Self Growth

Keys to a Career in Psychology

February 1, 2017 by Joi Leave a Comment

If you are looking at psychology jobs you might feel that your goal, whether that’s to be a specialist in a busy, exciting hospital, or have your own bustling private practice is an almost unimaginably long way away.

Fortunately, though it will need a lot of hard work, getting a job as a qualified psychologist requires only a few foundation stones, that we’ll look at today.

Degree Courses

The most direct route to a career in psychology is to follow your A Level studies with a degree course in the subject. It’s important to research different universities before you make your choice: different institutions have varying reputations, not just overall between different subjects. You can find university rankings online, and also research into the student experience and find out if the university is close to a town that provides the nightlife you are interested in, has a sports team you want to join, or a good reputation for extracurricular theatre you want to get involved in.

It’s never too early to start thinking about this: Psychology is a BSc course that will require careful choice in you’re A Levels to make sure you have the qualifications the university wants in its students. Though these vary from institution to institution, there will be some common subjects that will give the best chance at getting onto the best course for you.

Bursaries and scholarships may also be available to help fund your education, so do your research and write to local institutions and councils as well just looking at the university website.

Conversion Course

If you’re approaching the study of psychology later in life, and don’t wish to commit another 3-4 year course of full time study, conversion courses are available at some institutions that can intensively teach the knowledge and skills you’ll need if you’re already qualified to degree level.

Work Experience

Whether you are looking at a degree course or your first jobs in psychology being able to demonstrate work experience is invaluable. It’s not easy to find work experience placements or internships directly in a psychologist’s office or clinic as there few of these positions and they are extremely sought after.

Thinking creatively can be useful here: volunteering with charities like Mind, which focus directly on mental health or with homeless charities like Shelter can get you valuable experience and also demonstrate your interest and commitment to the field.

5 Inspirational Careers You Must Consider

January 25, 2017 by Joi Leave a Comment

When it comes to choosing your life’s work, perhaps you want to do something that can make a difference in the lives of others. Some of us aren’t equipped to be rocket scientists who dream of colonizing life on other planets, but we do have a dream of making life better for the people we come in contact with on a day to day basis. We want to do something that will inspire others to make something of their own lives or perhaps even inspire them to do great things that will make a difference for the world going forward. Here are five inspirational careers you must consider.

1. Teaching in Any Subject

It takes a special person to be a teacher, in any subject and at any grade level. A teacher should always be an inspiration to his or her class and even more than that, a teacher should be the one who finds that rare student who needs encouragement to ‘go somewhere’ or ‘do something.’ Many are lost in the system, but an inspirational teacher will pull out the best in their students, winning more battles than those they lose.

This guide on how to become a teacher will get you on your way to making a difference in student’s lives.

2. Midwifery

One of the very best things about being a midwife is in the way in which they are there to deliver babies into this oftentimes cold and cruel world. A midwife is there for the entire birth process with mom and baby. There are a number of alternative birthing methods that are said to be less stressful on all involved and this, in itself, is an inspiration to the entire family – but mostly mom and baby.

3. Diagnostic Medical Sonography

So many times a patient goes in for ultrasound, fearing the worst. A doctor has ordered a series of tests, sometimes fearing cancer and other times seeking to find exactly why symptoms are present when there is no rational reason so far to be found. A bachelor of medical sonography degree puts you with that patient in those fearful moments and even though you can’t tell them what you are seeing on that diagnostic sonogram, you can ‘be there’ for them in their moments of panic. What an inspiration that is!

4. Social Work

Many times people with problems fall through the cracks of society. Sometimes it is due to extreme poverty and other times they are (or were) the victims of abuse. If you are looking to be an inspiration in the lives of others, working as a social worker can put you in a place at a time of their greatest need to help them continue on when all hope has failed them.

5. Musician

How many people over the course of history said they were led to excel or do great things because a musician acted as their muse? Few people aren’t inspired by music and if you really want to promote health and healing in a natural way, you can use music therapy to do just that.

Whether you choose to pursue an online medical sonography degree or work as a musician in a local club, your inspiration can inspire others to move forward in their own lives and that’s ‘paying it forward’ at its very best.

Author:
Maggie Hammond is a retired nurse and freelance writer, exploring and writing in the U.S. in retirement. An advocate for public health and nursing qualifications, she feels passionate about raising awareness of the current strain on public health organisations.

5 Mindfulness Exercises That Can Help Relieve stress

January 20, 2017 by Joi Leave a Comment

In this hectic world of ours it’s easy for thoughts and emotions to be scattered, and we often spend too much time thinking negative or random thoughts, which can be draining. It can also make you more likely to experience stress and anxiety. Practicing mindfulness exercises, on the other hand, can help you direct your attention away from this kind of thinking and engage with the world around you.

What is mindfulness?

The basic idea of mindfulness is that you bring (on purpose) your awareness to the present moment: your thoughts and your body – without interpretation or judgment. Thinking about the past, blaming and judging yourself or worrying about the future can generate stress. But by staying calm and focused on the ‘here and now’, you can bring your nervous system back into balance.

Try these mindfulness exercises, provided by Lloyd Wells – a long-time practicer of the methods, and an aspiring psychotherapy commentator for UK-based CBT, Counselling and Life-Coaching specialist Klear Minds – to get you on your way to relieving stress and learning to live in the present.

Breathe

The act of breathing sounds so basic and automatic it hardly sounds like a mindful exercise for stress relief. But when feeling stressed or anxious, we tend to take lots of shallow chest breaths, which actually signal your mind and body to feel more anxious. Slow down and take a deep focused breath. Let it out slowly. The simple act of taking a conscious deep belly breath and letting it out slowly has a profound effect on mind and body. It sends a message to the nervous system to calm down. It is a wonderful mindfulness based stress reduction exercise that can be done anywhere at any time for immediate stress relief.

Meditate

Mindfulness meditation involves increased awareness of the present moment. With practice, it can be utilized anywhere, and can bring lasting stress relief benefits. This simple meditation technique can be learned quickly and easily. Sit quietly and focus on your natural breathing or on a word or “mantra” that you repeat silently. Allow thoughts to come and go without judgment and return to your focus on breath or mantra. By concentrating on a certain word, your mind is able to shut out any overbearing thoughts that cause you to think too much about certain things. Focus on your breathing throughout, and you will find your mind is able to quiet and enter a more peaceful place.

Mindful Movements

In addition to all the benefits of mindful meditation, mindful movements, like those found in yoga or tai chi, add a physical element that provides a boost of energy and positive chemicals in the brain and can be a helpful way to reduce stress. Follow along with a guided video or attend a class in your area. Instead of treating your practice like a session at the gym, treat it like a meditation where you bring your full awareness to both your physical and emotional sensations as you move through the poses.

Body Scan Exercise

Body scan exercise encourages self-awareness of sensations in your body you might otherwise ignore. When you notice excessive tension in your body, you can consciously relax the muscles in that area. You may not even realize how tense you are until you intentionally bring awareness to your whole body. Here’s how it works: Lie down, or sit comfortably. Take a few deep breaths, close your eyes, and start to ‘scan’ your body. Bring your awareness to your toes. If you notice any tension, let it go. Then, continue the exercise by bringing your awareness gradually to every part of your body until you reach the very top of your head. By practicing this exercise every day, you can help to reduce tension and stress in the body.

Mindful Awareness

This exercise is designed to cultivate a heightened awareness and appreciation of simple daily tasks and the results they achieve. Think of something that happens often; something you take for granted, like the moment you open your computer to start work. Take a moment to appreciate the hands that enable this process and the brain that facilitates your understanding of how to use the computer. Or, perhaps each time you smell food, you take a moment to stop and appreciate how lucky you are to have good food to eat and share with your family and friends. Instead of going through your daily motions on autopilot, take occasional moments to stop and cultivate purposeful awareness of what you are doing and the blessings it brings your life.

In Summary

Mindfulness exercises can help you ease daily stress by bringing you back to the present moment. When you are mindful and present, it is not possible to fret about the past or the future, and you are more able to deal constructively with whatever is troubling you. The above exercises may seem simple, but do not let that fool you. Sometimes simple things are the most powerful and beneficial, especially when done with intention and focus.

How to Stop Cussing: Breaking a Habit That Freaking Doesn’t Want to Be Broken!

January 16, 2017 by Joi 3 Comments

Before getting to the tips that’ll help you stop cussing, I have to tell you this funny and very true story: Once there was a young man who happened to be a Pastor’s son. Even though the boy was very young and fresh out of high school… without any experience aside from chewing gum… one of the men in the church pulled some strings and helped get him on at a local factory – a factory that paid great money. It happened to be a plant that everyone in a three county radius wanted to work at because the pay and benefits were outstanding.

The arrangement didn’t last beyond six months. Turns out, factory work turned out being incredibly tough for the young man and he decided that he didn’t care much for it.

But you need a really solid reason to leave a very good job that someone helped you get – especially when you have to look your dad (the Pastor, not less) in the face and tell him you’re leaving said job. The young man found what he considered to be an admirable excuse and one his father would approve of. He said that there was far too much cussing going on at the plant. He simply didn’t want to be around all of the foul language.

When asked what he planned to do, he replied, “I’m going to join the Marines.”

TRUE STORY. Priceless and wonderful and as true as a cat’s attitude.

Let’s get to the subject at hand, or rather tongue, shall we….

So, how’s it going with those New Year’s Resolutions?!! Oh, don’t want to talk about it, huh? I understand.

I perfectly understand.

One of my own resolutions – to give up sweet tea and drink plain Jane unsweet tea instead – isn’t going exactly purring right along. I haven’t succumbed to the sweet white tempter, yet, but the day is still young.

I’ve been reading a lot of different people’s resolutions and got an idea (if nothing else, it’ll distract me from brooding about sweet tea). I decided I’d pick some of the resolutions that I know something about or that I think I could offer at least a few words of encouragement for people trying to sort them out.

One that stood out to me was the resolution to stop cussing. Unlike a sweet tooth the size of the Grand Canyon, this is not a problem area for me. I’m not sure if it was the case everywhere, or if it was a Southern thing, but during my formative years, women and girls didn’t cuss. If they did, it was frowned mightily upon. The guys did, when “the occasion called for it” but the gals?

Heavens no!

So, I simply never had a problem with cussing, swearing, turning the air blue… whatever you want to call it.

The problem is there are plenty of people who never had a problem with it until they started hanging around (or married) someone who had a very real problem with it. Funny thing about less-than-desirable habits, they’re much easier to latch onto and copy than the good ones.

Ever wonder why that is? I wonder all the time and still haven’t figured it out!

I’ve known girls who never said a word that couldn’t be spoken in front of the Pope, himself, who started hanging around with people who cuss so often they seem like they’re talking in tongues. Within a year, I find myself hoping they never meet the Pope.

Habits rub off on you when you least expect it.

What’s more, Holy cats, swearing is everywhere! TV shows, movies, and mainstream music are to be kind of expected – but cooking websites, news stories, and commercials? WOW.

Now, before you think I’m clutching my pearls, here, or that individuals who have made this resolution are trying to be “holier than thou”- that is not the case. Swearing can prove to be a very embarrassing habit. The individual who swears as easily as they breathe will… not might… will drop their guard at some point at let out a string of profanities at the worst possible time.

What’s more, cussing in front of children (aka breathing tape recorders) has never and will never lead to anyplace worth going.

There are plenty of reasons WHY people want to quit (or at least cut way back on) cussing. The tips below can help them put the odds in their favor.

How to Stop Cussing and Swearing

Most of the time, swearing is a result of anger or, at the very least, frustration. Simply put, while some people swear as though it’s a part of their everyday vocabulary (more about these birds in a minute), the average swearer does so because he/she has stubbed their toe, has more bills than money, is annoyed with a family member, or has been called upon to wait 5 minutes for a table at Olive Garden. If you tend to turn the air blue when you’re either feeling anxious or angry, recognize that and watch out for it. When you’re having a stressful day (or week… month… year?!) remind yourself that you are very vulnerable right now. This reminder will cause you to put your brain in gear before you open your mouth.
If you tend to cuss as easily as you breathe and the words you’re wanting to get rid of roll off your tongue as easily as horse, lunch, telephone pole, or sweet tea.. you are going to have a little bit of a tougher road than the angry swearers. Why? You don’t differentiate between moods – you’d just as soon rattle off the &$*@s while happy and content as you would while stressed and angry. You will have to start paying EXTRA close attention to the words that come out of your mouth. I’ve known people who cussed during a conversation and then swore up and down they didn’t say one word, let alone 3,302. People, it would appear, aren’t in the habit of listening to themselves. Problem is – how are you going to improve your speech if you don’t really hear what’s coming out of your own mouth?!
Crazy tip (but one that works): Come up with your own innocent word or phrase to use in place of the unacceptable ones. When I was growing up, my aunt had her own favorite.. “Shoot a monkey.” How’s that for southern? That became my own “colorful phrase” and it served me well. Over the years, the animal lover in me simply couldn’t abide by it, so my own words became “heck” and the recently updated “heckity heck”(hey, tough times call for stronger language). I’m also very fond of “holy cats” and son-of-a-gun. My mom worked with a lady who went with “doodle.” Yeah, that one doesn’t do much for me either. The thing is, this may be the only fun part of the whole process, so enjoy it. Come up with something that will be your replacement word/phrase, then take it for a test drive. Bonus tip: don’t go with rhymes or words that sound similar. You’ll defeat your purpose if you sound like you’re doing what you’re trying not to do.
This is just my own personal opinion – but I wouldn’t ask for a “helper” on this one. I wouldn’t have your significant other, son, daughter, mom, dad, or friend try to “catch” you or point out your language. Seriously – that’s asking for trouble and is putting them in a very unfair position…. a position similar to placing them in front of a runaway freight car. Hold yourself accountable by listening to your own words because, unless you’re the easiest going, kindest, mildest person in the world… you are not going to appreciate being interrupted mid rant.

Be a Counselor, Be Happy

January 16, 2017 by Joi 1 Comment

It is not a secret that one of the best ways to help yourself is by helping others. That smile you see on another person’s face when you help them solve problems and achieve success is absolutely priceless; it is one of the greatest sources of happiness. Even better, you can assume the role of community counselor or counselor at school and instantly have the ability to touch more people’s lives. A career in counseling can be very rewarding; it is also an easy one to get into thanks to online counseling degrees from top names such as Wake Forest University. When working as a community counselor, for example, you are helping others get to the root of their problems. In doing so, you will also be learning so much your yourself and the problems you face.

Be sure to read the complete infographic, A Counselor’s Typical Day by Wake Forest, to find out just how rewarding a career in counseling can be.

Wake Forest Online Counseling Program

Maggie Hammond is a retired nurse and freelance writer, exploring and writing in the U.S. in retirement. An advocate for public health and nursing qualifications, she feels passionate about raising awareness of the current strain on public health organisations.

Keys to a Career in Psychology