you.  
 

Studies show that voicing your concerns can have a therapeutic effect on your brain. By verbalising what you’re going through you relieve yourself of the burden. A professional therapist or life coach can help you work through any issues you may be having in your life. 

Below are eight ways everyone can benefit from seeing a therapist. 

Therapy can help you even if you don’t have a mental illness or a major loss to work through. 
 

1. To process the past 

Events from your past affect who you become when you get older. Events from childhood, past friendships or relationships all shape the person you are today. 

If you’ve experienced trauma or a significant event, going to a therapist can help you work through what you experienced and process your feelings.  

If you have negative feelings about an event or person, a therapist can help you gain perspective. Often, we don’t process big life events as they happen because we simply don’t have the tools to do so. A therapist can give you the tools you need to move past anything you still struggle with. 

Read now: 8 Quick and Small Changes to a Better Life 
 

2. To help you understand your emotions 

If you often experience mood swings or you just don’t understand how to manage your emotions, therapy can help you with this.  

A therapist will help you explore the emotions that come up with life events and personal relationships.  Therapy can guide you to gain a healthy perspective which can lead you to understanding and managing your emotions. 

What you process in therapy doesn’t have to be a life-altering event or even traumatic. You can bring anything into therapy that you want to work through with you therapist and better understand yourself. 

3. To learn healthy coping mechanisms 

A lot of people come to therapy after having used other unhealthy coping mechanisms. People often turn to substances to help them deal with difficult situations. 

But these aren’t healthy long-term solutions. Therapy can help you deal with these issues and learn healthy coping mechanisms. Self-medicating doesn’t help anybody, and it usually leads to more problems. 

Therapy will help you get to the cause of the problems you’re facing. You’ll learn how to cope and communicate in a productive way. 

4. To help strengthen your relationships 

If you’re having trouble communicating with your spouse or loved one, therapy can help. Relationships can be difficult. When partners don’t feel understood or appreciated, it can cause a big strain. 

Couples therapy can help you communicate better and sort through any issues you may be having. Even if one partner doesn’t like the idea, you can go alone. You’ll find it helpful and it’ll provide you with tools for a better relationship. 

Read now: 5 Ways to Strengthen and Improve Your Relationship 

5. To deal with grief 

Bereavement is one of the hardest things you’ll have to face in your life. Losing a loved one hits you hard and there’s no avoiding it. So if you are experiencing the loss of someone for the first time, it can be especially painful. 

Death has a lasting impact on our lives and we aren’t all equipped to deal with the grief of it. Grief counselling can help you cope with your loss and deal with it in a healthy way. 

Group therapy is just as effective as one-to-one therapy! 

6. To help you solve a problem 

If you’re facing hardship in your life and don’t know where to turn, therapy can help. Going to a therapist can help you come up with a solution. 

A therapist can help you gain new levels of perspective. They can help you look at the issue from many different points of view. Once you’ve got clarity and a new perspective, it can help make the problem easier to solve. 

7. So you won’t feel alone 

One of the most common symptoms of mental health issues is the feeling of being all alone. When you suffer from depression or anxiety, it can make you feel like the loneliest person on earth. 

Talking with a therapist about your feelings can help a lot. Having a professional validate you and tell you that you’re not alone can be very helpful. A therapist may also be able to put you in touch with a support group. This can help you meet people like you who are also struggling and help you feel less alone. 

Read now: How to Manage Your ‘Winter Blues’ 

8. To deal with the future 

Life is a rollercoaster, and this won’t be the first or last time you have difficult stuff to deal with. Things like conflict, loss, and sadness will continue to arise as you go through life. 

It’s natural for these things to bring you down and make you feel upset. But therapy can help you with healthy coping strategies. A therapist will help you healthily cope with these things. Then, you can bring this knowledge with you into the future. 

Therapy Benefits Everyone 

There are so many reasons to go to therapy. You don’t need to be suffering from mental health issues, as therapy benefits everyone. Now more than ever, people are willing to open up about their struggles. The stigma against therapy is fading. So if you’re looking to improve yourself, why not give therapy a try? 

For further advice on how therapy can help you, contact our experts at Ceed today.    

The Valuable Mental Health Benefits of Cold Water Swimming

Cold water swimming, especially in wild locations, comes with a variety of physical and mental health benefits. 

The colder the water, the better it is for you, whether that be in the sea, a lake or a river. Cold open-water swimming has been linked to:  

  • Pain relief 
  • Improved circulation 
  • Reduced inflammation 
  • Better concentration 
  • A significant positive effect on chronic low-mood and stress
Cold water swimming is good for your mental and physical health!

Inducing the Stress Response 

These health benefits come from inducing the body’s natural stress response. Through cold water swimming your body learns to self-regulate and overcome the stress induced by the water. 

The human stress response is an instinctive survival mechanism that reacts to your environment. So, any sudden change in your metabolic rate, like a change in temperature, will trigger a stress response. 

During this process your brain floods the body with stress hormones, which create a state of shock. This then triggers the parasympathetic nervous system which works to regulate your metabolism. Once regulated any physiological sensations and emotions fall back into equilibrium and you will feel calm again. 

By regularly inducing a stress response in your body through cold water swimming, you train yourself to be more efficient at regulating stress. So for those with anxious thoughts or panic attacks, cold-water swimming can help to train your body to overcome anxiety. 

Start cold open-water swimming today!

Immersing your face in cold water is key, as this stimulates the vagus nerve. This helps to slow your heart rate, relax the body, and activate metabolism. 

By submerging your face under water you trigger the mammalian dive response, which is where the somatic nerves of the facial muscles react to water and causes your heart rate to slow and muscle tissue to store more oxygen. 

Cold water swimming can also have a positive impact on your physical wellbeing. When the body is exposed to cold the blood vessels constrict, restricting blood flow and as a result reduce inflammation. So, if you have aches and pains that never seem to go away, cold-water swimming could be the answer.   

Read Now: How to Get Out of a Funk 

Mindfulness 

Mindfulness is the practise of being fully engaged in the present moment, aware of where we are and what we’re doing and not focusing on any distractions. To be mindful is to be fully present in the given moment.   

Cold water swimming and being in nature provide the perfect conditions to keep you present. It’ll be hard to focus on anything but the physical sensations you experience. 

When you’re in the water, it’s important to focus on your breathing and your movement through the water. You’ll disengage from any worry or stress in your life and find yourself completely present. 

Swimming in cold water takes courage, just the act of going and having the discipline to stay in the water can improve your sense of self-worth. It’s not an easy feat to be a cold-water swimmer. 

Read Now: 4 Effective Ways to Clear Your Mind of Stress 

How to Start Cold Water Swimming 

To begin your cold-water swimming journey its best to start small. It can be daunting to go out into nature and plunge into the cold. Instead try starting with something less intimidating. 

You can simply reduce the temperature of your morning showers, taking it one day at a time until you’re not using heat at all.  

As you ease yourself into cold water immersion be mindful of your breath and don’t allow yourself to tense up. Take deep breaths and relax. Essentially, you’re training yourself to be comfortable in the discomfort that comes with the cold.  

Another great option to try before taking the plunge is spending time outside in the cold. If you wear light layers this can trigger the same stress response cycle in the body without the intensity of cold-water swimming.  

When you feel ready to swim in the wild you can find your local swim group online. 

Read Now: 4 Mindful Ways to Help You Live in the Moment 

Be Safe When Cold Water Swimming 

If you’re wanting to give cold open-water swimming a try, it’s important to do so safely. When swimming remember to:  

  • Tell someone where you’re going and what your plan is. 
  • Swim with other people who are familiar with the area you’re swimming in. 
  • Be aware of your surroundings, keep in mind entry and exit points of the water. 
  • Enter the water gradually and allow your body to acclimatise. 
  • Ensure you’re visible in the water, either with a bright float or swim cap.  

For further advice on lifestyle changes to better your mental health, contact our experts at Ceed today.  

8 Quick and Small Changes to a Better Life

It’s the little things we do that allow us to live a better life. You don’t need to go making big changes in order to see improvement. Small changes build over time and are less daunting at first. This can encourage you to continue and stay consistent in your changes. 

Science supports this theory. For example, research from Cornell University has found that small, easy changes are better for promoting weight loss. Making small initial changes can help motivate you to take on further changes to help better your life in the long run.   

Yes, we are all different. However, certain activities and behaviours have been shown to universally help people improve their overall well-being. If you’re searching for ways to help improve your life by making quick, small changes to your lifestyle – consider these eight tips and tricks. 

Don’t be overwhelmed. You don’t have to try all of them. Pick a few and work from there. Little steps will get you far. 

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Implementing little changes can have a big impact!

Smile More Often 

Smiling has been shown to significantly reduce stress, increase serotonin levels and even reduce how often we are feeling unwell. Smiling more often can also give the illusion that you look younger than you are – an added bonus! 

Psychology and Ageing study showed that when a group looked at photos of happy faces, they guessed the age of the person lower, while photos of the same person with neutral or angry expressions were higher. 

Funnily enough, you don’t even need to mean it when you smile – you can fake it ‘til you make it. Research has shown that even a fake smile has positive benefits too! So, remember to get your smile on! 

Take a Morning Walk 

Going on a morning walk and building your routine around it can have amazing effects on your physical and mental wellbeing. Regular morning walks can even help you: 

  • Feel better physically and mentally, clearing your mind 
  • Lower the risk of heart disease, stroke diabetes and certain types of cancer 
  • Lower blood pressure 
  • Improve memory 
  • Increase energy 
  • Prevent weight gain 

Morning walks in particular tend to start and end your day in a good mood. Walking also helps you to feel sleepy, meaning you’re more ready for bed when the time comes. This also results in an overall better mood the next morning! 

Wear Suncream 

Most of us will (hopefully) put suncream on when it’s a hot and sunny day. However, you might want to start getting into the habit of putting it on every time you go outside. Not only will this help to keep your skin looking young and wrinkle-free, but it also will protect you against skin cancer.

It’s equally as important as taking a walk in the first place! This habit truly only takes a few minutes to implement, but its benefits are long-lasting.

Make sure you use suncream to protect yourself on your walks!

Spend Time Away from Social Media 

Social media is now an embedded part of our society. However, research has shown that social media can have a corrosive effect on mental health. For example, social media often causes us to produce an idealised image of ourselves and our lives. That action can indeed cause damage to our self-perception and happiness. 

Many people search social media for approval from others and absorb an unrealistic perception of how their life should be. This often results in a higher chance of developing symptoms of depression. Therefore, spending some time away or limiting your exposure to technology can help prevent this and boost your mental wellbeing. 

Drink More Water 

So I’m sure you’ve heard about needing to drink eight cups of water a day, right? Does it seem like too much? Well, research shows that drinking enough water can reduce the risk of depression and anxiety.

Even a case of mild dehydration can take its toll on our mental and bodily health. Losing just 1% of your body mass, which might occur as part of everyday living, can lead to a dip in mood and anxiety. 

Our brains are 75% water. It depends on proper hydration to function properly. So, it’s no surprise that a lack of water can cause our emotional processes to weaken.  

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Drinking more water every day can benefit your physical and mental wellbeing!

Set Reminders on Your Phone

Setting up reminders makes sense. We can’t remember everything! Offloading the responsibility of remembering certain tasks to your phone can free up mental space for other tasks. 

Even better, studies have shown how reminders can help us save more money, keep up with medical treatment and even be more charitable. What’s not to like about that? 

Learn How to Cook a Signature Dish 

Cooking can help boost your mood and improve your mental health. Cooking has been known to actually be used a therapy. There are therapeutic cooking programmes, culinary therapies and culinary mindfulness. 

All of these activities embody the same belief: the act of cooking at home can benefit your mental health. Cooking is an act of patience, mindfulness and an outlet for creative expression. You don’t need to be Gordon Ramsay – start small by learning one signature dish and practice perfecting it! 

Eat Without Distractions 

Distracted eating is incredibly common in our society today. Our lives have gotten so fast-paced that it seems indulgent to take time away from our day to eat without any distractions. Are you a distracted eater? Do these situations sound familiar? 

  • Eating breakfast in the car on the way to work 
  • Eating lunch at your desk 
  • Watching TV during dinner 
Reduce distractions while you eat for a more satisfying meal!

If you answered yes to any of these, you are a distracted eater. But you are definitely not alone! Try to stick to set meal times and eat without any of these distractions. It helps with mindfulness around food and can help prevent overeating. 

Remember, taking small, achievable steps towards your goals makes you more likely to succeed in achieving your goals.

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For further advice from our professional lifestyle coaches, contact us at Ceed today!  

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