Look after

your wellbeing
A guide and toolkit to wellbeing
What is emotional wellbeing?
Emotional wellbeing is a state of balance and resilience.

It is not about being ‘happy’ all the time. It’s about feeling
at ease with ourselves and others, engaging with the
world around us and being able to cope with whatever
comes our way.

Your emotional wellbeing MOT

This booklet can be used as a guide and toolkit to learn
about your emotional wellbeing and how to improve it.

Therapy Transforms Lives

Therapy can help anyone to transform their life and improve
their emotional wellbeing, no matter who they are or how big a
problem may seem.
harleytherapy.com connects you with registered, qualified
therapists across the UK. You can choose to talk online, by
phone or face-to-face near you. Next day appointments
available.
Find the right therapist for you at harleytherapy.com
Your wellbeing now
First consider where your wellbeing is now.
Asking these questions can help you to reflect
on your emotional wellbeing.

How am I feeling lately? What habits do I have?

Are you feeling anxious, lonely
and low or confident, optimistic
and relaxed? Psychological
wellbeing involves being able
to feel and acknowledge the
complete spectrum of our
emotions with acceptance.
What are my thoughts?
Are your thoughts self-critical or
optimistic? Have you been able
to think clearly lately?
Have they recently changed?
Have you started drinking
alcohol or smoking more? Are
you experiencing over-eating,
shopping or gambling habits?
How is my physical health?
Has your appetite or sleeping
pattern changed? Is stress
affecting your health or are you
feeling ‘run down’?

Wellbeing is dynamic
Your wellbeing can change from moment to moment and it is
natural to have a range of emotions. However, if reflecting on
the above questions has made you feel you might be struggling
at the moment, sometimes the safe and supportive environment
a professional therapist offers can help you to understand how
you are feeling and to find new ways to move forward. You can
find available therapists across the UK at harleytherapy.com
 Your wellbeing now
Use this space to document how you feel now.
By reflecting on how you feel frequently you
can improve your self-awareness. A high level of
emotional awareness can help you to learn from
your feelings. For example, if you feel sad, you can
reflect on why this is so and then make choices that
improve your wellbeing more easily.
Your wellbeing toolkit
There are practical ways for you to enhance your
emotional wellbeing. We have complied a list of activities
that impact your emotional wellbeing positively.

Time in nature Yoga & meditation

Time with friends Exercise

Volunteering Journaling

Dancing Deep breathing

Gratitude and Reading uplifting

mindfulness books

Being creative Uplifting music

 Your wellbeing exercise
Take a moment to think about your current
and future emotional wellbeing activities.
Is there room for improvement?

What 3 things do you practice already?

1

3
What 3 things would you like to practice?

3
If you would like some help to improve your emotional
wellbeing, a therapist can help you to find new ways of living
that are more positive for you. You can contact a therapist near
you or by Skype or phone at harleytherapy.com
Negative thinking loops
Change your thoughts, change your life.

Negative thinking leads to negative thoughts and actions,

which create yet more negative thoughts. Cognitive
behavioural therapy (CBT) troubleshoots this loop by
supplementing positive or balanced thoughts.

Breaking a negative thought loop

The strategy below is just one way of combating a
negative thought loop. With any new habit, the more
the habit is practised, the easier it becomes.
If you’re finding it hard to break your own negative
thinking loops, you can get in touch with a therapist for
help at harleytherapy.com

Step 1 Recognise and acknowledge a negative thought

e.g I hate my job.

Step 2 Find the exact opposite of the negative thought

e.g I love my job.

Step 3 Find a balance between the two thoughts

e.g Some days my job is boring, but it is the career
track I want to be on and I like my colleagues.
 Thinking loop exercise
Using the example opposite, think of a negative
thinking loop that you could change.

My negative thought is...

The opposite of this thought is...

A balanced perspective of this thought is...

Gratitude practice
The benefits of practicing gratitude are impressive.
People who take the time to notice and reflect on
feelings they are thankful for experience better wellbeing.

Research shows that practising gratitude can lead to less

anxiety and depression, better sleep, higher energy levels, a
reduction in physical ailments and improved relationships.*
You don’t have to be grateful for everything, all of the time.
You may be grateful for something that seems very small, but
made a positive impact on your day.
It may help to think about many different areas of your life
when practising gratitude:

Home Money Social life

Work Health Relationships

Spirituality Creativity Family

*for studies on gratitude go to:

harleytherapy.co.uk/counselling/practicing-gratitude-mood.htm
 Gratitude exercise
Each day think of three things that you are grateful for
and three things you are grateful for about yourself. Just
thinking about positive experiences can lift your mood.

Today I am grateful for...

1

I am grateful that I...

Finding it difficult to practice gratitude? You can get in touch

with specialist therapist at harleytherapy.com
Mindfulness practice
Mindfulness is the practice of bringing your full
attention to the present moment and accepting the
feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations that you are
experiencing in the here and now.

The practice of mindfulness has been around for many years.

It is an evidence-based activity that leads to lower anxiety
and depression levels, helps to manage impulsivity and aids
increased attention and creativity.

How to practice mindfulness

Mindfulness practice is being aware and fully-immersed in
something, whether you are drinking a cup of tea, walking
in the park or simply just breathing. Mindfulness involves
taking the time to fully focus on one thing, as it happens.
For example, when drinking a cup of tea, consider how
the cup feels in your hands.
How does the cup feel? Is it smooth? Heavy? Warm?
How does the tea taste? Sweet? Smooth? Bitter?

How long should I practice for?

There are no ‘musts’ or set rules for mindfulness practice.
Practising for just ten minutes is better than none at all.
 Mindfulness exercise
Get relaxed
Sit gently in a chair and breathe deeply.
Relax your shoulders and your neck.
Let your arms rest beside you.
Let your feet sink into the ground.

Become aware
What sensations can you feel in your body?
What can you smell, hear and taste?
What can you see in your environment?
Gently close your eyes...
What are your thoughts? How do you feel?

Tips
Try not to judge what you find, but let thoughts and feelings
arise and pass, like clouds in a sky. Many therapists also
integrate mindfulness into their approach nowadays. If this
is something that is important to you, it is worth finding a
therapist who includes this in how they work.
You can find out whether a therapist uses mindfulness in
their practice before booking a session with them when you
book counselling on harleytherapy.com
Do you need support?
Wondering when it is time to go to therapy?
Talking therapy creates a safe space to explore
what is upsetting or challenging us.

There are lots of reasons someone might start therapy.

It might be that you are struggling to cope with difficult life
events, such as a bereavement or the loss of a job, or that an
important relationship is not working. Many people also go to
therapy because they want to make positive changes in their
life or they are just not feeling themselves at the moment.

Questions to consider
Is my emotional health and emotional wellbeing making day-
to-day living complicated?
Do I want to explore myself and understand my behaviour
and emotions better?
Do I want support to make positive changes in my life?

Therapy Transforms Lives

We believe that therapy can help anyone to transform their
lives, no matter who they are or how big a problem may seem.
Therapy can be used to improve your emotional wellbeing.
You can find out more at harleytherapy.com
Trying therapy
There are lots of different types of talking therapies but
they all have the same goal of helping you to feel better
able to cope with your emotions and the things that
happen in your life.

For some issues and conditions, one type of therapy may

be better suited than another. Different therapies also suit
different people.
Humanistic
Humanistic therapies focus on our human
potential. How can you use your inner
resources to create a life that feels good?

Cognitive
Cognitive therapies focus on the ways we think
and behave. How can you adjust your thinking
so you make emotionally healthier choices?

Psychodynamic
Psychodynamic therapies focus on the way past
experiences inform the ways you now think and
act. How can you understand and resolve your
issues so that you are free to live fully?

All the therapists on harleytherapy.com are registered,

qualified and insured. You can search for therapists based on
the issues or ways of working you would prefer, so that you
are matched with the best therapist for you.
 How harleytherapy.com
can help you

Whenever you’re ready, we’re here to help you book

therapy online with qualified, professional counsellors and
psychotherapists easily and quickly, at the times and prices that
suit you, wherever you are across the UK.

Choose to talk online, over the phone or in person.

Ready to get started?

Get 10% off your first counselling session today.
Enter code THERAPYHELPS at the checkout.*

Find out more today at harleytherapy.com

*One use per person. Expires 31/12/2018.

See website for full terms and conditions. @HarleyTherapy