Mental Health

It’s virtually impossible to avoid spending some time on social media and many of us may experience the social comparison and misery that comes from innocently scrolling through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. According to mental health expert and psychologist Dr. Happy “Whether we realise it or not, most of us are constantly evaluating our own attractiveness, intelligence, success, attributes and qualities by comparing ourselves to how we perceive others in these domains”. With this in mind, Dr. Happy shares some simple tips to ensure you enjoy using social media without it making you feel miserable.

There’s no doubt that every pet we own, becomes part of the family. Many children form lifelong bonds with their pets but unfortunately, our pets don’t live forever. Psychologist and Mental Health Expert Dr. Happy, from The Happiness Institute shares his personal experience on how to help your child understand loss while, also highlighting the opportunity for parents to teach their children several life lessons.

We all know there’s a physical benefit of swimming, but have you ever stopped to think about the mental health benefits? According to Dr Happy from the happiness institute “Regular exercise is a potent stress-buster, and a powerful antidepressant. In addition, exercise is a magnificent mood enhancer, contributing to positive emotions such as happiness and satisfaction, pride and contentment. In this latest article for HIF, Dr. Happy shares 7 ways swimming can benefit your mental health.

Anyone can develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after they experience or witness an event that threatens their life or safety, or others around them. Psychologist and Mental Health Expert Dr. Happy, from The Happiness Institute explains what it is and shares the most common signs and symptoms that can impact daily life for someone suffering with PTSD.

Does your child spend too much time playing video games?  If you’ve answered yes, don’t worry you’re not alone. According to Mental Health Expert and Psychologist Dr. Happy, “95% of parents admitted to being worried about the risks associated with online gaming and the amount of time their children spend playing”. In his latest article for HIF, Dr. Happy, shares his top tips on how to ensure your children develop appropriate and important skills around self-control, decision making and effective communication.

Regardless of the nature or even the severity, any injury has the potential to derail our smooth functioning. According to mental health expert and psychologist Dr. Happy “There’s no doubt that injuries can contribute to pain – both physical and emotional. But there’s also no doubt that how we interpret these injuries, or how we think about what they mean for us and our future.” In his latest article for HIF, Dr. Happy shares the importance of focusing on what you can do when injured, rather than what you can’t.

Alcohol affects people in different ways. According to Mental Health Expert and Psychologist Dr. Happy, “Although alcohol appears to have a positive impact initially, and it can be fun and cause an improvement in mood in the very short term, over the medium to longer term it affects brain chemistry; and not in a good way. Alcohol disrupts the balance of neurotransmitters which can cause depression, anxiety and even anger and irritability.” Learn more from Dr. Happy about the effects of alcohol on your body and your mental health.

When you get back from holidays almost instantly they seem like a distant memory and you’re back into your everyday life and post-holiday blues set in. We chatted with mental health expert Dr. Happy, about his top tips for overcoming post-holiday blues while also creating more happiness and a better life.