Men’s Mental Health Month

Everybody’s #mentalhealth is of course important all year-round, but as November is Men’s Mental Health Month, I thought it would be a good opportunity to talk about this some more.

You’ve probably heard of #Movember and all the crazy facial hair experiments that come with it (I know I’ve been involved myself in the past!) but did you know it has funded over 1,320 projects round the world? It’s raised awareness of such diseases as prostate cancer and testicular cancer, but has also helped raise awareness of mental health issues too, one of these being suicide. Men are statistically less likely to seek help than women, and when we consider that men count for 75 per cent of suicides in the UK, that’s a truly sobering statistic.

I talk a lot in my blog posts about the importance of talking about our problems and also the importance of getting out in nature. It’s one of the reasons why I feel that walk and talk #therapy is an ideal way to experience both. It’s perhaps no coincidence that my clients when I’m working in this way tend to be male. Men can often find it easier to talk side-by-side than face to face, and walk and talk therapy is a great way to facilitate that.

If you’d like to find out more about how I work just get in contact to arrange a free, no obligation consultation call.

A Season for Change?

Seasonal transition always brings with it talk of change, and this time of year with the arrival of autumn, it’s often about saying goodbye to the carefree summer and preparing for colder, darker nights and the gradual descent into winter.

Summer can for some people be a time where they put our issues on hold, focussing on enjoying their holidays and (hopefully) making the most of the better weather by getting outdoors. Of course, when there’s something more pressing we need to work through, we find help as soon as we can, but often, with more long-term life issues, autumn can be a time for focussing on addressing what’s on our mind before the seasonal festivities take over our lives for another year.

Autumn walk and talk counselling sessions are a great way to do this, because the change is all around in nature and creates a colourful backdrop to your session. Because the days are cooler and quite often rainier, there’s less of an incentive to get out on your own and get that dose of the outdoors that’s been proven to improve your well-being. So, knowing you’re getting out there for a counselling session could be just the incentive you need, because you’ll be helping to improve your mental health as well as your physical health.

So if you feel it’s time to take that step and talk through your problems, just drop me an email at simon@insideandoutside.uk and we can arrange a free, no obligation consultation.

Happy Holidays?

When I’m working with bereaved and pre-bereaved people, the idea of making memories comes up in our sessions quite a lot. So too do the memories themselves, and those are quite often ones made on holidays in the client’s past. After all, it’s the time when we are escaping the daily grind for a couple of weeks, spending quality time together and, well, making memories.

The first summer after the death of a loved one can be a very difficult time for the bereaved. It could remind them of the fact that they won’t be going on holiday again with the person who has died and suddenly, the world seems full of happy couples all escaping to sunnier climes. It can also be a difficult time for those who have suffered other losses, such as the loss of a career which provided them with the income to afford the holiday they wanted, or a disability or illness which has made it impossible for them to travel overseas any more.

I also hear people talk about friends being reluctant to speak to them after a loss – perhaps it’s fear of saying the wrong thing, or not knowing what to say. It’s important to remember that the person who has suffered the death of a loved one has already been through a very traumatic experience. Offering to spend a little time with them over the summer, even if it is just asking them to go out for a coffee, will never be ‘the wrong thing’. It’s also important to support them if they feel like they want to share some of the memories they’ve made on previous holidays, because it is a natural part of the grieving process.

If you want a non-judgemental space to talk about your loss, or whatever else is troubling you, please don’t hesitate to get in contact.

Keeping Men’s Health in Mind

June 10-16 is Men’s Health Week and with it comes the sobering statistic that 80 per cent of suicides are by men. It’s true that awareness about men’s mental health and the stigma surrounding it is growing, but it’s also true that it takes a long time to spread that awareness and for its effect to be felt.

Figures are particularly high in traditionally male-dominated industries such as construction, goods haulage and farming, with workers from all these sectors reporting high levels of anxiety and poor mental health.

These industries continue to be associated with long hours and often very little or no interaction with colleagues, but that doesn’t mean that poor mental health is restricted to jobs like this. Poor mental health has the potential to affect anyone, no matter what their walk of life. That’s why it’s always important to check up with friends, especially if you haven’t heard from them for a while. The same goes for your colleagues too. “I’m good thanks” quite often doesn’t really mean that.

I offer walk and talk counselling in my local area to everyone, but a large number of my clients are men, who feel that talking side by side rather than face to face has been an effective way to help them open up. If you feel that now is a good time to talk, just get in contact with me to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation call.

Get moving for Mental Health Awareness Week

It’s #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek and the theme this year is movement. As I’ve said on my blog posts a number of times in the past, physical activity is good for our mental health, beneficial to our wellbeing and of course, helps us to keep healthy too.

This doesn’t mean dusting off your forgotten running shoes or even buying new ones, because any exercise is better than none, and even if you’re not a runner, getting out for a walk in the fresh air is a great place to start. Of course, setting yourself running goals is good, even if you’re a beginner, with lots of initiatives such as Couch to 5k and park runs to help you get moving.

But what links physical and mental health? Well, one key statistic is that regular physical activity can reduce the risk of depression by 30 per cent, and with depression being one of the most common issues people often seek out therapy for, there’s a clear link there.

Combing that physical activity with a counselling session is something I’m passionate about, which is why I offer walk and talk therapy in my local area. So if you have an issue that you’d like to talk about, but prefer the idea of holding your session outdoors, in nature while getting a little exercise too, just get in contact to arrange a free, no obligation consultation call.

Settling into spring

Celebrated Lake District fell walker Alfred Wainwright once said “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing”. And, while I’ve continued to hold walk and talk therapy sessions throughout the winter months in all weathers and in the evenings too, there’s something reassuring about knowing that my clients can now enjoy an evening session as the spring sun is just starting to set, or in the day, with the flowers blooming and signs of nature coming back to life all around.

Walk and talk sessions aren’t just about being in amongst nature and taking in its natural benefits though. They’re also a great option if you’re the type of person who thinks and talks better on the move, or maybe you just don’t like the idea of sitting in a room to talk about what’s troubling you?

If you’re not sure whether a walk and talk session is right for you, I offer a free, no obligation telephone consultation where you can find out more about how I work and ask any questions. I also answer some of the most-asked questions on my FAQ page, so be sure to take a look.

It’s important to know that I work on a session-by-session basis, so there’s no commitment from you to pay up front. We can talk openly and honestly about how many sessions you want and when you’d like to hold them. So if you’re ready to talk, I’m ready to listen. Give me a call today on 07941 262711 or email me at simon@insideandoutside.uk to book your consultation call today.

Memories on Mother’s Day

At the time of writing, it’s Mother’s Day. It is of course a good opportunity to celebrate everything our mothers have done and continue to do for us. It can also be a difficult time for those of us who have lost our mothers, either recently or in the past.

It’s also important to understand that for some people have another relative who has taken on many of the roles expected of a mother, another relative, whether that be through circumstance or necessity.

Whether we lost our mothers in childhood or adulthood, the day can bring with it a lot of emotions and how it affects us can depend on those circumstances. Does growing up without a mother feel different than reflecting on a lifetime of memories you shared? Of course it does. The point is, loss is a complicated feeling and it’s important to be mindful of how losing their mother can affect someone.

If you’ve lost someone close to you either recently or in the past, talking abut your losses through counselling can help. Sometimes, it’s as simple as speaking to someone who isn’t a family member, someone who didn’t go through their own grieving process for the same person.

So if you feel like you need to talk, I’m here to listen.

Healthy body, healthy mind

Come January, we’re bombarded with positivity messages and talk of new year’s resolutions, new starts and everything else. If Christmas was tough and we’re struggling to feel that motivation, January can be a difficult month to tackle.

Getting fit is something that inevitably crops up in new year’s talk but it doesn’t mean shelling out for an expensive gym membership or buying expensive equipment. Running is a simple way to keep fit and indeed, healthy body, healthy mind may be a cliché but there’s certainly a lot of truth in it. Whether you’ve got a specific problem that you need to chew over, want to prioritise your daily to-do list, or just need a little me-time for some good-old contemplation, running is great for tackling stress and clearing the mind.

If you don’t feel like you’re up to a run just yet, plain old walking is good for your health too. It’s something you can be doing while thinking things over. Not only are you guaranteed to be free from the distractions of screens and devices, but you’ll be improving your fitness too. Keep at it, and you’ll start to feel healthier. Feel healthier and you’ll start to feel more positive. Feel more positive, and your mental health will improve. It’s a simple symbiotic relationship that works.

Sometimes though, you need to talk about your problems as well as think them over. That’s why I offer walk and talk counselling in Chorley. It combines fitness and the healing power of nature with a counselling session, giving you a non-judgemental space to talk about your issue. If you want to find out more, just get in touch.

When Christmas is tough

Christmas is upon us again and though it’s a time that’s associated with celebration, spending time with loved ones and making happy memories, it can also be a difficult and emotional time. It can of course be particularly difficult for anyone who is grieving or recently bereaved – one of a number of ‘firsts’ that we hold in our minds, certainly for the first year after our loss. Even if we’re thinking back to losses longer ago, Christmas can have a habit of bringing some melancholic feelings back.

Whether you’re facing your first Christmas without someone very close to you or you just find the festive period a difficult time, talking about your feelings is always useful. It can be hard to offload or open our hearts to even our closest friend at any time, but at Christmas, we’re extra-conscious of how busy things are for them, and feel like we’ll be ‘putting on them’ if we reach out.

And, even if we have the support of friends and family at Christmas and we’re carried along by their presence, after the festivities are over, we can often feel the loss of our loved ones once again.

The walk and talk therapy I offer gives you a non-judgemental and confidential space to talk about your bereavement, whether it’s recent or more historic. Find out more about counselling in Chorley, or online by getting in contact with me.

Adjusting to Autumn

Even though we had a late flourish of sun this September, all the usually signs that autumn is around the corner are here. Whether it’s an influx of TV advertising, talk of Christmas party planning or just that extra chill in the air, the ending of seasons can seem to creep up on us and often leave us with a feeling of being unprepared.

Autumn of course brings with it some darker nights, which as well as leaving us less time to get things done in the day, gives us less chance to get some vitamin D too. Through the spring and summer, just being outside can give most of us all the vitamin D we need, but come autumn and winter, that’s a lot tougher so we need to be eating the right foods and taking vitamin supplements if we need to.

OK, so you may be thinking that getting out in the chilly air, or even snow and rain is the last thing you want to do as the temperatures start to drop, especially if it can’t help with vitamin D! But the truth is, just getting outside can always be beneficial. As well as giving you some extra exercise, just and hour’s walk in the park can give you some much needed fresh air and some time to think as well.

I continue to offer walk and talk counselling in Chorley throughout the autumn and winter months, but changeable weather and darker nights come with their own concerns. With that in mind, I like to tell all my clients that I offer virtual online sessions from a confidential space within my home, should they feel like they don’t wish to attend on a dark and rainy night.

Person-centred therapy is all about the relationship, and I’m keen for that counselling relationship to continue, whatever the weather may have in store!

If you’d like to find out more about walk and talk counselling in Chorley, just get in contact.