The Spark Blog
Category: tips
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Why Christmas Might Not Make Things Better
For some couples the Christmas holidays will be considered a bit of a ‘make or break’ period for their relationship. We examine why it is better to seek professional counselling now than to place all your bets on a ‘perfect’ Christmas making things better. Christmas will make things better, right? TV, social media, shops and…
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Christmas, Money and Debt
Nearly half of all Scots surveyed in a recent YouGov poll are already in debt before they spend on Christmas. Nearly 20% said they were struggling to cope and feeling stressed by personal debt on credit cards and loans. Christmas debt and relationship breakdown Debt is a major cause of stress and relationship problems for…
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Teens, Relationships and Social Media
Before the advent of social media, parents had an easier time keeping track of the teenage celebrity crush. Celebrity crushes used to be someone from music, TV, sport or film. By virtue of their prominence in mainstream media, parents had a better chance of monitoring who their son or daughter adored. Plus those stars always…
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Social Media and the Celebrity Crush
Social media has made the ‘celebrity crush’ more complicated for teens and their parents. In the first of two special blogs we look at how social media has changed the nature of the celebrity crush and how parents can help protect their children. A childhood rite of passage A celebrity crush is something of a…
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Help! They are Becoming a Teenager!
Perhaps the only thing harder than being a teenager is being a parent to one. The highs of being a parent can be joyful: watching them develop, become their own person and start to achieve their own life goals. But on the flip side the lows can be intensely challenging: arguments, rebellion, bad behaviour and…
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5 Ways to Improve your Relationship
Relationships – particularly the one we have with our partner or spouse – are vitally important. But as they are familiar and constant, we often take them for granted. Amongst the busyness of life it often feels like there is no time to ‘improve your relationship’. The good news is that even small changes can…
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Anxiety: 5 Ways to Cope Better
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues in the UK. Research in 2013 indicated there were 8.2m diagnosed cases nationally. Anxiety can be debilitating but it can be managed, allowing sufferers to get back to enjoying life. Here are 5 practical ways to cope with anxiety1. 1. Get the jumble of thoughts…
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5 Ways to Be Happier at Work
The research is in and being sick is the only thing that makes us more unhappy than work. Apologies if you are reading this at work as we have probably made your day that little bit harder. But fear not, we are offering up 5 ways to help make you feel happier at work. But…
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Parents’ Guide to Exam Results Stress
The wait for Scottish high school exam results is likely to be almost as stressful for parents as it is for their children. In the second part of our exam results blog, we offer our advice for parents about coping with exam results stress. Looking for advice for young people receiving exam results? Read our…
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