Becky Appleton 
How would you describe shyness? Stereotypically, shy people are portrayed as being quiet, often loners who don’t want to stand out from the crowd, but is this really true? I was inspired to write this post whilst reading Quiet by Susan Cain, as it really got me thinking. What is shyness, and why do we … Read more
You’ve probably heard the phrase “you are what you eat”, but can the food we eat affect not only our physical health, but our mental health too? A relatively new branch of research has started to investigate the links between our diets and our mental health, with really interesting results coming from this field so … Read more
Have you ever wondered why you have so few memories of your early childhood? This phenomenon is called childhood or infantile amnesia, and is thought to occur up to around the age of 4 or 5 (Perner & Ruffman, 1995). It is our episodic memories which are affected by childhood amnesia – that is memories … Read more
Today’s post is about something I find really interesting, partly because it’s something which affects me – number form synaesthesia. I’ve mentioned this before in my post on types of synaesthesia (to read more click here) but it’s something I’ve wanted to find out more about. To recap, and for those of you who haven’t … Read more
Having a strong network of family and friends around us is generally perceived as a good thing, meaning we have people to talk to if we have a problem or help us when we are in need. However, what if there’s more to it, and having a social network (the real, not the Facebook kind) … Read more
Self care is a bit of a buzz word at the moment, with tonnes of articles about the benefits of taking time out to look after yourself. Sometimes, self care is used as another way to describe pampering, with things like bubble baths or face masks cited as a type of self care. Self care … Read more
Introversion and extroversion are probably two of the most widely known personality traits. Stereotypically, an introvert is characterised by someone who is quiet and shy, and prefers to spend time alone. In contrast, an extrovert is usually loud and boisterous, and always needs to be surrounded by people. The words extrovert and introvert were first … Read more
As we’re now approaching exam season, this week’s post is looking at the best way to learn new information. Hopefully this will be helpful to those of you revising at the moment! Consider these two scenarios, and have a think about which one describes your learning approach. 1. You need to learn about the theory … Read more
Imagine living with depression. It affects every aspect of your life, from your work to the time you spend with your family. You experience intrusive negative thoughts. You begin to suffer from insomnia, which in turn increases feelings of anxiety. Imagine living with depression, but being told you are not ill enough to qualify for … Read more
Creativity – why does it come naturally for some, but others struggle to use their imagination? What are the best ways to encourage creativity and how do you be more creative? These are just some of the questions I’ve got about creativity, and I’d love to know how to beat the creative block. Read more … Read more