Tools

Vineetha Reddy

It's a great time to be alive. Technology has fuelled unprecedented growth and has made most of our lives easier. However, one thing that hasn’t reduced is stress. Be it in your professional or personal lives, stress can rear its ugly head

Creating a culture of well-being in our schools

Fiona Forman

There is a huge impetus at the moment toward putting well-being and mental health at the heart of our children’s school experience

Quitting alcohol for optimial health

Andy Ramage

There is plenty of science to suggest alcohol is a gateway drug to other drugs. A few pints pave the way to a few lines, a few smokes or worse

How your health hinges on your mind-over-matter resilience

Tyler Jacobson

Henry Ford said: “Whether you think you can, or you can’t—you’re right.” While it can be easy to dismiss the phrase, there’s truth to it

How to meditate

Jonni Pollard

A Lust for Life, with the help of 1 Giant Mind founder Jonni Pollard, are on a mission to support you getting your meditation groove on and over the coming weeks we will be sharing out some helpful tips, tools are resources

Take 5 minutes for a positive pregnancy, birth and parenting experience

Tracy Donegan

When you think about meditation – what comes to mind? Sitting on a mountain top, cross legged blissfully emptying your mind of all thoughts? That’s what I used to think too

Your childhood dream holds key information – Passion equals success

Stephen Griffiths

A funny thing happens when we leave school or college and enter the workforce. We fall prone to a strange type of amnesia

Consistency is critical to recovery

Niall Breslin

I often find myself using analogies when I engage with the conversation surrounding mental health as I feel as well as normalising the conversation, it also allows those who sometimes fail to grasp the full extent

You are one thought away from feeling better in every moment

Bryan Ryan

Last year, a Mum of two kids in her thirty’s came to see me. She had been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder some 5 years previously

Positive self-deception – Stop beating yourself up

Dr. Jolanta Burke

I always go for bad boys; I never listen to wise advice; I can never get it right; nobody likes me; now, everyone thinks I’m stupid – these are some of negative self-deceptions we indulge

Rise and shine morning yoga sequence – video

Sinéad McKiernan

Set a good tone for the rest of your day by grounding your thoughts, stretching your body and breathing intentionally

Will you meditate with us?

Bressie and Susie Q

Over the coming weeks on A Lust for Life our intention is to get as many of you as possible meditating every day, helping you to establish a daily practice. We are hugely passionate about helping you to learn to meditate

Become a healthy perfectionist

Stacey Wonder

What is perfectionism, really? A personality trait that can prevent a person from being happy, basically

Feel the fear and do it anyway – 3 tips to help you find courage

Dr. Jolanta Burke

I am very lucky to be surrounded by courageous people, from whom I learn every day

Taking a step away from social anxiety

Francis Cleary

They say that your school and college days are the best times of your life and should be cherished. Whoever first coined that saying must not have experienced social anxiety. For me, those days were filled with feelings of isolation, excessive anxiety

6 steps to spring clean your mind and body

Sarah Hewitt

Spring is that time of the year when many of us decide to make a positive change. We become inspired to take those all-important forward steps in decluttering our lives. It’s a good time to restore your ‘get up and go’

Teaching children the language of mental health

Fiona Forman

We have come so far in the last number of years in our understanding of our physical health, and it’s great that children learn at an early age about all the factors

Let’s talk about sex addiction

Liz Greene

In 2009, sex addiction hit front page news when it was publicly revealed that Tiger Woods had cheated on his wife, Elin Nordegren. During a press conference, the pro golfer confessed to having attended a facility for treatment

How positive thinking changed my life

Sophia Smith

I was doing a job I hated, there were no opportunities to find another and I started hating myself. In one sentence, this is what my life looked like one year ago. One negative thought led to another. I was in the vicious cycle of depression

Ireland’s Rugby Players are challenging you to Tackle Your Feelings

Créde Sheehy-Kelly

Tackle Your Feelings is a mental wellbeing campaign driven and delivered by the Irish Rugby Union Players’ Association, the collective voice of professional rugby players in Ireland

10 questions with Steve Garrigan from Kodaline

A Lust For Life - Irish Mental Health Charity

Dubliner, songwriter (Steve wrote the phenomenally beautiful song High Hopes) and lead singer of Irish rock band Kodaline Steve Garrigan on yoga, eating well, anxiety, panic attacks

‘Connect to your core’ yoga session

Aoife Kane

The core of our body can be an area where we can hold anxiety and stress. The initial reaction to a situation can be felt in our core first

How to empower children against bullying and strengthen emotional resilience

Dr. Malie Coyne

I remember looking into the mirror at my reflection next to her in the school toilets. She was small, thin-built, and pretty. Somebody all the kids wanted to be with

How compassion frees you from suffering

Fiona Brennan

Buddhism refers to 'enlightenment', a state that most cannot reach without suffering and difficulty, not to mention hours of daily meditation! It is commonly believed that you must undergo an incredible ‘awakening’ in order to reach this state

Meditation for the ego

Sinéad McKiernan

We all have feelings and emotions running around our bodies all day. Sometimes, it is helpful to check in with yourself and see how many of your emotions are positive and how many are negative

Teacher wellbeing – Can we change our perspective?

Ann-Marie Ireland

Close your eyes for a moment and contemplate this question. ‘What do I actively do on a daily basis as a teacher that demonstrates I am looking after myself?’

Are you feeling low? Exercising is one great way to help you feel better

Keith Begley

Mental health has become very topical in recent times and it is no surprise. Due to modern technology, a life of convenience - often known as sitting disease is upon us

We forget to acknowledge what has happened us – here’s one way to remind ourselves

Carol Redmond

When I qualified as a Life Coach a few years back, one of my favourite exercises to help the client become aware of their lives in the present moment was firstly to ask them to write out

Building confidence in sport and life

Alan Heary

“I volunteered to take the penalty because I felt pretty confident about scoring” - David O’Leary - scorer of the winning penalty for Ireland against Romania in the 1990 World Cup

10 Reasons why losing your sh*t can make your life come together

Aleksandra Slijepcevic

Being optimistic in life is a beautiful thing, but just like your weekend Fireball shots, it works best in moderation. Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, we often play the roles of happy

Bressie: You are the true leaders – Thanks for taking part in the Vhi A Lust for...

Niall Breslin

Standing at the starting line of the Vhi A Lust for Life run in Phoenix Park, it is hard to quantity the addictive and outstanding energy that magnifies from the 4000 participants

What tennis can teach us about newborn mental health

Tracy Donegan

“You’ll spoil the baby” - ”you’re making a rod for your back” - “you’ll never get him into his own bed” - “Don’t pick him up every time he cries” - does any of this sound familiar?

An experiment in gratitude

Patrick Hyland

From a very young age we were told by our parents to always use the magic words, please and thank you! You've probably even learned the song at school - you're singing it right now, aren't you?

4 easy breathing techniques to calm your body and mind

Sinéad McKiernan

Breathing is vital to our existence, we inhale and deliver oxygen to the body and we release carbon dioxide on our exhale. Our breath is happening all day every day

Suicide and self harm in young people – Some thoughts for parents

Eoin Galavan

There is arguably no more frightening a discovery for a parent who one way or another finds out their child has considered or attempted suicide or intentionally harmed themselves

A Mother’s day letter to my Mum

Mairead Healy

As Mother’s Day draws near, you come into my mind more often. It has been 8 years, since we got the call and rushed to be at your hospital bedside whilst you lay in a coma for days, eventually drifting away from us

Bressie: Meet anger, abuse and hate with empathy

Niall Breslin

Reacting with kindness and understanding when confronted with misguided negativity is the smartest move. "For every action, there is an equal and opposite re-action".

The extraordinary in the ordinary

Clare Mulvany

It is in the shaft of light or the curl of shadow. It is in the perspective of new Spring leaves, or the way they fall in Autumn. It is in the pattern of paw prints, or the ripples on a pond. It’s in these moments, the magic

Cultivating mental fitness

Flor Sylvester

In today’s society, physical fitness gets a lot of attention. Being physically fit generally translates to looking good, but also because a healthy body can help prevent certain conditions like heart-disease and diabetes

Reconnect to yourself: How to do a digital detox

Emily Duffy

How many times a day do you think you check your phone? I remember my friend asking me this same question, after she’d caught me checking messenger

Exploring unexpected episodes of anger and aggression

Dr. Terry Lynch

It is not uncommon for people to seek professional help for sudden, unexpected episodes of anger and aggression. These episodes may occur in people who are mostly gentle, reserved, kind, caring

Terry Wogan, a crisis of confidence, and me

Paddy Duffy

His was a life well-lived...so what the hell am I doing with mine? It was a few Sundays ago when I woke up at the unusually-early-for-me weekend time of quarter to ten. Bleary, I switched on the radio and heard an item about Terry Wogan

Bressie: Respect the mind – it deserves a workout too

Niall Breslin

Much of what we hear in the media and throughout the expanding dialogue surrounding mental health and emotional wellbeing has been centred around distressing issues such as depression, anxiety and suicide

What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful

Mary Larkin

As a therapist I work with some of the most courageous yet vulnerable people imaginable

The path to healing requires commitment

Aoife Kane

I lay silently against the hospital sheets watching the doctors discussing me. "It’s been three weeks and there is no improvement, we need to operate, remove the ulcerated part of her bowel and she may need to get a colostomy bag."

The power of the imagined story

Ciara Scanlan

Our neighbor Paddy died the year I was born, but his house did not. Like Mary Celeste his last days were preserved in a dusty stillness. Not a thing was moved within the confines of his home for over a decade after his death

5 ways to love your body

Sarah Doyle

Your body is supposed to be your friend but for many of us we are at war with our body and our life is the battle field. Do you feel consumed by anger, desperation and shame because your body doesn't look a certain way?

Bressie: Accept and love yourself for who you are

Niall Breslin

If ever a television commercial caught the essence and personality of a culture it would have to be the Aldi TV advert where a young woman refuses to take a sincere well-intentioned compliment from a friend

Mindfulness Matters – ‘Irish Weather Inside-Out’ campaign for schools and all those up for a challenge

Dr. Ann Caulfield and Derval Dunford

What is the most talked about subject in Ireland? The weather! What’s the least talked about subject in Ireland? Feelings and emotions or what we call the ‘Internal weather’! Mindfulness matters because everything changes moment to moment

Bullying in Irish secondary schools – Find the courage to speak out

Amy Dignam

As a previous victim of bullying in secondary school, I remember the feeling of waking up, filled with dread and anxiety putting on my uniform, walking up to the school gate

Healing self-harm

Aisling O’Connor

While recently mental health has been talked about more and more, and as a result stigmas have decreased, self-harm is still seen as somewhat of a taboo subject

Help: My friend is in trouble, what do I do?

Dr. Claire Hayes

Aware, as you might know, is Ireland’s national organisation to help people with depression or bipolar disorder and people who are concerned for someone they care about

Holistic grieving

Karen Ward

There are three absolute certainties in life – birth, change and death. When we grieve we are dealing with all three at the same time - the death of a loved one, the huge changes that inevitably brings and the birth of our new life without them

Get happier by eliminating negative sources of energy – for me, the booze!

Patrick Hyland

Happiness cannot be found out there in the external world; it cannot be achieved as a result of obtaining some extravagant material thing, or possession, or position of higher status

Neuroplasticity – help your flexible brain create positive neural pathways everyday

Fiona Brennan

Imagine you lived in a world where from a young age you were taught to look after your mental well-being using a similar daily routine to brushing your teeth

7 Life lessons they won’t ever teach you at school

Mairead Healy

Every time we make a decision where we ignore our heart and go with our head, prioritising logic and reason, we can often end up having regrets

Bressie: Looking for that state of calm? Let it flow

Niall Breslin

Improve mental fitness by achieving moments of 'hyper-focus', when your mind and body are in perfect fusion

10 Questions with Shane MacGowan

A Lust For Life - Irish Mental Health Charity

Shane MacGowan, musician and singer, known for being the lead singer and songwriter of The Pogues. He has also recorded and performed with many other artists such as Nick Cave, Christy Moore, The Jesus and Mary Chain

Equine Therapy: How horses help people find answers within

Joe Slattery

I will do my best to describe the benefits of the EAGALA model of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy as a therapeutic tool for supporting people to look at their mental health

Why we need to teach children about the new science of stress

Fiona Forman

When I asked my class of 31 ten year olds recently ‘Who has experienced stress in their lives?’ every single hand went up. We then shared stories of the different events or situations

Obligation has a lot to answer for

Nicky Flood

We live in a world full of doing, always rushing around trying to get everything we need to get done in a day, working hard, doing errands, making sure everything is alright with our family, our friends, the world

The mental trap of Chronic Insecurity

Dr. Padraic Gibson

In the coming few articles I hope to explain and explore the practical ways in which we (all of us that is), as humans create our own mental traps and how this happens despite our best efforts to avoid them

Brothers in arms; “Why we need to talk, listen and act.”

Niall Breslin and Gary Brown

Something that had been playing on my mind leading up to the World Cup was the fact that I would have to share a room with one of my team-mates

Why you should always have mindfulness as a backup without the need to become a monk

Chris Flack

We all know physical exercise is great for mental health; it’s like fertiliser for the brain. However, if you’ve ever had a sports injury you’ll know that the toughest battle is mental

Infant mental health: A critical window of opportunity for future wellbeing and mental health

Dr. Malie Coyne

“Mental health issues are the great epidemic of this generation” were the impassioned words of musician and mental health campaigner Niall Breslin (Bressie)

Bressie: Identify your triggers to combat anxiety

Niall Breslin

I'll be honest, sometimes I have to make the same mistake three or four times before I cop on. You see, the difference with my anxiety and depression now, compared to the past is my self-awareness and ability to analyse the 'triggers'

Compassion every day

Dr. Jillian Doyle

Had you asked me five years ago, while I was undertaking my training in clinical psychology, what compassion meant, I might have said that it meant giving yourself a night off or being kind to someone

10 Questions with Blindboy Boatclub from The Rubberbandits

A Lust For Life - Irish Mental Health Charity

Here Bressie interviews Blindboy Boatclub, one half of the Limerick hip-hop duo The Rubberbandits. A creative soulful force of nature he talks mental health and much more

Reclaim your power in moments of injustice

Mairead Healy

Recently, I found myself under verbal attack from a stranger. The incident came as a bolt out of the blue, with no warning. I had just received a standing ovation after giving an open and honest speech about my own life to a huge audience

Before we can be better, we must be well

Niall Breslin

At this prologue stage of the new year, many who committed to a new chapter of change after a debaucherous and exorbitant festive season, have reached the realisation that real positive lifestyle change can be more arduous

Feed your body so you can disempower stress and anxiety

Liz Byrne

Telling an already stressed and anxious individual to ‘slow down’, ‘relax’, ‘don’t over think things’, in my mind is adding fuel to the proverbial fire

10 Questions with Founder of Waterford Whispers News Colm Williamson

A Lust For Life - Irish Mental Health Charity

Founder of the brilliant Waterford Whispers News Colm Williamson, chats with Bressie about the creative brain, the importance of satire, mental health, what he’s most proud of, and people shitting themselves…

Why parental self–care is essential for children’s emotional wellbeing

Dr. Malie Coyne

Parenting is a complete rollercoaster ride from conception to forever. Nothing can match up to creating a human being and witnessing their emerging personalities as they develop

Keeping well and avoiding turmeric enemas

Karen Sugrue

Like someone who is prone to chest infections or tonsillitis, I am prone to depression and anxiety. And like someone prone to chest infections, I’m more likely to get ‘a dose’ if I haven’t been looking after myself

Removing the alcohol obstacle: Getting back to the music I love

Harry Kelly

I am a musician, and a struggling one at that. But who of us is not?! For about ten years I have been playing gigs, since I was a teenager. They have ranged from singing in the corners of half full restaurants to playing on big stages at large festivals

I wish I had let myself be happier

Tony Griffin

When Bronnie Ware took a job as a palliative care assistant nursing the dying through their final days she probably didn’t realise the experience was going to be such a transformative one

Get a buzz without the booze – Destigmatising booze free socialising in Ireland

Áine Rynne

Three years ago, for the first time in my life and never previously considered, I decided to take a break from alcohol. I was a social drinker but it sometimes put a shadow over me that I never fully recognised until hindsight made me recollect

Challenge yourself and watch your life change for the better

Dr. Jolanta Burke

According to a study, one-third of people give up on their new year resolutions by the end of March, over 50% quit it by the end of June, and 92% of people fail to achieve

Physical and mental burnout in exercise and sport

Keith Begley

Burnout in sports has become a prominent topic in the media in recent times for sports people. It may also be an issue for serial January exercisers

Support of peers was key to recovery

Niall Breslin

The last year of my life has allowed me gain a clarity of thought that for so many years escaped me. Over the recent past I have obtained and refined the knowledge to allow myself deal much more effectively with my own mental and emotional wellbeing

Meditation and reflective journaling

Naomi Sturdy

As we begin this new calendar year, we are granted with an amazing opportunity to connect, reflect and look forward. When I write of connecting, I mean in the sense of 'self-connecting'

A new year of self-care, mindfulness and improved well-being made simple

Ann-Marie Ireland

With the dawning of a brand new year upon us, we often attempt to ‘begin again’ with our diet, our fitness plan or with a new set of goals

Helping children develop resilience, manage stress and strong emotions using the ‘90 Second Rule’

Fiona Forman

Research shows us that emotional regulation is one of the key factors for the development of resilience and wellbeing. This makes sense when you think about it

How to check in on someone you love

Sadhbh Byrne

Even if you’re very worried about a loved one’s mental health, it can be very daunting to think about broaching the subject with them

Goal setting for the New Year – It’s simple but it’s not easy

Gerry Duffy

As I write this in a hotel lobby, a Christmas song is drifting down the corridor. A soft voice is singing “It’s that time of year” It’s from a Christmas song and I’m sure you can probably sing it

How to survive a Christmas family spat

Dr. Jolanta Burke

In every relationship there are at least two topics that cannot be resolved. Christmas is not the time to discuss them. Find out what you can do to cope with family disputes during festivities

If Christmas is so merry, then why am I feeling so bad?

Dr. Jolanta Burke

Research shows that our life satisfaction and emotional well-being is usually lower around Christmas in comparison to other times of a year. If you don’t find Christmas so merry, don’t worry, you’re not alone!

The difference between baby blues and post natal depression

Dr. Malie Coyne

I still have visions of me wheeling my trolley around the postnatal ward, looking in at my most precious baby girl, tears of joy and sadness streaming down my face. What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I hold it together?

The madness of Christmas shopping – don’t let consumerism consume you

Dr. Jolanta Burke

Beware: Research shows that giving and receiving Christmas gifts may reduce our happiness

Simple Pilates exercises to help ease anxiety at this time of year

Orla Connolly

In this video you will see me guide Laura through some basic Pilate’s exercises that can have a great effect on the mind, helping to ease any mind strain you may be feeling under at this time of year

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