PAC Counselling

14/01/2026

Why does January Feels So Heavy and long? 💭

After the highs of Christmas, January can feel flat, lonely, and overwhelming.

🌚Dark days.
💰Tight budgets.
🆕️Pressure to “start fresh.”

If you’re struggling, it doesn’t mean you’re failing.

💫Dont set expectations to high!
🧍‍♂️Take small steps!
💪🌞Get daylight & gentle movement!
🗣Talk it out!

Be kind to yourself.
Support is here 🤍

01/01/2026

Take an empty jar and some Post-it notes.

Each Sunday until the end of the year, write one positive from your week, a moment that made a difference.

✅️ a great workout
✅️ a walk/run
✅️ a great catch-up with a friend
✅️ family time
✅️ date night
✅️ quality time with someone
✅️ accomplished a task

By December, you’ll see how powerful the small wins really are ❤️

31/12/2025

✨ New Year. New Start. ✨

Mental health doesn’t change overnight, it grows with tiny, kind choices.

🧠 Start small:

• Me time: 5 quiet minutes counts

• Journaling: one sentence is enough

• Movement: stretch, walk, exercise

• Food: add one nourishing choice, not perfection

🌱 Healthy habits to maintain in 2026

Consistency over intensity.
Progress over pressure.

You don’t need a new life, just a gentler way of living in the one you have. 💛

20/12/2025

Holiday Stress vs. Holiday Joy 🎄

The holidays don’t have to be perfect to be meaningful.

It’s okay if the season feels
❄️messy
❄️emotional
❄️overwhelming at times.

🌟️Lower expectations
🌟Protect your energy.

➡️You don’t need to attend every event
➡️please everyone
➡️keep every tradition alive.

✅️Real moments matter more than picture perfect ones.

Your perfect Christmas is on your terms

10/12/2025

🎄 CHRISTMAS THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR… RIGHT? 🎄

✨ …But not for everyone. And that’s okay. ✨

For many, the holidays bring joy, warmth and connection.
But for others, this season quietly carries:

💔 Grief ➡️ Missing someone who should still be here.
💸 Financial strain ➡️The pressure to “make it perfect.”
🍷 Addiction triggers ➡️ Parties, stress and old habits resurfacing.
🏠 Loneliness ➡️ Feeling alone in a room full of people.
🧠 Overwhelm ➡️ Expectations, memories, and emotional fatigue.

If this season feels heavy instead of magical…
Please remember: It’s okay not to feel okay.
Your feelings are real. Your experience matters.

You don’t have to carry this alone.
🎁 Sometimes the greatest gift you can give yourself is support.

11/11/2025

🌱 When the Smallest Things Feel Like Too Much 🌱

Have you ever had one of those days when the smallest things seem to weigh you down?

🧹Like a pile of little tasks
😒minor annoyances
💭even just your own thoughts start to feel overwhelming?

🌟You’re not alone. It’s a sign your mind and body need care.🌟

🫁 Pause & Breathe
❤️ Acknowledge Your Feelings
🔢 Break Things Down
🫂Reach Out for Support

03/11/2025

✨ Energy is contagious protect yours fiercely.

🌿 Surround yourself with peace, not chaos.
🌿 Ways to Protect Your Energy:

🚫Set boundaries “NO” is a full sentence.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧Spend time with people who lift you up, not drain you.

⏰️Take breaks rest is productive.

🗣Limit negative news & gossip.

🏞Ground yourself in nature or quiet moments.

🙏Keep your space clean and calm.

💪Listen to your body, it knows when enough is enough.

27/10/2025

💫 New beginnings

You can’t open new doors while clutching old keys.
You can’t open new doors with your hands full of the past

Every closed door you stare at blinds you to the open ones ahead.

Every closed door you keep staring at steals your view of the sunrise ahead. 🌅

Growth starts when you unclench your grip and make space for something new.
Let go. Breathe. Step forward. 🌿

Growth begins where the past ends. ✨

17/10/2025

World mental health day 2025.

A big thank you to Errigall for inviting me to take part in their Lunch and Learn session for World Mental Health Day 2025.
A real pleasure to see Errigal taking such care of their team’s mental health.

🌍 Ahead of World Mental Health Day tomorrow, we came together at Errigal for a special Lunch & Learn to mark the occasion. 💙

We were honoured to welcome guest speakers from SOSAD, Solas Monaghan, Disability NI, and PAC Counselling, who shared invaluable insights on how we can make mental health care more accessible for everyone.

As we approach World Mental Health Day, we’re reminded that when life feels uncertain, access to mental health support is essential. No one should have to face a crisis alone - and here at Errigal, help, compassion, and understanding are always within reach. 💙

10/10/2025

🌍💚 World Mental Health Day: 10th October 💚🌍

What is Mental Health?
It’s how we think, feel, and cope with life from stress and relationships to rest and purpose. Just like physical health, it needs daily care and attention.

✨ Simple ways to boost your mental health:

💭 Talk about how you feel➡️ don’t bottle it up.
🚶 Move your body ➡️ even a short walk helps.
🤝 Stay connected ➡️ reach out to someone today.
😴 Prioritise rest ➡️ your brain needs it as much as your body.
🌱 Do one thing that nourishes you➡️ read, breathe, listen, create.

Let’s make mental health everyone’s business starting with our own. 💬💚

07/10/2025

🌿 PTSD – When the Body Stays in Survival Mode 🌿

PTSD can happen after trauma:
🌬an accident
🌬loss
🌬abuse
🌬or any event that overwhelms our sense of safety.

⚡️It’s not weakness. It’s your body and brain trying to protect you long after the danger has passed.

💛 Healing begins when safety returns.
Through counselling, you can:
✨ Process memories safely
✨ Calm the nervous system
✨ Reconnect with yourself and others

You don’t have to face it alone. Help is here. 🌱

30/09/2025

🌟 Why do we hide our other emotions? 🌟

We often share only the highlights , our “best life.” 📸✨
But sadness, fear, and struggle are just as human as joy and success. 💔➡️💖

Hiding these parts doesn’t make them go away… it just makes us feel more alone. 🤐😔

💡 Remember: your full range of emotions deserves space, compassion, and understanding. 🌱💙

🌍Sharing the real you can be healing for yourself, and for others who might be struggling too. 🌍

🤝Don't be afraid to tell someone how you are really doing the next time they ask.