Good quality sleep allows us to empty the 'spam' folder and make space for what matters., file things away and properly recharge. Get natural light as as soon as possible after you wake (15 mins). This sets your body's time clocks and makes a difference to how you sleep that night. Try to wake and sleep up at the same time each day. Aim to be in bed by 10pm when possible - hours before midnight help most. In the hour before bed, reduce light, avoid devices and cool the room temperature 1-2 degrees more than is comfortable Reduce caffeine, alcohol, and avoid high fat foods or an overly full stomach. If you overthink in bed, schedule space to consider the day well before bed. Don't do this immediately before bed. It fires up the part of the brain that overthinks! Avoid prolonged use of sleep aids. Try a mediation app such as Calm, Headspace set on a sleep timer.

Psychological Safety is a shared belief held by members of a team that it’s OK to take risks, to express their ideas and concerns, to speak up with questions, and to admit mistakes — all without fear of negative consequences. Here are some phrases that help to promote it. I’m not sure I’ve covered all the bases We may not get this 100% right straight away You care about this company, what are your thoughts? If there was a flaw in my thinking, what might it be? What concerns might others have if we saw it through their eyes? What might the change look or feel like from X lab's perspective? How is everyone feeling about this? If you had to give me some advice... Has anyone got any feedback, even if it feels hard to raise? Is anyone comfortable to share what we might we be missing? What are 3 strengths with the plan so far, and let’s think about 3 possible weaknesses or blindspots Tell me more... Reinforce when people are vulnerable, honest or show courage speaking up.. "It can't have been easy to raise that" What would we do if we had our time again? What’s on your mind? We will make mistakes. 'What did we learn this week?' a regular agenda item Don't infer people should 'all be on the same page' Changing your mind or sharing a mistake is strength, not weakness Ask for setbacks and challenges, not just good news Celebrate and acknowledge learning as well as achievements Welcome questions.

Relationships are rewarding, but not easy. Balancing what is best individually, as well as what feels best for the relationship can be tough. These tips from our psychologists can be a good start: It’s hard to have a positive relationship with a partner if we don’t first have a positive relationship with ourselves. Self criticism, self doubt, or not being clear on our own wellbeing, values and boundaries makes it hard to build a strong foundation for a relationship. Finding the right amount of time together can be hard. Not taking the time will ultimately make life even harder. If it’s not always practical to get out together, schedule deliberate time to be off devices and present. Be curious. Questions like “What are you most looking forward to?” “What’s on your mind?” “Does anything about the project surprise you?” Relationships are a collection of small gestures that all add up. Be kind wherever you can and don’t wait for the big moments. Disagreements are normal. Listen and acknowledge your partner’s view. Keep it to what the discussion is about instead of bringing up the past, and focus on behaviours. “You didn’t check in with me” rather than judgements “You don’t care about me”. Scale of 1-10, how much do you like how you have been in the relationship? Ask your partner to answer the same question for themselves? Now both plot how you feel about the relationship? What is one small next step to have you both rate it 1 point higher. Communicate. Negative emotion, unchecked rarely goes away. You don’t have to have the answers, just share what’s on your mind. Seeing a Psychologist is like seeing a Personal Trainer, but for your relationship. It’s worth taking the time to get it right.

Most of us will experience low mood, if not depression, at some point. here are some tips for getting back on track. Increase exposure to natural sunlight - starting as soon as you wake. Start by improving sleep by 30 minutes per night. Sleep quality is a big part of mood. Sleep tips as a priority Reduce alcohol. Although it can feel like it helps you relax, alcohol increases irrational thoughts, interrupts your body's sleep cycle and is a depressant. Exercise. Even small amounts of movement improves mood - especially if you can get outside with nature Factor in time each day for being in the moment. It might be a dog walk, colouring, music or watering a plant. If tasks feel too overwhelming, set small achievable goals such as 5 emails, or clearing dishes in the sink. Achieving small steps closes a loop that increases motivation. Social connection is important. Choose people who add to your energy and don't deplete it. Mood tends to get lowest when our thoughts are focused on things that are in the past, outside our control, or when we play ‘if only’. It’s the equivalent pouring water in a bucket that has a hole in it. If mood doesn’t improve, or you’ve had periods like this before, booking an appointment with your GP or psychologist is a good next step.

Life is full of competing demands. Our ability to choose our focus is at the heart of a happy, productive life. There’s no such thing as multi tasking. We have one torch light, and wave it between tasks. Focus is tied most closely to visual field. Declutter your desk, remove distractions such as pop ups, or if you are focusing on a relationship, remove anything that will compete for your attention. Be intentional. “What needs the benefit of my focus most right now?” When you are tempted to distract yourself with your phone or email, remind yourself that resisting urge for even another 30 seconds each time starts to retrain the brain Warm up to quality focus time by putting an X on a post it note on the wall in front of you. Practise focus for 3 minutes without moving your gaze. Set time limited periods of focus and be realistic. 90 minute blocks at most. Depending on how used to caffeine you are, 100-200mgs, 30 minutes before focused is required tends to work best. Take ‘low cost’ opportunities to practise maintaining focus, such as looking at only one character on the screen if watching TV. If you are up for it, take a cold shower or cold exposure within an hour of focus time. Focus is most effective when slightly fasted rather than when full.

Coaching is precious time together, and the questions you ask can make all the difference. Here are some suggestions: What's on your mind? What needs to happen for this meeting to be helpful today? I trust what you are doing and don't need updating on everything... What I am interested in knowing is what keeps you up at night right now? What is the hardest thing on your list? What does a solution look like? When people are problem focused, flip it to "Tell me what you'd like the relationship to look like instead?" What are the options/possible ways to achieve that? Scale 1-10 what needs to happen for you to feel that you are dealing with the issue even 1 point higher than you are now? How clear are you on the decision we should make [with that facility]? 10% sure? 40% sure? What do you think is realistic to expect? Are you holding any assumptions that might need a recheck? What are your barriers and what's a small first step? What's your confidence level that you can get through this? You've probably faced setbacks like this before in your career, what did you learn? Is there anything that might be difficult to say? When will you know you've done all you can? What did you like about the way you handled that? If I was going to challenge you on anything in your work. what should/would it be? I notice you saying things are fine, yet you look frustrated.... Could you help me understand that?

Delegation is not an “all or nothing” practice, and an important time management strategy. I’ll lead the process. You can shadow and observe to get more comfortable. Look into / read through this for me and give me a background briefing that we can discuss. Look into this and give me your advice or a recommended plan of action and I’ll decide. Explore, set out a plan and check back with me. We can decide together. Scope out a plan and give me your recommendation before you act, but the decision will be yours. Explore, decide, and act within certain conditions (eg within budget or risk matrix). Let me know how it went and what you learned. This is yours now. Go for it and check in if you need.

Anxiety in many ways is a normal part of life. When it impacts ability to sleep, enjoy life or be at our best, these tips can help. Limit caffeine to 2-3 drinks per day Reduce alcohol. It can feel helpful but it’s a wildfire to worry Improving sleep is important to help with perspective and to increase more rational thought Observe your thoughts like they were on a projector screen. Gently edit the wording. Eg “He/She doesnt like me” might become “I’m not sure what they are thinking.” Sort worries into 3 buckets. - 1) What is within my control? 2)What I can influence but not control? 3) What is outside my control? Exercise with mid range effort - a slow jog or walk is good Focus on breathing. To calm yourself - a long inhalation in, then another short exhalation in (like you are drawing an exclamation mark), followed by a short sharp exhalation. Repeat 3 times. Consider “Where is the evidence for that?” Or “Do I have enough information to worry yet?” Remember that specific strategies are available for specific anxiety types, such as social anxiety, phobias or trauma with good results Chat with your GP or complete a full assessment to understand underlying elements if anxiety persists.

A difficult conversation for some, might not be a difficult conversation for others dependent on previous experiences or what you are concerned is at stake. Considering the following might help to approach these: Act, don’t react. Pause to consider if having a conversation is likely to be helpful, and know what you hope to achieve from it. Take time to prepare when, how and where to have the conversation. If high emotion is present or the issue has been building up, open a blank note and get everything off your chest that you wish you could say even if it’s exaggerated. When you’ve let it spill out, go back and delete the unhelpful parts and try and get it down to a focused message. Curiosity before judgement. “Talk me through what you were feeling during the meeting” instead of “You were unprofessional” Don’t expect agreement or validation. Your role is to do the best you can, in a manner that feels fair and that you are proud of. You cannot control the outcome, only yourself and the process. The most powerful 3 words you can utter in conflict is ‘Tell me more”. Let the other person share their bucket and what’s in it. Even if it is the last thing you feel like, it will de-escalate them and do half the work for you. Express empathy. You don’t need to agree to empathise “This feels like unfair feedback to you…” Use solution-focused language. “I’d like it if in future meetings you were on time and prepared for the presentation before others dial in”. Own your own vulnerabilities, mistakes or regrets If the conversation feels circular, suggest a break and a time to regroup on next steps.

Stress is often considered negative, and something to be avoided. At high levels for long periods, it can cause harm. In general day to day life, however, it is necessary for growth, performance and change. Here are some things to keep in mind. The mindset we have about stress impacts on how we respond to it. People who view stress as a signal for a growth opportunity, increase their ability to perform and have less negative physical and mental health impacts than others. Consider that we all have 20 hurdles (stressors) between now and an Olympic Gold medal! Each one is a challenge to be navigated, taking us one step closer to the finish line. Stress is a signal that we care about something and it matters to us. Eg Wanting to win the job, or deliver the project. It’s a better problem to have than not caring about anything. Language, including self talk, matters. Be precise. Eg Instead of “I’ll never get everything done in time”, change it to “I need to get the first chapter done by Monday”. Avoiding or ignoring hard emotions amplifies them. Acknowledge it with a label. “I’m feeling uncertain about the move”. The minute you do, we lose less ‘battery’ trying to keep it at bay When worry or over-thinking is high, action is best. Walk. Move desks. Set a goal you can achieve in the next 10 minutes. Sleep and physical health is critical. How you slept 1-2 nights prior will often dictate how resilient you are 2 days later. Eat well, exercise and get good quality sleep. Remember, stress will increase proportionately to the amount of time you are focused on things that are outside of your control. Put your chips on something that you can influence. Take an aerial view. Push yourself back from the table or desk and tilt your chin up. Problems are rarely solved by being even more in the problem. In fact, the solution will most likely be outside of it.

Excellence is best described as our the degree to which we are willing to keep reaching 'just outside our present level of proficiency'. There's no better place to put that energy than into increasing self awareness. Try these strategies as often as you can until they become more conscious. 1. Think of 'walking through a door' as if it was a scanner at the airport. Walking into a meeting, in the door at night to your family, or back into your office after a break, check in with 3 emotion labels for how you are feeling (yes - you'll ave to dig deep for the third one but that's the one that matters most!) Ask yourself, if the sound was turned down on my voice and what am I saying, what does my body language and non verbal communication say? What are your earliest signs of being defensive? Instead of shitting people off, use the opportunity to do the opposite and say "Tell me more about that?" Ask for feedback. Choose a few colleagues, your partner or your boss and ask "What's the first sign you see from me that tells you I'm stressed?" Think of a time you didn't love how you managed a situation - perhaps a past relationship, a difficult client, or a disappointment at work. Sit with the discomfort as compassionately as you can. Contemplate the point in the mental 'video clip' at which you'd rewind to and ask how you'd do it differently. Lastly, take a mental transcript of your thought processes at any given time in a day, and ask them if they would be colour coded as green (helpful to the situation), amber (helpful to a degree if you can avoid ruminating about them) or red (unhelpful to solving the problem).

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to understand, use, and manage our own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict. It's a powerful tool that can help us navigate the complexities of social interactions and personal growth. We explore some powerful tips for enhancing our emotional intelligence here.

A growth mindset embodies the belief that our abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication, hard work, and perseverance. It's about embracing challenges, persisting in the face of setbacks, and viewing effort as a path to mastery. This mindset doesn't see failure as a permanent condition but as a stepping stone to learning and growth. Here we share strategies to cultivate this mindset, stories of those who have embraced it to overcome obstacles, and the remarkable changes it can bring about. By understanding and applying the principles of a growth mindset, we can open ourselves to endless possibilities and achieve goals we once thought were out of reach.

Overthinking is one of the greatest challenges for many of us in a world where our minds are always switched on. Here are a few things you should know...

Psychological peak performance is not just about achieving exceptional results; it's about harnessing the full potential of your mind. Just as you train your body to improve physical fitness, you can train your mind for optimal psychological performance. By understanding and implementing effective strategies, you can enhance your focus, resilience, and overall well-being.

Meetings, when conducted effectively, can be powerful tools for collaboration and innovation. By understanding and implementing these practical tips, you can transform your meetings from time-consuming obligations into dynamic opportunities for growth and success.

In today's digital age, our brains are being wired in ways that are fundamentally changing our experiences. From the constant barrage of notifications to the blurring of work and personal life, modern technology is reshaping our communication, attention, sleep, and even our sense of self. Here we explore the seven ways technology is affecting our brains and offer practical strategies to help you navigate these challenges and prioritise your well-being.