Dr Julie Smith

As you breathe in count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and as you breathe out count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Repeat that as long as you need to prevent anxiety from escalating and instead, start to calm the body. It may take a few minutes so give it some time. If the timings don’t quite fit for you then feel free to adjust. You don’t want to feel dizzy or light headed. The aim is to slow the breathing down. The counting also helps you to focus your attention of something in the present. When we focus on thoughts of things that may or may not happen in the future, that can cause the anxiety to rise. If you find this tip helpful drop me a 💖💖💖 in the comments. (at United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGaO6vQD-TC/?igshid=1bcaxapbpylx9

This World Mental Health Awareness Day what is the most important message to send out? In 2020 so many are facing huge losses and traumas. While one person loses their social world another loses their livelihood. While one person loses their family business, another loses their loved one without the chance to say goodbye. With trauma happening on such a scale, what could I possibly say on World Mental Health Awareness Day to make an ounce of difference? The most profound positive impact that is free and readily available to us all, is kindness and compassion. Everyone out there is facing new pain and struggle. Human compassion is the most powerful tool we have to help each other that requires no skills, training or money. We live in a culture where people tend to hide their psychological struggles. So we never know who is feeling hopeless and helpless. When someone feels that way one small act of kindness can have a profound effect that can give hope. So if World Mental Health Awareness Day is going to mean anything at all this year, let it mean this. That we recognise how invisible pain can be and how we need to be kind. Always. #bekind #worldmentalheathawarenessday #mentalhealth #therapy #psychologist #happiness #trauma #compassion https://www.instagram.com/p/CGLCsMWjuqi/?igshid=1m3gwa9g3tolw

When I go running and I come across a hill, I have a lot of thoughts that are not facts. Thoughts like, “You can’t do this. You’re too tired, you’re too out of breath. Why don’t you walk this bit?” If I believe those thoughts are fact, it has an impact on my original decision to run. I might slow down, walk, or give up all together. Since I was able to recognise those thoughts for what they are, ideas, judgments and expressions of discomfort, I can allow those thoughts to be there but choose something different. With practice you start to recognise the points at which your mind tells you to give up, and you can choose to keep going. Acknowledging your own thoughts as just one more opinion gives you the freedom to base your decisions on what matters most, rather than your current mood. (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFw6Te8jXXY/?igshid=ywq0w203d12u

A little while ago I made a Tiktok video that went “mega viral”😝 (video to follow on next post) It was viewed more than 33 million times in a week. I love sharing these fun illusions and tricks. They are great to share with friends but also have something to teach us about how our incredible brains work. This week, BuzzFeed have featured that viral video on their website. Thank you to BuzzFeed for sharing this with even more people across the world. Thanks so much to everyone for sharing my video. . . . . #psychology #psychologyfacts #psychologyillusion #psychologist #megaviral #viralvideo #buzzfeed #psychologyfacts #psychologistsofinstagram #tiktokpsychologist #tiktoktherapist https://www.instagram.com/p/CFuljDsD54i/?igshid=15qmluslz0ale

Please feel free to share / repost 💗Some days are just harder than others. There might be a clear reason. At other times, you not be able to pinpoint why. Either way, it does not mean you are failing or doing any worse than anyone else. It means you are human. Just like the rest of us. And it’s a good chance to listen to the emotions that are there and ask yourself, “what do I need?” .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #happiness #struggle #whatdoyouwant #whatdoyouneed #lifelessons #lifeadvice #life #psychologist #psychologie #motivation #nooneisperfect #strong #pain #quotesaboutlife #lifegoeson #memes #lifestruggles #life #love #quotes #sadquotes #sadedits #sad #loveyourself #joy #motivation #inspiration #hurt #strongwomen #lovequotes #lifequotes #liveyourbestlife (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFkFfs2D8pi/?igshid=7mmpgsd2hgdm

Hit Like and follow for more on all things psychology, mental health and motivation. When people are taught in therapy to notice their worry thoughts and refocus on the present, some find it difficult to do because we convince ourselves that time spent thinking about it will help us to solve it. But this is only true if we are worrying about something that can be controlled. If that thing worrying you can’t be solved with problem-solving, then it makes sense to practice refocusing on the present. #worry #anxiety #anxious #selftalk #selfhelp #ocd #phobia #fear #therapy #therapist #rumination #worrier #positiveselftalk #depression #fearless #psychology #psychologist #grief #recovery #ptsd #trauma #traumarecovery #happy #happiness (at London, Unιted Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFXa-ZajNO8/?igshid=19nfgsdlheyet

🙏 Please if you can share or repost this you don’t know who it could help today 💖 When life throws you a curve ball and your mental health starts to suffer, your mind can convince you that you are the only one. In reality, one in four of us will experience a mental health problem at some point in our lives. So whether you are surrounded in friends, family or colleagues, the chances are that someone will be struggling with their mental health. While fluctuation in mental health is a normal part of being human, not everybody recovers. Across the world, we lose one person every 40 seconds to suicide. So be kind. Always.. . . #bekind #psychologist #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthrecovery #fightthestigma #psychologistsofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CFH6dMnjgcZ/?igshid=1x7f8rpdru6ie

If you followed my instructions and saw the black and white image in colour, even just for a moment, you just experienced a phenomenon called an afterimage. How this illusion works: A negative after image is caused when the photoreceptors in your eyes temporarily lose sensitivity. This is because they are adapting to overstimulation from being constantly exposed to the same stimulus for that period of time. Over time they run out of the photopigments they need to send that signal to the brain. Your brain compensated for that decreased signal by interpreting the image as normal. #psychologyfacts #psychologytricks #psychology #funfacts #illusion (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFFNPROjUO_/?igshid=14i5ko2d2d28w

It is the night before #digitaldetoxday so I am joining in to boost awareness of how social media can impact your mental health and that we all need some time off now and then. Tomorrow, 5th September, I will be taking a whole day away from social media. A word on social media. Multiple studies have found strong links between heavy social media usage and increased risk of depression and anxiety. It also increases the likelihood that individuals will feel inadequate and compare themselves negatively to others. I have talked in previous videos about how social media can be a place of inspiration and education. But that requires us to be very selective about who we follow. I always encourage people to unfollow any account that persistently makes you feel less than enough. Be very conscious of how you feel when you close a social media app. If you feel worse than when you started, but happiness is important to you, it’s time to rethink how you use it. These platforms can be a wonderful resource. But the incredible algorithms they use are set up, not to educate, inspire or inform you. They are set up to keep you as addicted as possible to the platform. They get it so right, that huge numbers of people wouldn’t even contemplate taking a whole day away. We check social media countless times a day. But what did we do in all of those small moments, before social media took over? Well, let’s find out. See you all on Sunday for an update! #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #digitaldetoxday #takeabreak #selfhelp #selfcare #selflove #therapy #makeachange #mentalhealthfirst #mentalhealthmatters (at Southampton, England, U.K.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEus5MFDeFE/?igshid=tal3vqjcj2hq

This was great fun to film! It is based on the Standford Marshmallow experiment, a study on delayed gratification that was conducted by psychologist, professor Walter Mischel back in 1972. In the study children were offered a small immediate reward or the choice to wait for the chance to get two small rewards. They had to wait for 15 minutes while the researcher left the room. If they could hold out until the researcher returned, they were given two rewards. At the time the study found that those children who were able to delay gratification tended to go on to have better life outcomes such as sat scores, educational attainment and a few other measures. However, later studies with more diverse populations showed much smaller effects, suggesting that economic background may have played an important part. #psychologytest #psychology #psychologyexperiment #psychologist #fascinatingfacts #marshmallowexperiment #mentalhealth #childdevelopment #childpsychology #therapist #understandingme #funpsychology #scienceforkids #sciencefun #sciencefacts (at London, Unιted Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEmWsqtjfuO/?igshid=un178v8jymic

💖Like this and share with someone who may need to hear it today. When learning about trauma and trying to understand how many behaviours can be understood by past traumas, I found it incredibly helpful to hear it explained in this way. Past trauma can be like having a serious burn all over your body. The slightest touch can cause extreme pain. If the person who brushed past you could not see those burns, they might judge your response as “overreacting” or “sensitive”. However, those who understand the injury will be able to make sense of the reaction. #ptsd #trauma #bpd #survivor #traumasurvivor #traumarecovery #ptsdrecovery #sensitivity #psychology #psychologist #therapist #therapy #understandingme #understandingmentalhealth #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #dbt #happiness #happy #anxiety #depression (at Glasgow) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEcZD-dD1x5/?igshid=u9m992p8sib1

👉 Swipe for 🥶🤣 A massive thank you to everyone who follows me on Tiktok. If you don’t already, there are plenty of videos on there that don’t appear on my Instagram page so check it out. 8 months to a million, then one month and we reach 2 million. My mind is blown. What an incredible journey this is, and what an awesome community we have! Swipe across for behind the scenes! 🥶 @tiktok @tiktokuk @tiktok_uk @tiktok_ukcreator #tiktokpsychologist #tiktokuk #tiktoktherapist #2millionfollowers #fails #funny #comedy #mentalhealth (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEZZ4vxDHJL/?igshid=1kwl91n2yul5t

Wouldn’t it be great if we all had a coach or mentor constantly telling us what we need to hear as we walk through life? When top athletes are aiming for peak health and performance, there is a good reason that they all have coaches. But the reality is that most people do not have access to good mentors or therapists all of the time. On top of this, most of us have an internal dialogue that sounds nothing like what we need to hear. One of the most helpful questions we can ask ourselves during moments of self-reflection is, what do I need? Sometimes the answer to this question may be that we need to hear words of acceptance, support, or encouragement. Learning to be the voice that you most need to hear is a powerful life skill that can help us get through the toughest of times. What words do you need to hear today? #selfcompassion #selfkindness #selftalk #confidence #selfcriticism #selfloathing #affirmations #peptalk #motivationtips #lifetips #psychologist #inspiration #therapy #therapist #selfhelp #wellbeing #mentalhealth #happiness #memyselfandi #recovery #strength #resilience #depression #anxiety #selfesteem (at Liverpool UK) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEUWLPjjJvL/?igshid=1k6tu96ct4wfq

If you are in London today look out for this board! Thank you @tflquotes_pat for sharing my work with the people of London. So many of the kindest people I know, express kindness so well to others, but don’t allow themselves to have their needs met in the same way. There is no virtue in treating yourself poorly. Bullying, shaming and verbal attack is less effective for behaviour change than encouragement and support - just ask any top sports coach. So the next time you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, remember to treat yourself with the same love, care and respect that you give to others. After all, it’s what you need to get you back on track. #selfcompassion #selfcompassionjourney #selfkindness #bekind #londonundergroundquotes #london #psychology #mentalhealth #mentalfitness #motivationtips #lifetips #selfhelp #selfcare #selflove #therapy #therapist #mentalhealthawareness #drjuliesmith #depression #selfcriticism #selfesteem #anxiety #confidence #confident #shy #selfloathing #recovery #traumarecovery (at London, Unιted Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CERvMRAjvVy/?igshid=1sbhpeoxqur7i

👉 Swipe for bloopers 😂 Please like & share this message 💖 I see so much misinformation on social media about how everyone apparently has the ability to reach their full potential and happiness is no more than a choice. But that presumes that everyone has their basic human needs met. Back in 1943, American psychologist Abraham Maslow first put forward his theory of the ‘hierarchy of needs’ - the idea that we must meet our most basic needs first, before we can seek our “higher” needs, which enable us to reach our full potential. His theory was informed by his study of exceptional people such as Albert Einstein. He suggested that Einstein is an example of the healthiest human psychology. But, the self-help industry that often claims to sell lifelong happiness, does not account for the fact that you can have any of the bottom 4 layers of the hierarchy pulled like a rug from beneath you at any point. Then a process of rebuilding must begin, before you can feel safe enough and free enough to focus on fulfilling those higher potentials. So if you are not there yet, it is not a failure. It means you have needs that are not yet being met. Or maybe the pyramid is out of balance, with too much emphasis on one of the higher needs before you have your basic health and security sorted. It is a process of meeting each of your deepest needs so that you can move on and gradually reach your full potential. This one took a few takes, so hit like and share it on! 😊🙏 #psychology #psychologist #reachyourpotential #success #motivation #inspiration #therapist #livelifetothefull #succeed #mentalhealth #depression #psychologyfacts #healing #mentalhealthawareness #therapist #mindfulness #psychologystudent #counseling #selfcare #psychologyclass #psychotherapy #love #wellness #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealth #motivation #health #inspiration #therapy #selflove #mentalillness #anxiety (at London, Unιted Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEPL4DWjdro/?igshid=1kk59mq6uibaq

⁣It’s a natural human response to push painful emotions. But when we do that, those emotions push back even harder. We find ourselves putting all our energy into blocking out that pain and it’s exhausting. The minute we let our guard down, those painful emotions come flooding in and knock us off our feet. Emotions come in waves. So if we can allow it to be present, it will take it’s natural course, increase in intensity, peak and then come back down again. There are some helpful distress tolerance skills that we can use to help get us through intense distress safely. For more on these, let me know in the comments. .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #wellness #mentalillness #meditation #love #depression #recovery #selflove #therapist #nature #mentalhealth #selfcare #happiness #healing #anxiety #ag #ptsd #psychology #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #instagram #counseling #mindfulness #trauma (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CENA5S3jHhX/?igshid=14eg1ap19a5al