January 23, 2022

Wellbeing and the Power of Scent

January 23, 2022/ Rachel Tomlinson

A smell is not simply a smell, they are portals to ingrained memories. The salty briny smell of the beach, or the aroma of your mother baking muffins in the kitchen, a gentle waft of lavender on the breeze which reminds you of a holiday you once took. Just one small sniff can leave us dizzy with emotions and recollections. When we inhale an aroma, it travels through our nose to something called the olfactory bulb in the brain, the stimulus is then sent off to the amygdala for further processing. The primary role of the amygdala is decision making, memory and emotional responses, and it is part of something called the limbic system. A humans “emotional life” is typically housed within the limbic system which is responsible for our emotional and behavioural responses, heart rate, blood pressure, stress, hormone balance and memory retention.

January 23, 2022

Ecopsychology – Why Being in Nature Makes our Kids Happy

January 23, 2022/ Rachel Tomlinson

In this modern age our children are spending increased amounts of time inside, and in front of screens. This increased indoor activity was prior to the global pandemic which has resulted in potential time spent isolating, lockdown or reduced access to certain activities, so there are even less opportunities to “get out and about”. Spending time outside is not just about fun an exercise for our children, it is an essential and necessary part of their development. So why is being outdoors so beneficical and how can I encourage my child to get outdoors?

May 03, 2020

5 Tips for Helping Your Child to Feel Happy

May 03, 2020/ Rachel Tomlinson

We all want our children to be happy right? Amongst other important things of course, but what are some ways that we can support them to feel happy?

Firstly, let’s be clear that children (or even us adults) cannot be happy all of the time, that’s not the purpose of these tips. We experience a vast range of emotions, all day, every day…which is normal. Besides this we cannot control the feelings we have, all we can do is learn to cope when we experience emotions that dont “feel good” or are uncomfortable. We can also focus on certain behaviours that are more likely to encourage your child to notice and appreciate the moments in their world that make them feel happy or positive.

March 15, 2020

9 Tips for Speaking to your Kids about the Corona Virus (COVID-19)

March 15, 2020/ Rachel Tomlinson

Lots of people are pretty fearful right now about the Corona (COVID-19) virus. We are constantly being inundated with information about the virus; whether that be on the news or social media, its dominating conversations, or we see the empty shelves at our local supermarket and worry. Many parents are looking for reassurance and strategies to support their children at this time. Although I’m writing in response to the Corona virus pandemic, these strategies can be applied to any “big” event happening in your community that might impact on you and your child; like natural disasters and other health issues etc.

March 07, 2019

What Purpose do Feelings Have?

March 07, 2019/ Rachel Tomlinson

Psychologist Rachel Tomlinson explains the purpose of feelings and why it is important not to avoid them. Feeling and accepting your emotions gives you a sense of control and self-efficacy that you can manage them and can help them from feeling overwhelming.