Yana Tushingham Psychology, Exeter (2026)

Q: What is the website?

https://yanatushinghampsychology.com/

03/02/2026

ADHD tips that actually work for most 🧠
 ✅ Systems that do the thinking:

⏱️ If you can’t SEE time, it’s fake Visual timers = instant upgrade

🧩 Make the task stupidly small “Open laptop” counts. We celebrate that.

🔥 Bored whilst doing a task? Add chaos (the good kind) Music. Movement. Snacks. Body-doubling.

🧍‍♂️ Move first. Think later. Brains work better after bodies do stuff.

🏍️ A novel activity can boost mood.
Balancing routine tasks with a sprinkle of novel activities can increase dopamine levels. For example, going to a new cafe to do work, or going on a quad bike 👀

🗂️ Decide once, not 47 times Routines > daily debates with yourself

💬 Be nice to your brain Shame kills motivation. Compassion fuels it.

🛠️ Design for low-energy days If it only works on good days, it doesn’t work.

👉 ADHD brains aren’t broken — they’re just running different softwares. Change your lifestyle so ADHD can be a strength 💿✨😎

29/01/2026

“I’ll feel better when…”
 When I go on holiday. When I lose weight. When I work less.
when I get a better job…

We often tie our wellbeing to external changes.
 And yes — changing circumstances can help, and some more than others depending on the situation.

But here’s the bit we miss 👇
 External change alone rarely fixes everything.

Why?
 Because we don’t experience life as it is — we experience it through our mind.

If your thinking leans toward negativity, catastrophising, or self-criticism, even “good” situations can still feel heavy or not enough.

Same situation. Different interpretation. Very different emotional outcome.

So what actually helps?

🧠 Notice & challenge biased thoughts:
 CBT shows that grounding thoughts in facts (not assumptions/our perspective) reduces anxiety and low mood. Ask: What do I know for sure? What are the facts here? What is my opinion?

🧠 Stop fighting your mind:
 Trying to suppress thoughts backfires. Acceptance (ACT, mindfulness) = less struggle, less suffering, which gives our thoughts less power to control our emotions, and therefore our behaviours.

And yes — making these changes actually alter your brain, when practiced 🧐:
 • strengthens regulation centres • calms the threat system • builds new neural pathways over time

You’re not “just thinking differently.” You’re literally changing your brain.

This is why the ‘rich’/high performing people often say the reason for their success is their mindset. For instance, their strong work ethic is often just as strong from their first job to their current role.

💬 Sometimes the goal isn’t to wait for life to change — it’s to change how your mind meets life.

P.s. this is a picture of a sunrise I took this week. Some would say it’s pretty, average, or rubbish.

What would you say it is?

Is your thinking bias getting in the way of your thinking? 🌅

27/12/2025

Breaking the stigma of therapy.

You don’t need to hit rock bottom to benefit from therapy.

Feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected from yourself are just a few reasons to attend therapy/coaching.

Therapy can be a space to understand patterns, reduce stress, and make changes before things reach breaking point 🌷 😌 🌊

15/12/2025

Raw footage of my run this morning at 6:30am 🌧️

I do this every week and have done for years, alongside other forms of exercise. Consistency really is key.

Yes, I do it for my physical health — but my main driver is to train my brain.

I’m training my brain to do hard things when I don’t want to, because that’s life, and that’s unavoidable.

For example, on my run today it was raining so I held my hood up by holding the strings throughout the whole run (personally, this was annoying), I stepped in a puddle and had wet feet, my music constantly paused and played by itself due to the rain making my earphones temperamental. BUT, I kept running! It’s the underlying principle which is important to note here…

I kept going despite adversity.

Doing these routines regularly has built and maintained my determination, drive, resilience in adverse situations, self-esteem, and both physical and mental growth. These are such important protective factors when it comes to developing mental health difficulties.

This isn’t just exercise — it positively reflects in different areas of my life, such as pushing myself out of my comfort zone at work, in social situations, hobbies, and personal projects.

This doesn’t make me immune to life stressors, but it does allow me to handle situations in a healthier way, benefiting me in the long term. Having the best possible reaction across different life situations, on repeat, slowly but surely, creates the life I want to lead.

P.S. My runs aren’t always this miserable and wet — there’s hope! ☀️

Happy Monday 🌟🪴

29/11/2025

Come visit me at Exmouth Pure Gym Xmas Market 🎅🏽 PRIZES TO BE WON!!🏆

16/11/2025

🌟 Adult ADHD:

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition caused by differences in brain networks involved in attention, impulse control, and executive functioning.

🔬 What Causes ADHD?

* Strong genetic links
* Differences in prefrontal cortex and reward pathways
* Irregular dopamine & noradrenaline activity
* Early developmental factors (e.g., prematurity)
* Stress/trauma don’t cause ADHD but can intensify symptoms

🔍 How ADHD Shows Up in Adult Life

* Difficulty organising, planning, prioritising
* Time blindness & task paralysis
* Mind-wandering or forgetting details
* Switching between hyperfocus and distraction
* Emotional sensitivity & overwhelm
* Impulsive decisions or overspending
* Messy spaces, losing things, inconsistent routines
* Burnout from masking

💬 How Therapy Helps

* Practical tools for planning, routines & time management
* Support with emotional regulation & rejection sensitivity
* Psychoeducation to reduce shame and build self-understanding

💊 How Medication Helps

* Stimulants increase dopamine & noradrenaline for improved focus and control
* Non-stimulants support attention and emotional regulation
* Many adults describe medication as helping them use the abilities they already have

19/10/2025

School days 🤓 📕

I have recently added to my therapy toolkit to provide to clients!! This being….

Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT)!!

ACT allows us to increase our psychological flexibility, allowing us to live a meaningful life, despite our pains and difficulties.

This approach has been useful for my own self growth, and can be useful for many others with a variety of difficulties 🌟

If you would like support to manage your anxiety, depression, or general negative thoughts or feelings that may be on repeat for you… contact me to determine suitability ☎️ 📧📱

16/09/2025

Here are a few of my favourite mindful exercises to use when I feel overwhelmed by emotions or thoughts:

Five Senses Check-In 👀 🤲 👂 👃😋
* Take a slow breath in and out.
* Say, “I am having the thought/emotion of X”
* Notice (as appropriate):
* 5 things you can see
* 4 things you can feel (touch)
* 3 things you can hear
* 2 things you can smell
* 1 thing you can taste
* Keep breathing slowly as you move through each sense.

Mindful Walking 🚶‍♀️
* Breathe in for 3 steps, out for 3 steps.
* As you walk, pay attention to the feel of your feet on the ground, sounds around you, and the movement of air on your skin.
* Gently bring your mind back if it wanders.

01/09/2025

What do you worry about? 😣😖

Use The Worry Tree to see what you can do about it… 🌲 ⬅️

23/08/2025

Hello 🌟 I’m Yana, a Life Coach (in the U.K.)/Australian psychologist, offering the below services 🌱
Please contact me via my website to make a booking, or message me on messenger to find out more! 📞 https://yanatushinghampsychology.com

23/08/2025

🌊 Don’t Let Your Thoughts Be the Boss

Sometimes our minds tell us things that feel so true… ➡️ “I can’t do this.” ➡️ “Everyone will laugh at me.” ➡️ “I’ll mess it up anyway.”

But here’s the thing: thoughts are just words your brain comes up with. You don’t always have to listen.

✨ A simple trick:
* Add “My mind is telling me…” before the thought. 👉 “My mind is telling me I can’t do this.”
* Say it in a silly voice.
* Or try the leaves on a stream exercise: 🪷 Close your eyes, picture a stream, and place each thought on a leaf. Let it float by, then return your focus to what matters.

💡 Now you get to choose based on what matters to you:
* If you value growth → share your idea, even if your mind says “You’ll embarrass yourself.”
* If you value health → move your body, even if your mind says “You’re too tired.”
* If you value connection → show up for a friend, even if your mind says “You’ll say the wrong thing.”

🌱 You don’t have to get rid of unhelpful thoughts. You just don’t have to let them drive the car. 🚗

15/08/2025

ADHD in Relationships Looks Like…
 🌀 Forgetting the convo, remembering the feeling. ❤️ Big emotions — love hard, cry fast. 📱 5 unfinished texts but you’re always on our mind. 🗣️ Interrupting? Not rude, just excited. 🧠 Hyperfocus now, distracted 3 minutes later.

It’s not always easy, but it’s deep, real, and never boring.
 ADHD love = chaotic good. 💥

Tag your person who rides the wave with you 🌊
 

Yana Tushingham Psychology

03/02/2026

29/01/2026

27/12/2025

15/12/2025

29/11/2025

16/11/2025

19/10/2025

16/09/2025

01/09/2025

23/08/2025

23/08/2025

15/08/2025

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