Alan White “We see the world not as it is, but as we are” – Stephen Covey. Young people often challenge parents and teachers. Sometimes it feels as though young people are purposely trying to drive us over the edge, constantly doing and saying things that go against our values. At times, this can be […]
Tag Archives: education
The age of anxiety
BlogAlan White “For there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so” – William Shakespeare (Hamlet) More and more I seem to be meeting young people struggling with anxiety. I am encountering debilitating levels of stress and worry in many people. So much so that the suffering is having an effect on […]
A secure base for well-being
BlogAlan White I recently began a new job in my school as Home School Community Liaison. This is a role that most schools don’t have and is one that I am finding challenging to get to grips with. What am I supposed to be doing, is a question I often ask myself? Having come from […]
Small Acts of persistence
BlogAlan White We are well into a new school year and normally for me this represents a time of new hope, fresh ideas and renewed energy and enthusiasm. It can also be a very difficult time however, for many students as well as teachers. For some students it can be a time when anxieties about […]
Our culture is damaging our well-being
BlogAlan White We are living in a time where we have a lot to be grateful for. Modern consumer culture has greatly improved our way of life. Many of us now have access to products and services that only a short few years ago would not have been possible. Over the last few decades the […]
The Conflict Within
BlogAlan White We all know what it’s like to experience conflict in our lives. Whether it’s with the important people in our lives or within, unfortunately conflict is an inevitable part of life. However it’s how we handle conflict that can determine the effect that it can have on our well-being. If we don’t learn […]
The Backfire effect
BlogAlan White I recently learned about an interesting psychological phenomena known as the backfire effect. What happens is, that when people are presented with clear evidence on something, such as the importance of talking about mental well-being and well-being education, if it contradicts their long held core beliefs, the truth or evidence will be immediately […]
Meeting our needs helps improve our well-being
BlogAlan White This week I have been asked to give a class on Developing Mental Well-being in young people, as part of the Cork Lifelong Learning Festival. Preparing for this, I had to look at the question of how to do this in a different way, as I will be talking to adults about how […]
The Mindfulness experiment
BlogAlan White Although I am passionate about well-being and I believe that all young people need to learn key skills to take control and care for their own well-being, I have, in the past, been resistant to mindfulness. Why? Because I am the type of person that finds it difficult to sit still for any […]
Self-Evaluating & Goal setting! Why over committing to our resolutions can be damaging to our well-being!
BlogAlan White It’s that time of year again when many of us have set out our new year’s resolutions and promise ourselves that this time things will be different. We are declaring aloud for all to hear, the monumental changes we intend to make in our lives. Whether it’s losing weight, quitting smoking, learning a […]