Mentally OK

16/03/2022

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/mental-health-problems-upsurge-during-pandemic-41440940.html

More people sought help from counsellors for anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and relationship problems in the second year of the pandemic compared with the first, a survey of mental health professionals has found.

27/01/2022

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/playdates-handshakes-and-hugs-how-to-navigate-the-new-new-normal-41282219.html

Are we there yet ?

Last week’s easing of Covid-related restrictions birthed its own succinct Twitter hashtag: . The relief and happiness of government officials tasked with delivering the news certainly led most of us to believe the darkest days are behind us.

06/12/2021

https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/1c78681e-en/index.html?itemId=/content/publication/1c78681e-en

A longish but very interesting article on how Schooling/Education has been effected by the Covid 19 Pandemic up to June 2020.

06/12/2021

https://borgenproject.org/mental-health-in-ireland/

The statistics of mental health in Ireland are one of the highest in Europe. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the state of mental health in Ireland.

05/12/2021

https://www.independent.ie/world-news/coronavirus/esri-research-shows-fear-is-most-powerful-predictor-of-behaviour-in-pandemic-41119389.html

How our feelings and fear can influence our behaviour during this much longer than anticipated pandemic. It once again underlines how we need to concentrate on the day ahead of us and to attempt to steer and manage what we can control and not get dragged into fretting about elements that are not under our control.

The longer the pandemic goes on the more likely society will bear long-term “scarring” from its impact. That’s according to Professor Pete Lunn of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

03/12/2021

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2021/11/30/omicron-covid-variant-causes-anxiety-6-tips-help-you-cope/8808029002/

It may feel like we are back to where we were but remember we have more knowledge and experience and thank God vaccines. This situation calls on your resilience to focus on today and the things that you can control. This means managing your thoughts and not letting them run into catastrophic thinking. Think today , think what to do now , maybe do some breathing for those worrying feelings , have a walk , call a trusted friend who can offer balance or even turn on that series you like and take time out. We have a way to go yet , but you know you have made it this far !!"

In recent days, the\u00a0media has been flooded with the news of omicron –\u00a0 a new coronavirus variant. If you have anxiety, you're not alone. How to cope.

30/11/2021

https://youtu.be/j-1n3KJR1I8

For those with asthma shorten the hold to a count of 3 and try to exhale as long as you can.

4-7-8 Breathing is a simple and calming Breathing Exercise to help calm a busy mind, 478 acts as a simple mindfulness meditation to help us get out of our ow...

30/11/2021

https://www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-indo-daily/the-indo-daily-omicron-and-covid-anxiety-everything-you-need-to-know-41100685.html

It is disheartening and an ongoing challenge to deal with all the unknowns around Covid .This is a strong trigger for those with Anxiety and any type of Compulsive Thinking problems. The bottom line is to focus on what you can think and do today , in the next hour or even the next 15 minutes . Slow or 478 Breathing is really good when the worry piles up in unhelpful thoughts. Sometimes it's hard to think your way out of worries and anxiety so turn to the knowledge of your body to breathe your way through these tough times.

The new Omicron variant has sent us into a frenzy, but do we need to panic?

15/11/2021

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/there-has-been-no-period-like-it-in-our-history-the-mental-health-toll-of-the-pandemic-1212243.html

The president-elect of the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) says there has been up to a 25 per cent increase in referrals to mental health services.

10/11/2021

https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/wellness-mental-health-lockdown-covid-5545953-Sep2021/

Really interesting article on how COVID has effected our mental wellbeing but also how the 18month Lockdown and lack of social connection has impacted self confidence and basic social skills. Mental Health is not about the presence or absence of a mental health diagnosis but rather how we emotionally navigate and behave in our daily lives. COVID turned our normal upside down so it makes sense that this world event has made huge demands on our mental wellbeing.

Dr Stephen McWilliams says mental health difficulties should be taken into consideration as we emerge from the past 18 months of trauma.

20/10/2021

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40725438.html

Between the closure of schools in March 2020 and late June of last year, the Childline website experienced an increase in users of more than 100%.