A Wonderful World

      Our minds are extremely powerful. Our brain and body are connected, it’s an energy, and we can change our physical world by changing thoughts and beliefs. It begins with what our brain perceives and because we are in control of our thoughts, we can control our perception. How we perceive things directly effects how we think, which then effects how we respond and behave. It’s a cycle. Thoughts create feelings. Feelings create behaviour. Behaviour reinforces thoughts. Our bodies are direct products of our minds, though we can often mask it externally, our body holds on to and is effected by how the mind thinks. So if we take care of the thoughts, the feelings and behaviours can be altered as a consequence. This is the strategy behind cognitive behaviour therapy. We’re able to take back control of our whole being. One of the thoughts or feelings of course being ‘stress’, we often feel stressed because of how we think about something rather than how things actually are...

                                                  UNDERSTANDING STRESS AND OUR RESPONSE ‘Stress’ is a physical, mental or emotional factor that cause bodily or mental tension. At times this response is necessary. When we are faced with a potential threat, stress can initiate the ‘fight or flight’ response, which is our body’s involuntary response to help prepare us for any necessary action that may need to be taken in order to survive.  When our brains perceive what they believe to be a threat, this response and our alertness is activated, our breathing and heart rate increases, hormones adrenaline and cortisol are released, blood flows away from where it’s not needed to assist muscles and the heart. As this response is initiated, we can take action. Ultimately, stress is what happens when our equilibrium is disturbed by what we call ‘a stressor’, this ‘stres...

                                                Channel 4 returns with another powerful piece of television. New drama ‘Help’ centres itself around the Coronavirus pandemic in its height as it first emerged in 2020. The two hour long drama is set in a fictional care home in Liverpool in the spring, and follows a carer (Jodie Comer) as she bonds with a patient (Stephen Graham), as the pandemic hits she is put to the test in horrific circumstances. This vital one off television creation shares insight into the impact Coronavirus had on care homes during its initial onset and looks at the undervalued care workers whose job was to keep the patients going. Its necessity comes with its strength at shining a light on the hard work and voices of those that continued to work and care during such a difficult and uncertain time, recognising how important the work is that thes...

      After shedding light on the impact of Suranne Jones’ performance and the harrowing storyline shared in Episode 1 ‘I am Victoria’, I wanted to touch upon the other two episodes in the series. ‘I am’ is a mini-series on Channel 4, made up of three episodes with different casts tackling challenges and taboo topics faced throughout womanhood that are all emotionally raw, thought-provoking and personal. As addressed in a previous blog, episode one takes us through Victoria’s journey as she’s pushed towards a breakdown. The powerful performances, Dominic Savage’s detailed direction and step to bring such a sensitive subject matter to screen has been praised across the nation. It’s proven to be a success, Episode 2 and 3 haven’t been a disappointment either, they’ve continued to have a huge impact on viewers and the conversations had around women, wellbeing and taboo topics. Episode 2 ‘I am Danielle’, delves into consent, relationships and boundaries. Danielle is playe...

                                                             JW 'Creative' Development should be JW 'Essential' Development. 'Without each other, discussion and entertainment, life can feel pretty meaningless. That's why I think it's so important to be able to communicate effectively and make the most of the power of speech.' It's no secret that the Coronavirus pandemic has impacted our daily lives globally. Amongst the many shifts we've had to make and changes we've had to face, as both a collective society and individuals, we've had to restrict our contact with others. While in lockdown we're limited to our own support bubbles and for the brief time that we experienced between them, although we may have been able to rejoice in small groups, the 2m distancing rule remained. Luckily technology allows us to remain in contact with those...

                                                   'Taking a minute to reflect on how you're getting on, can help you cope when getting through.' Amidst the news, current affairs and global pandemic, despite being stuck in our homes it can often feel we're stuck on a hamster wheel. Whether that's physically or not, it can certainly have an effect on us mentally. With a lot of unknown regarding when lockdown will end and specifics surrounding definite deadlines, vaccinations and transmission rates, our minds may be finding it difficult to switch off. Whilst it's helpful to take a minute to stay updated, it's just as important to take a minute for yourself. Just you. No kids, no news, no work, no social media or external distraction. Allowing yourself to just be with you and you thoughts to really tune into how you're feeling. With an inability to meet up with ...