Stressed To Zest

Developing a training course: life skills for stress, health & wellbeing

Stressed To Zest — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:48:27 +0000

Last Spring, I went walking and camping in Glen Affric. Amongst other things, being away on my own in the hills gave me a chance to think creatively. Once I was back I wrote a blog post about developing a next generation stress management course. I said "I've known for some time that I wanted to "upgrade" the stress management/relaxation skills course that I've been teaching for many years. I find the emerging research on mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) exciting and encouraging ...

Interpersonal group work 1

Stressed To Zest — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 06:34:15 +0000

Our life stories: needs, beliefs & behaviours

Stressed To Zest — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 10:29:53 +0000

This post describes the "Needs, beliefs & behaviours" diagrams, best viewable on screen in PDF format (slides 1 & 2 and slides 3 & 4), but also downloadable in Powerpoint format (slides 1 & 2 and slides 3 & 4). The post below is downloadable as a Word format handout.

Vitamin D deficiency - again!

Stressed To Zest — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:36:25 +0000

This blog post is also downloadable as a Word format handout.

Exercise 6: where can I do what?

Stressed To Zest — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:06:28 +0000

Recent research: articles from January journals

Stressed To Zest — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:19:50 +0000

I read a lot of research. When I find an article of particular interest I download it to my bibliographic database - EndNote - which currently contains nearly 14,000 abstracts.

Exercise 5: the recommendation to do strengthening exercises

Stressed To Zest — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:41:54 +0000

This post is also downloadable as a Word format handout.

I blogged a couple of weeks ago on "Exercise 3: US Department of Health & Human Services, resources for assessment & advice" and quoted the fine 2008 "Physical activity guidelines for Americans" with its recommendation that - besides regular aerobic exercise - "People are encouraged - on at least two days per week - to strengthen the major muscle groups involving legs, hips, back, chest, stomach and shoulders. Exercises for each muscle group should be repeated for 8 to 12 repetitions per session."

SIGN guidance on non-pharmaceutical management of depression

Stressed To Zest — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:37:10 +0000

Exercise 4: pedometers can help us walk more

Stressed To Zest — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:58:45 +0000

This blog post is downloadable as a Word format handout

Writing (& speaking) for resilience & wellbeing 3: personal growth

Stressed To Zest — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 05:18:11 +0000

They taught me more about, in the midst of all this trauma and suffering and uncertainty - of remaining true to who you are,
and what love can be about in those moments. And there are three or four of those that really stand out very strongly,
whose lives were very different but who were kind of my teachers.
A therapist describing the impact on himself of working with clients struggling with AIDS

You can access a downloadable Word format version of this post by clicking here.

Different kinds of group, different kinds of friendship

Stressed To Zest — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:33:20 +0000
I'm a member of three different groups, all of which meet occasionally in the evening. Since two of the groups only get together about every six weeks, it's unusual for all three group meetings to occur in the same seven days. In fact I can't remember it happening before. It's happening this week though - hence the trigger for this blog post "Different kinds of group, different kinds of friendship".
The group that meets pretty much every week is probably the most straightforward. We've been getting together for many years to play badminton for a couple of hours. It's great. I hugely enjoy it. It's warm too - we're friendly and we joke a lot. We encourage each other and we're very competitive as well. However with most of these guys, I hardly meet them except to play badminton. I could tell you very little about how their lives are going, or about how they're usually feeling.

Exercise 3: US Department of Health & Human Services, resources for assessment & advice

Stressed To Zest — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:43:10 +0000

Writing (& speaking) for resilience & wellbeing 2: traumas & difficulties

Stressed To Zest — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 05:39:41 +0000

Fear is the mind-killer ... I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. Bene Gesserit "Litany against Fear" from "Dune" by Frank Herbert

You can access a downloadable Word format version of this post by clicking here .

Recent research: three studies on sex, three on couples, and one on both!

Stressed To Zest — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:36:33 +0000
I recently asked a computer-literate friend how I could encourage more people to visit this blog (thank you to all who already do!). He said "Write more about sex and violence." Ouch. I replied, rather self-righteously, that I wasn't just interested in increasing website traffic for its own sake - that the primary purpose of this blog is to be helpful. Well here I go - some good research studies on sex (and couples) that I hope are helpful!

Exercise 2: UK Department of Health, resources for assessment & advice

Stressed To Zest — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 07:23:23 +0000

Writing (& speaking) for resilience & wellbeing 1: introduction

Stressed To Zest — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 07:00:38 +0000

The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper. Eden Phillpotts

You can access a downloadable Word format version of this post by clicking here .

Recent research: articles from December journals

Stressed To Zest — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:01:15 +0000

I read a lot of research. When I find an article of particular interest I download it to my bibliographic database - EndNote - which currently contains over 13,800 abstracts.

My dilemma: passion or peacefulness?

Stressed To Zest — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:25:10 +0000
I had an interesting mix of experiences yesterday. It's left me wondering - about the balance between passion and peacefulness, about whether vitality and craziness fit into a meditative life, about courage and risk and exploration.

Exercise 1: checking it's safe to start

Stressed To Zest — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 06:48:42 +0000

I've talked a lot on this blog about the tremendously worthwhile gains we can make for our physical health by exercising regularly. See for example the posts "Does healthy lifestyle really make a difference?" and "Common sense isn't common". Now the recent national depression guidelines "Updated NICE guidelines on treating depression" and "SIGN guidance on non-pharmaceutical management of depression" underline the importance of exercise for psychological health too.

Handouts & questionnaires for improved assessment & monitoring of panic disorder

Stressed To Zest — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:58:10 +0000
For quite some time, I've used Katherine Shear's "Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS)" as my main way of assessing and monitoring the severity of panic disorder. I've recently woken up to the fact that there is a specifically designed "Self Report" version of this scale. It is copyrighted, but Dr Shear has given permission for clinicians to use the scale freely in their practice and for researchers to use it in non-industry settings. For other uses of the scale, Dr Shear should be contacted. Click on "Panic Disorder Severity Scale - Self Report (PDSS-SR)" to download a PDF of this excellent assessment measure