Ampara Bouwens Psychology Services

24/08/2022

Kia ora!

I am trying to fundraise $500 to help BirdCare Aotearoa - a wonderful charity that cares for more than 6,000 sick, injured and orphaned wild birds every year. They need our support to continue their life-saving work.

Please help me to help the wild birds of Aotearoa by making a donation through my page.
I will run 21,1 km in return.. 🏃🏽‍♀️

It only takes a minute and any money you can give (no matter how large or small) will go a long way to helping me reach my target.

Thank you, I really appreciate your support - and so do our beautiful feathered friends!

Ngā mihi,
Ampara

27/06/2021

What’SUP 🏄🏽

21/10/2020

The environment can influence either positively or negatively a person’s mental well-being. The effects of our changing climate—economic uncertainty, job insecurity, extreme and volatile weather patterns, and displacement—also influence mental health. 
Air pollution, among other environmental threats, is particularly harmful, both physically—through damage to our lungs, heart, etc.—and mentally. There is now growing evidence of a link between certain air pollutants and mental illnesses such as depression, dementia, anxiety and su***de.

Up until recently, the role that a healthy environment plays in safeguarding human health had been greatly neglected, but this is changing. By helping nature we also improve our well-being.  
What will you do today to help our planet?

11/10/2020

Life is short. Run the race. Get the medal. Eat the free banana. 🏃‍♀️🥇🍌.

16/09/2020

⁣It’s all about cognitive reframing. Stubborn becomes perseverant, impulsive becomes spontaneous, I have to becomes I can choose to, failure becomes learning, cleaning the toilet becomes having a plumbing system, doing groceries becomes having money to spend and client cancellations become adventures with Beaubina 🐾

09/07/2020

This book will be a must read for parents, mindful or not.. Can’t wait for Shirley’s book!

Shirley's book 'The Mindful Parent' is on it's way to be printed right now! Watch this space for launch and pre-order details :)

25/03/2020

Find calm amidst the COVID-19 storm by learning mindfulness online. This 4-week, online mindfulness course developed by Clinical Psychologist Chantal Hofstee has been updated to fit our current situation of stress and uncertainty. Do the course alone or make it a family affair (it is suitable for kids!) and learn about the brain, mindfulness, emotions and how to protect your mental health in times of stress.

Get a 40% discount with the discount code RENEWYOURMIND

https://renewyourmind.thinkific.com/courses/mindfulnesscourse

24/03/2020

3 tips to maintain your mental health while dealing with COVID-19

1. Accept anxiety. Don’t push it away. When you label the anxiety you are feeling as something bad, your brain will misinterpret this and will download stress chemicals in your system. That will make your anxiety worse. Accept the feeling that you have and ride that wave.
2. Remind yourself you have good mental muscles to tolerate uncertainty. You have already been living a life with a lot of uncertainty. Think about every morning you got in your car where you manage a lot of uncertainty on the road. Going to the gym and exposing upper body to potential injuries. Negotiating a business deal. Tolerating uncertainty is not new, you have done this before.
3. Be self compassionate. You will be experiencing a tremendous amount of emotions. Fear, anxiety, anger, sadness. Don’t beat yourself up for feeling this. Don’t expect yourself to manage all these emotions. By doing so, you will create a hostile psychological environment, making it worse. Instead, give yourself a break and do things you enjoy. Support yourself so you can be in a better headspace to use all your other tools effectively.

Your health is my priority and I will keep my practice open however, this will be through Telehealth. Research shows that they can be just as effective as in-person appointments, and we can continue your care without interruption. If you're interested, let me know and I'll make the necessary arrangements.

10/03/2020

The mental boost you get from adventure travel can be even more significant than the physical one. Wandering the pristine wilderness in the world can profoundly affect your perspective – with time to pause and reflect, your everyday problems may seem insignificant compared with the bigger picture.
Being exposed to the new situations and cultures that travel brings about can also reboot your brain in ways you never thought possible. The daily cares that dominate your thoughts will vanish as snow in the sun.

With a steady supply of fresh air, your body will react positively. You’ll have more energy, and your brain will function better. It’s not just the air that makes a difference; spending time in a natural environment actually improves your focus and attention.

Secondly, travel makes people happier, and happy people have levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, that are 23 percent lower than those of unhappy people.

Spending time outdoors makes us feel good about ourselves and others, but another one of the health benefits of traveling is an improved immune system. According to recent studies, leisurely trips to a wilderness area boosted the immune system for more than 30 days.
Lastly, your nanna told you and it’s still true today: if you get enough fresh air and exercise, you’ll sleep better. Sleep is important to physical and mental health.

More then enough reasons to plan your next
@ East Cape, New Zealand

11/02/2020

Although not widely recognised outside of the combat sports world, almost everyone who is a part of it speaks positively about the link between combat sports and mental health.

And technically, this is true of all exercise. There’s a wealth of evidence to suggest that keeping fit is good for your mind as well as body.

But what exactly are the benefits of exercise to your mental health? And what specific benefits does martial arts have?

Firstly, the release of endorphins will make you feel happy.
And endorphins don’t just have short-term impacts, lower endorphin levels have been linked to depression and anxiety.

Secondly, you will find your new crowd. Dealing with mental health issues is never easy, but it’s a whole lot easier when you have a supportive community around you.
Combat sports classes are a great way to find lifelong friends. Nothing brings you closer quite like kicking lumps out of each other.

Furthermore, Learning a martial art is full of challenges, and each time you overcome one of those challenges your self esteem receives a massive boost.

Lastly and this might surprise some, but martial arts has actually been proven to improve brain performance.
Combat sports have been linked to improved working memory and increased focus! 🥊

26/01/2020

Grateful for the sunrise! ☀️ Gratitude impacts our brain in several ways. First, on a structural level, the practice of gratitude has been linked to two areas of the brain in particular: the hypothalamus and the left prefrontal cortex. Though small in size, the hypothalamus is mighty in function, and it impacts things like our stress level, our sleep, and even our metabolism. The left prefrontal cortex, conversely, has been linked to positive emotional states, including happiness, compassion, love, and joy.
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On a chemical level, gratitude has been linked to several neurotransmitter systems, including serotonin and dopamine. Serotonin influences a number of bodily functions and is thought to be strongly connected to our moods. Low levels of serotonin are thought by some researchers to be linked to higher rates of depression, and gratitude may increase the levels of serotonin in our brain. Dopamine, on the other hand, is considered a “feel good” neurotransmitter and plays a role in our ability to anticipate rewards and pleasure. Studies suggest that the practice of gratitude may increase levels of dopamine in our brains too. via .app