Articles - Anoushka Beh

6 Minutes to a Stress-Free Life?

What if I told you you could get rid of stress and heal yourself in 6 minutes? While it may sound a little too good to be true, and I’m the last person to advocate quick-fixes in therapy, that’s what James Gordon is offering as an effective solution for stress-reduction in his latest interview for Psychotherapy Networker. Gordon, who is the founder and director of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, is also a leading authority on mind-body approaches to treating depression and says that with this 6 minute “soft belly” breathing technique, you can experience immediate relief from stress. Continue Reading →

The Neurobiology of Sex

Unknown In Dr Pat Love’s latest article for Psychotherapy Networker, the researcher and couple’s specialist takes a look at how brain chemistry may lie at the heart of what makes or breaks sexual intimacy in relationships. In it, she highlights three significant points around the neurobiology of sex : (1) How understanding that passion is influenced by chemical releases in the brain is key in reducing shame and insecurity when sex isn’t working in a relationship . (2) That honesty about our sexual desires with our partners promotes satisfaction in the bedroom and (3) That you can , with the right tools and awareness, begin to revamp your sexual relationship with your partner if you want to.

Continue Reading →

Why Inspiration Matters

In ” Why Inspiration Matters” ( Psychology Today, 2011) , Scott Kaufman discusses the power of inspiration as a real driving force towards helping us achieve the goals we want in life. Not only does it boost dopamine levels in the brain, which explain the increase in motivation and positive feelings , Kaufman says “Inspiration allows us to transcend our ordinary experiences and limitations and is a strong driver of the attainment of our goals, productivity, creativity, and well-being.”. This has huge implications for how we could be learning to approach not only our professional work, but also the jobs that we do at home and in other areas of our personal lives. Imagine being able to harness the power of Inspiration to propel you with positivity through a long day in the office – and towards goals that you previously felt were beyond your reach. Continue Reading →

The Gift of Someone’s Else’s Bad Behaviour

‘Step 9 : Atonement With the Father – For if it is impossible to trust the terrifying father-face, then one’s faith must be centered elsewhere (in the Blessed Mother); and with that reliance for support, one endures the crisis—only to find, in the end, that the father and mother reflect each other, and are in essence the same.‘

– Joseph Campbell, The Monomyth

I have to say at no other point in my life would this quote have ever made sense except in the circumstances that I have recently found myself in. Having just gone through a difficult separation with my partner, I was also then faced with a lot of rather unsavoury exchanges with him over the logistics of how we would move forward to take our lives apart as a couple, but still remain co-parents of our young daughter. The practicalities and tricky nuances of which are commonly experienced by separating couples who have children. Continue Reading →

One Small Thing

There is a lot to be said about small acts of kindness – or the simple things that we can do for others, whether it’s people we know or just someone who could benefit from our help, on any given day. This post takes a look at how this one small thing can have huge impact not only on the context and community around you, but also interestingly, positive benefits for your health and wellbeing as well. Continue Reading →

Surrendering Your Story

I think one of the most powerful things we can do to create change in our lives is to give up ‘our story’. By this , I mean to let go of parameters and limiting beliefs that we have brought from previous experience into present day. When we do this, we allow ourselves to fully embrace all the opportunities and our highest potential in the here and now. Continue Reading →

The Power of Self-Compassion

Self- compassion is always an interesting and well deliberated topic in my therapy room- and it comes up ,with most clients, at least once across the sessions that I see them for. Central to the Buddhist tradition of non-duality, its often embodied in the form of a lotus flower ; a reminder of the path towards peace and unity that lies within us all. This path, of course has proven itself over and over again to be elusive even for the best of us – yet I can promise with a bit of self-work and the right tools, that you too can find a place within yourself where things just sit right – where stress falls away easily and you find yourself bouncing back from challenges with grace – where real vitality, happiness and a sense of pride runs through all the tasks and roles you take on in your life.

“You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha Continue Reading →

The Neuro-chemistry of Positive Conversations

Think about the last time you had a really good conversation with a friend. How did this conversation make you feel? What thoughts did you have while you were having it and what emotions did you leave the conversation feeling? Now think about the last time you had a negative conversation- (perhaps with your boss for example) – what thoughts and feelings did you experience then both during and after this conversation?

Chances are that during the ‘good’ conversation, you would have felt anything ranging from positive about yourself and the relationship, optimistic, uplifted, motivated, energised, supported and cared for. The negative conversation on the hand might have left you feeling negative about yourself and the relationship, threatened, disoriented, anxious, fearful, misunderstood, lethargic and less motivated. Continue Reading →

Space To Be You – why it’s important in the longterm to make sure you’re giving yourself the time and space you need amidst all of life’s demands.

This article is about coming back to you. In the age that we live in, filled with the constant distraction of emails, messages and the media ,on top of the existing demands of our ever expanding roles on the professional and personal front – it is easy for us to forget to make time for ourselves. We live in a time where so many things ( and all at the same moment) are possible – you can be watching the news on your new flatscreen tv, while looking at your Facebook feed on you computer and responding to an incoming msg from a friend on whatsapp all at the same time. Infact, for many of us, I would say this kind of multi-tasking when it comes to technological inter-facing , is not uncommon. On top of this – we have jobs , side-businesses or projects to manage , multiple hobbies, sprawling social networks, family relationships and both personal and professional events to constantly juggle. Thats a lot and certainly enough to make it difficult to prioritise personal space. Continue Reading →

Self-Sabotage – Are You Getting in the Way of Your Own Happiness and Success?

It’s not uncommon in therapy for me to work with clients who desperately want to achieve a personal goal – such as to be in a fulfilling relationship, save more money, lose weight, or find a dream job – yet somehow find themselves engaging in behaviours and beliefs which indirectly or even actively prevent them from manifesting these dreams. Perhaps you can relate to this and also have something in your life which you have been wanting to achieve for some time now, but for some reason , have been struggling to find success with. At the heart of this , could be an unconscious process, which is pulling you away from taking constructive action and instead pushing you towards engaging in behaviours that reinforce the very situation you dislike or even fear. Continue Reading →