Difficulties with self-esteem is a challenge for many if not most girls and young women in this world. We live in a culture obsessed with diet and wellness culture and our mainstream media is super saturated with images of idealised beauty standards and messages about the importance of appearance. We encourage our girls to be ‘anything they want’ but we also tell them to avoid being ‘bossy’. Gender stereotypes are rife, perfectionism is celebrated and risk taking is discouraged. Research tells us that from the very young age of 8 years, a girl’s self-esteem starts to deteriorate. So, in the face of all this complexity, how do we help our girls to build and maintain their self-esteem?

Feeling angry is a normal part of the human experience, and a particularly normal part of being a parent. All parents get angry now and again and there are a multitude of reasons why.

Starting therapy, whether it is the first time or with someone new, can be a daunting process. It is really normal to find it difficult to open up to someone and to start building trust. It is also really normal to have doubts and worries about whether therapy will actually help.

Holidays are amazing for so many reasons.

The opportunity to explore somewhere new, the opportunity to escape the winter and chase some warmer weather, the opportunity to relax and switch off, the opportunity to immerse yourself in a different culture, the opportunity to meet new people, learn, enjoy. The list could go on. Going on a holiday is really exciting, and is a privilege.

Something people don’t really discuss though, is going on a holiday can also be anxiety provoking.

They say that we are creatures of habit, but why can we be so terrible at establishing habits that can be helpful for us? How many times have you said to yourself that you’re going to start to do something only to have it fail?

Theodore Roosevelt famous quote: “comparison is the thief of joy” is still so relevant in today’s world. In fact, I think it’s likely relevant now more than ever, especially in the age of social media. Comparison is something we engage in often as people. We compare ourselves to others constantly so we don’t “fall behind the pack”. We can also engage in comparisons so that we can feel motivated to improve ourselves for the better and to strive for more. We can also engage in comparisons in unhelpful ways. For example we can start to compare ourselves to people who are worse off than we are to feel better about ourselves, we can start to criticize ourselves for not being as good or as accomplished as someone else, we can start to feel down and depressed, we can give up on pursuits, or worse, we don’t even bother trying in the first place. Comparisons can be harmful and there’s no escaping it sometimes. Whenever you’re scrolling on your phone, you’re likely comparing yourself to what you’re seeing even if you’re not aware of it. So how do we manage comparisons, especially when we find that it’s crippling us and stealing away our joy?