The complexities of modern dating can be challenging, and can significantly affect our mental and emotional health... Particularly if we have been on the receiving end of behaviour that is not kind. Terms like ‘love bombing’, ‘breadcrumbs', ‘ghosting' and ‘situationships’ have become so common, they are almost considered as acceptable codes of conduct. But the psychological effects can cause much stress, anxiety and a lack of self esteem.

In the first of two episodes of The Happier Life Project podcast, host Gabby Sanderson delves deep into the research conducted by mental health professionals and relationship coaches on dating. Sharing solutions and tools to help us heal and move on, if we’ve been left disappointed by someone we have started to date.

After a few great dates we can see people through rose tinted glasses. And if we are keen to pursue a relationship we can let things slide such as; lack of communication, hot and cold behaviour, or someone not actively making an effort to see us and progress the connection. Often we think ‘what did I do wrong?’ ‘What's wrong with me?’ and blame ourselves, rather than questioning the inauthentic and emotionally cruel behaviour of the person responsible for causing us turmoil.

Gabby explains why and how a love bomber disguises minimal intentions as maximum intentions. She also shares how to spot the red flags from time wasters, and why breadcrumbs are an emotionally manipulative tactic. Gabby reveals the reasons why ghosting says far more about the person and their shortcomings, who suddenly goes no contact, than it does about you. And offers suggestions on how we might learn from the experts and detach from trying to create a story from the story, move on, and redirect our energy into more positive areas of our life.

To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast To follow My Possible Self on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mypossibleself To follow Gabby on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radiogabby

Resources:

The Personal Development School’s Thais Gibson: https://university.personaldevelopmentschool.com/ Rapid Transformational Therapist Marisa Peer: https://marisapeer.com/ Women’s Dating and Confidence Coach Amber Grubenmann: https://www.ambergrubenmann.com/ Leading Dating Expert and Confidence Coach Matthew Hussey: https://matthewhussey.com/ Self Help and Life Coach Margarita Nazarenko: https://www.margaritanazarenko.com/ Dating Coach Evan Marc Katz: https://www.evanmarckatz.com/ Relationship Coach and Attachment Style Expert Stephanie Rigg: https://www.stephanierigg.com/ Psychological Well-Being Practitioner Marios Georgiou: https://theprivatetherapyclinic.co.uk/therapists/marios-georgiou/

Emotions play a crucial role in our overall mental health, acting as both messengers and influencers of our psychological well-being. Positive emotions like joy, gratitude, and love can enhance mental resilience, foster strong social connections, and improve our ability to cope with stress. But on the flip side, the more challenging emotions such as sadness, anger, jealousy or anxiety, if persistent and unaddressed, can contribute to mental health issues and illness. Understanding and managing our emotions has a positive impact on our wellbeing. By recognizing and processing our emotions, we are better equipped to deal with life’s challenges, manage strong feelings, achieve better emotional balance, enhance our mental clarity, and improve our overall quality of life.

But how do we learn to manage our emotions more effectively? For many we can feel at the mercy of our feelings, unaware that by drawing from simple techniques from within, we can help mitigate their intensity and reduce overwhelm.

This is where Dr Emma Hepburn comes in. An award winning clinical psychologist, lecturer, author and illustrator, Dr Emma has written and illustrated the books ‘A Toolkit For Happiness’, ‘A Toolkit For Modern Life’ and most recently ‘A Toolkit for Your Emotions - 45 Ways To Feel Better’. Dr Emma Hepburn is also one of the most well-known psychologists on Instagram as @thepsychologymum and has won numerous awards for her contribution to mental health awareness.

Dr Emma talks to The Happier Life Project host Gabby about how emotions are made and where they come from. She shares how emotional habits are created and what it means to be on the emotional roller coaster of life, with all of its loop the loops. Dr Emma also explains how our past history and experiences influence our brain and body to create an emotional response; and ways we can objectively step back to review if how we are feeling is more of an echo from the past, rather than an appropriate response to the present. Dr Emma reveals some of her favourite tools to manage more difficult emotions and suggests ways we might break emotional patterns that are not helpful to us. The expert psychologist also explains why we should never feel ashamed of our emotions and how we can positively influence others towards the feel good feelings too.

'A Toolkit for Your Emotions' helps readers to navigate and understand their emotions effectively. Taking a deep dive into how we feel, Dr Emma explains all the tools we need to intercept and redirect challenging emotions by offering practical strategies, exercises, and insights. Each topic is illustrated with Dr Emma's well-loved illustrations to make them accessible, meaningful and memorable. To purchase 'A Toolkit For Your Emotions' on amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/aXJOfnI To follow Dr Emma Heburn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepsychologymum

To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast To follow My Possible Self on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mypossibleself

If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, you’re not alone. According to sleepfoundation.org adults need seven or more hours of sleep per night. However more than one-third of adults sleep less than seven hours per night on average, and up to two-thirds of adults occasionally experience insomnia symptoms.

We know that sleep is critical not just for our physical health, but our mental and emotional wellbeing too. If you're sleep deficient, you may have trouble making decisions, solving problems, controlling your emotions and behavior, or coping with stressful situations and change.

Dr Kat Lederle is a sleep and body clock scientist, author, and sleep coach, who is passionate about helping others sleep well and feel good. Dr Kat sees sleep as an act of self-care, and in her work with clients combines sleep science, with learnings from Mindfulness, Acceptance Commitment Therapy and Compassion Focused Therapy.

Dr Kat talks to host Gabby about how a busy mind is the cause of many sleep problems, and why there is a 40-70% higher prevalence of insomnia in women compared to men. Dr Kat addresses some of the sleep myths and explains why we need to let go of ‘sleep rules’, leading to sleeping well again. Plus, Dr Kat shares her thoughts on how we might overcome bedtime procrastination, and some of the reasons why she believes many do not prioritize sleep enough.

Dr Kat also explains how we can work with our body clock in a gentle and compassionate way, thereby setting ourselves up for a better night's sleep.

To find out more about Dr Kat and her sleep coaching methods: https://drkatsleep.com/ Check out Dr Kat’s book ‘Sleep Sense’ which takes the reader through the science of sleep and why it is important for every single one of us, empowering you to take steps that are right for you to sleep well.

To follow Dr Kat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkatsleep/ To download the My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast To follow My Possible Self on Instagram: @mypossibleself