Stuttering. The speech stopper. The verbal blockade.

Stuttering. The speech stopper. The verbal blockade.

James Sweeney

I am very proud to say that as of the start of this week I had the honour of writing a blog that has been posted on the Henley Careers blog page! It is a huge honour and achievement for me and my business and it is a massive step in the right direction for my developing career. The blog itself is all about Stuttering and as National Stuttering day was on the 22nd of October I feel like it is a great time to learn more about Stuttering and how it can affect people in the world of work.

I want to say a massive thank you to Sarah Chorley and the rest of the Henley Careers team for giving me the chance to write this blog and I hope we can work together more in the future! The blog is live now so if you are interested, please take a look. If you read the blog and enjoy it there are plenty more blogs on both my page and the Henley Careers page!

Henley Careers's avatarHenley Careers Blog

Stuttering affects approximately 68 million people in the world, but do we ever stop and think about how a stutter will affect someone in and around the world of work?

Stuttering is a condition that I think doesn’t get the focus that it needs. People think that a stutter just affects how you speak but it can affect you at a much deeper level too. In this blog, we are going to be taking a closer look at what exactly a stutter is and then we are going to look at stuttering in the world of work, how it affects people in interviews and how employers could potentially behave if they are interviewing someone with a stutter.

What is a stutter?

Stuttering is a condition that has a lot of different definitions. Personally I like the definition provided by the NHS, as it breaks stuttering down into three separate definitions:

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Alzheimer’s Avoidance – Blog 5: Listening to Music?

Alzheimer’s Avoidance – Blog 5: Listening to Music?

James Sweeney

Music – one of the biggest art forms in the world is, on average, listened to by people for around 5 hours per day. people who listen to music do so for a whole number of different reasons. Some people listen to music to help them relax, some to help them focus and some to just simply pass the time. People use and listen to music near;y every day but has anyone stopped to think about how listening to music can affect your chances of getting Alzheimer’s?

Hello and Welcome to Sweeney’s Blogs!

Today’s blog is going to be the fifth blog in the Alzheimer’s Avoidance series and is going to be about how listening to music can help reduce your chance of getting Alzheimer’s/ Dementia. Listening to music can help trigger emotional memories and is a real help to people with Alzheimer’s but also to people who do not have the condition.

I could go into detail describing the ways that music helps people with Alzheimer’s but I have found a few videos that do a much better job. the two videos in this blog are both fairly short but add so much more value in comparison to the words that I could use.

This first video always makes me smile. The sheer difference that music makes to Carol’s confidence and memory is astounding and the emotion that you can feel from her and her husband is a great feeling. Watching how a person can go from barely speaking to singing along to a song due to the power of music is a pleasure to watch and goes to show the effect that music can have on a person with Alzheimer’s.

The reaction and recognition that the music brings is really interesting to look at and to think about. Although the video is aimed at people who do have Alzheimer’s it does also apply to people who do not have the condition. triggering old memories can be a really good thing to do and is something that I highly encourage if you are dealing with someone who is or isn’t at risk of getting Alzheimer’s!

The second video that we are going to watch goes into a bit more depth and covers more of the educational side of music and Alzheimer’s.

I found that this video was a very interesting watch and there was one part that I found was worded excellently. This part is when one of the children is speaking near the end. he says that memories make us who we are and without them, we start to lose meaning. he says that it is really nice to have the chance to bring that meaning back to the lives of the old people who they are helping.

I could go into more detail on the topic but I feel like the videos really do it justice. they show not only the logic behind music and Alzheimer’s but also show the emotional reaction that the music generates. It really is an interesting theory to look into and there are a lot more videos and posts available if it interests you.

The happiness and smiles that you can see in the elderly people when they start listening to music is a pleasure to see and helps us see that there is still something there. There is still a part of the person left and that is something worth holding on to! Watching videos on music and Alzheimer’s helps me see that even though Alzheimer’s is a terrible condition that destroys lives, we can still be happy and enjoy music through it.

That is all I want to talk about in today’s blog! What do you all think? Did you know that there is a connection between Music and Alzheimers? Do you know any other techniques used to reduce the risk of getting Alzheimer’s? What sings would you have ion your playlist?

Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed the blog. See you in the next one!

Sweeney’s Blogs

Any money donated here will be put back into the business. This can be through marketing campaigns, upgrades to plans or for setting up future events!

£5.00

James

Resilience — Cristian Mihai

Resilience — Cristian Mihai

James Sweeney

“You never know how strong you are… until being strong is the only choice you have.” – Cayla Mills I’m going to tell you something no motivational speaker would ever dare tell you: genuine strength can’t be taught, learned, bought, borrowed, or understood. Genuine strength, defined as the ambition, courage, and stamina to do whatever you […]

via Resilience — Cristian Mihai

Alzheimer’s Avoidance – Blog 4: A Good Social Life

Alzheimer’s Avoidance – Blog 4: A Good Social Life

James Sweeney

A good social life can have lots of different benefits but have you ever thought of what it can do for your mind? Quite a lot of people talk about how a good social group can help you with motivation and support but have you ever thought that it can help reduce your chances of getting Alzheimer’s? That’s what we are going to be talking about in today’s blog.

Hello and Welcome to Sweeney’s Blogs!

Today’s blog is the fourth blog in the Alzheimer’s Avoidance series and is going to be about how a good social life can help reduce your risk of getting Alzheimer’s. One of the biggest variables when it comes to Alzheimer’s and Dementia is how much you are stimulating your mind. The first three blogs in this series have all discussed topics in relation to stimulating your mind even if they haven’t been specifically labelled as doing so.

Stimulating your mind does keep it active and that is the most important thing to do to help lower your chance of getting Alzheimer’s. An example of how the other blogs link to mental stimulation can be as simple as follows. Take last weeks blog all about puzzle games. Puzzle games are designed to test your mind and make you think of creative solutions to problems. This problem-solving skill that you have to put into practice will no doubt keep your mind active, hence stimulating your brain.

So now back to how a good social life can help stimulate your mind and reduce your chance of getting Alzheimer’s. Getting out of the house for a day or two can work wonders for your mind in a number of different ways. Firstly, the fresh air itself will do your body the world of good.

Secondly and the most important part is communicating with people. Communicating with people, as you can imagine, requires you to think about what you say and have opinions based on the topic of conversation. The process of thinking about what you are going to say or talk about next does keep your mind constantly active. It allows you to relax and speak to people while ensuring you that your mind is still working as it should.

As stated in the previous blogs in this series, I am not saying that you have to go out every day to experience the benefits of a good social life. Even if you only go out once a week then you are still getting that little bit extra time of mental stimulation compared to other people. Going out once a week is still much better for you than not going out at all.

Where you will see the most difference is if you do not go out at all and don’t communicate with people. Being stuck in the same four walls, day after day, does not help you out at all. It severely affects both your Physical and Mental Health and is simply not that good for you. If you can’t go out for one week for a specific reason that is completely fine, if you purposely isolate yourself from the world, for whatever reason, it won’t help you in the long run.

In regards to what you can do with your social life, it is completely up to you! If you like playing bingo then try and go to the bingo once a week, if you like something else then try that! The actual activity that you do doesn’t really matter, it’s getting out of the house and doing something which is important!

That’s all I want to talk about in today’s blog! What do you all think? Do you think a good social life lowers your chance of getting Alzheimer’s? Can you think fo anything else that can help lower your chance of getting Alzheimer’s? DO you have a good social life? Are you going to try and have a better one? Let me know what you think of the above questions and any other questions you have in the comments below or on our Facebook page!

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the blog and have a great day! See you in the next one!

We ALL Have Mental Health: Let’s Talk About It — Peace from Panic

We ALL Have Mental Health: Let’s Talk About It — Peace from Panic

James Sweeney

It’s Mental Illness Awareness Week and tomorrow, October 10, is World Mental Health Day. So let’s talk about it! Yesterday I had a wonderful opportunity to speak to a group of elementary, middle school, and high school counselors about mental illness. I’m a presenter for Ending the Silence, a mental health awareness program by the […]

via We ALL Have Mental Health: Let’s Talk About It — Peace from Panic

World Mental Health Day — Seema Kataria Blog

World Mental Health Day — Seema Kataria Blog

James Sweeney

This has been my all-time valued question. How are you? Sometimes, we have to ask this more frequently, even when we hear “I am fine.” Seriously, there is so much more to ‘I am fine.’ ‘I am good.’ ‘Leave me alone.’ Sometime back, I happen to write a one-liner observing how this person has been […]

via World Mental Health Day — Seema Kataria Blog

Alzheimer’s Avoidance – Blog 3: Puzzle Games

Alzheimer’s Avoidance – Blog 3: Puzzle Games

James Sweeney

Puzzle Games, some people love them some people hate them but have you ever stopped and thought about how they can be good for you? It is said that if you do puzzle games regularly then you are less likely to get Alzheimer’s/Dementia and that is what we are going to be looking at in today’s blog!

Hello and Welcome to Sweeney’s Blogs!

Today’s blog is going to be the third blog in the Alzheimer’s Avoidance series and is going to be about how puzzle games help lower your risk of getting Alzheimer’s/ Dementia. Puzzle games, as inclined by the name, are usually challenging and do encourage you to think. They encourage you to constantly stimulate your brain to think of the right answer. To most people this is common knowledge but if we stop and think about it the links to how it reduces your chances of getting Alzheimer’s can be quite clear.

An article that I found on LittleThings, https://www.littlethings.com/alzheimers-puzzles-and-games/, helps talk us through the process. A scientific study conducted in 2012 found that people who stay “mentally engaged” through life have lower levels of a protein called beta-amyloid which is found in the brain. Beta-amyloid protein can “clump up to form hardened plaques that destroy memory and thinking skills”. These clumps of beta-amyloid are often found in people who do suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. They do also briefly mention another study which found that people who do complete regular puzzles aren’t affected by Alzheimer’s until later life.

The best thing about these studies os how easy it actually is to find puzzle games to do. If we’re doing them in real life then it is as easy as going to a local shop and picking up a puzzle book. The puzzles could be word searches, crosswords, find the difference, it doesn’t matter. The type of game is irrelevant, it is the fact that you are stimulating your brain is the important part. What I would advise however is to do something that you enjoy. Don’t just do crosswords cos you think it’ll help, do them if you enjoy them.

If you have a phone/ tablet it is even easier. You could type into google puzzle games or you can just browse through the app store.  There are millions upon millions of different puzzle games out there and they can be really easy to find. I would say to try and go for the free games but if you do want to pay for you apps that is still completely fine.

I’ll set a challenge on this page. If you don’t do many puzzle games in your free time, I want you to try at least one a day. Even if you just do the crossword in the local paper, one a day os the challenge. Give yourself five to ten minutes to really stimulate your brain. As well as helping reduce the chances of getting Alzheimer’s it does also help you build your mental strength and broaden your knowledge.

That is all I want to talk about in today’s blog! What do you all think? Did you know puzzle games can reduce your chance of getting Alzheimer’s? Are you going to start doing more puzzle games? Do you know any other ways to reduce your chance of getting Alzheimer’s? Let me know what you think in the comments. All feedback is appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and I hope you have a great day,

Sweeney’s Blogs

Any money donated here will be put back into the business. This can be through marketing campaigns, upgrades to plans or for setting up future events!

£5.00

James

How to Creatively Think Your Way Out of Your Problems — Self Development

James Sweeney

category:self_improvement_and_motivation article: Have you caught yourself saying that there could be no other solution to a problem, and that the problem just leads to a dead end? Have you sometimes felt stumped feeling that a problem can’t be solved? Did it feel like you had exhausted all possibilities and yet you still have this large,…

via How to Creatively Think Your Way Out of Your Problems — Self Development

Fail. And Keep Failing — Cristian Mihai

Fail. And Keep Failing — Cristian Mihai

James Sweeney

“The secret of life…is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” – Paulo Coelho The bitter truth is that no one who’s good at something knows much about why they’re good. The secret got lost after thousands and thousands of failures. The thing is, they subconsciously know it’s simple: you fail and […]

via Fail. And Keep Failing — Cristian Mihai

Alzheimer’s Avoidance – Blog 2: Regular Exercise

Alzheimer’s Avoidance – Blog 2: Regular Exercise

James Sweeney

It is often said that exercise leads to a healthy mind in a healthy body but have you ever stopped to think about how that relates to Alzheimer’s/ Dementia? Did you know that regular exercise can reduce your chance of getting Alzheimer’s/ Dementia? If you know someone who already has the condition it can slow down their rate of deterioration. You could say that reducing your chances of getting Alzheimer’s is a walk and is going to be what we are talking about today.

Hello and Welcome to Sweeney’s Blogs!

Today’s blog is going to be the second blog in the Alzheimer’s Avoidance series and is going to focus on exercise. Regular exercise can play a vital role when it comes to reducing your chances of getting Alzheimer’s. As well as reducing your chances of getting Alzheimer’s it also allows you to keep fit and active leading to a healthier body.

A post published on the New York Times’s website back in 2014, https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/07/02/can-exercise-reduce-alzheimers-risk/, discusses whether or not exercise can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. The article starts out by talking about how exercise helps keep the “brain robust” in people that are at an increased risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease.

The article goes on to say that even “moderate amounts of physical activity” help reduce the risk of getting Alzheimer’s. This point is crucial. The point of this blog is to say to do regular exercise, it doesn’t matter how much you do. Even a small walk a day can make a big difference when it comes to keeping the brain active. That is the main focus of the exercise, it is keeping the brain active and working.

I’m not saying that if you walk miles and miles every day then you are definitely not going to get Alzheimer’s as that just is not the case. What I am saying though is that if you do regular exercise each day, even if that is only a small walk, then it is going to help reduce your chance of getting Alzheimer’s whilst also helping keep fit and maintain good physical health.

Regular exercise does have a lot of benefits for your social life too which help a lot in reducing the chance of Alzheimer’s. Communicating with different people regularly requires you to keep thinking and keeping your brain active which can again reduce your chances. Regular exercise can be quick and easy and can have a lot of rewards for both your physical and mental health.

That is all I want to talk about in today’s blog! As I mentioned last week the blogs in this series may be a bit shorter than my usual blogs but the content is still important! Exercise brings us lots of rewards even if we only do small tasks every day. Whilst being a good tool at reducing your risk of Alzheimer’s, it can also be great for your physical health and your social life!

Can you think of anything that you want to see in this series? Do you know any ways to reduce the chance of getting Alzheimer’s? Do you do regular exercise? Does this blog make you think about doing more exercise? Let me know what you think! Feedback is always appreciated on this page – be it positive or negative!

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great day!

Sweeney’s Blogs

Any money donated here will be put back into the business. This can be through marketing campaigns, upgrades to plans or for setting up future events!

£5.00

James

Ambitious Dreams Bring Inspiration — Shooting For The Moon — Self Development

James Sweeney

Ambitious dreams bring inspiration. They’re the only kind that have the power to make you happy. The world is full of people who’re afraid of reaching for their dreams in case they’re disappointed. A lot of parents teach their children to be modest in their expectations. It’s understandable for them not to want their sons…

via Ambitious Dreams Bring Inspiration — Shooting For The Moon — Self Development

Creative Stress Relief

James Sweeney

Crafts Inspire Me's avatarCrafts Inspire Me

Computer Stress
With such fast-paced lives, we all need a break from our daily stresses. These demands have physical, mental, emotional and spiritual effects. The best solution is a vacation, but that may not be possible. Instead, indulge in a hobby or two to take your mind and body to a happy place. Every day you do things for everyone else. It’s time to put yourself first! You’ll be so glad you did, and you’ll have a lot of fun while doing it. Here are a few crafting ideas to get you started:

Painting: – watercolor, oil, acrylic, pouring
Watercolor
Watercolor PaintingDrawing: – pencil, charcoal, crayons, colored pencils, chalk, markers, pens
Sketching with Pens and Markers
DrawingPottery & Ceramics: – figurines, serving pieces, vases, jars, ornaments
Pottery
PotteryCeramics
CeramicsPaper Crafts: – scrapbooking, card making, origami, quilling
PapercraftsJewelry & Watches: – beaded, woven, wire
Beaded Jewelry
Jewelry MakingFlower Arranging: – fresh or artificial, wreaths…

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Alzheimer’s Avoidance – Blog 1: An Introduction

Alzheimer’s Avoidance – Blog 1: An Introduction

James Sweeney

Worried you might get Alzheimer’s or Dementia in the future? Do you know someone who has Alzheimer’s/Dementia and are trying to find ways to slow the rate of deterioration? This series all about Alzheimer’s Avoidance will hopefully answer those questions as well as any other questions you have on the topic!

Hello and Welcome to Sweeney’s Blogs!

Today’s blog is going to be the first blog in our brand new Alzheimer’s Avoidance series. This series is all about the steps that we can take to reduce our chances of getting Alzheimer’s/ Dementia. If you know somebody that has got Alzheimer’s/ Dementia this series will be helpful to find out some of the things we can do to help reduce the rate of deterioration for these cruel illnesses.

Although we cannot directly stop someone from getting Alzheimer’s, there are a few steps and methods that we can do to help reduce their chances of getting the illness. The methods that I talk about in this series are not going to be guaranteed to work but there is a chance that it can help someone. I will be writing about all of the methods and techniques that I have found through research when I found out that my grandmother had Alzheimer’s. If you know any methods/ techniques yourself and would like them to be in the series please get in touch with me and we can arrange something.

The blogs in this series are more than likely going to be a little bit shorter than my usual blog size but I assure you that the content will still be worthwhile and will be planned and thought about with great detail. At the minute I am planning on writing about one technique/method per blog but that can be subject to change.

In regards to how many blogs are going to be in this series, I have not set an exact number in place yet. At the minute I feel like it is going to come down to a few different factors. First of all is how the series is being received by all of you, our readers. If people are not enjoying the series or want to see something else being covered then I will more than happily move on to a different topic. The second major factor is the content that I am going to be covering in the series. If I do get through all of the content that I want to cover in this series and there are no more ideas for future blogs then I will finish the series and start a new one up to replace it.

I am really looking forward to writing this series as Alzheimer’s is a topic that I feel very strongly about. For new readers to the page, the first series that I wrote on this page was all about Alzheimer’s Acceptance. I cover quite a lot of interesting points in the series so if you are interested please check it out. You can find the links to all of the blogs in the series through our Blogapedia page.

Thank you all for reading and I hope you have a great day! If you have any thoughts or queries about this blog or indeed any other blog I have written please get in touch with me! All feedback is appreciated –  be it positive or negative!

Sweeney’s Blogs

Any money donated here will be put back into the business. This can be through marketing campaigns, upgrades to plans or for setting up future events!

£5.00

James

The Therapeutic Power of Listening and Speaking — Pointless Overthinking

James Sweeney

By Troy Headrick I’d like to do something a bit different in this blog. It’ll start with me posting a fascinating TED Talk by Leon Berg. The title of his presentation is “The Power of Listening: An Ancient Practice for Our Future.” By the way, before I tell you the true aim of this post, […]

via The Therapeutic Power of Listening and Speaking — Pointless Overthinking

Impossible or I’m possible? — Cristian Mihai

Impossible or I’m possible? — Cristian Mihai

James Sweeney

“What we can or cannot do, what we consider possible or impossible, is rarely a function of our true capability. It is more likely a function of our beliefs about who we are.” – Anthony Robbins The realists will say this is a lie, but we are what we think we are. What we consider to […]

via Impossible or I’m possible? — Cristian Mihai