Real Health with Karl Henry ‘Just because your brain says it, doesn’t mean it's true’ Stress Expert Psychologist Dr Niamh Clarke
Dec 18, 2025
Dr. Niamh Clarke, Principal Psychology Manager with the HSE and presenter of the Balancing Stress program, shares her extensive expertise on managing stress and anxiety. She discusses Ireland's alarming stress levels and reveals that holidays can heighten these pressures, particularly through social media comparisons. Clarke emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between helpful and harmful stress while recommending small daily habits to combat stress. She also offers practical tools like breathing exercises and the significance of using personal strengths as resilience strategies.
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Nationwide Stress Levels Are High
- Ireland ranks fifth highest in Europe for stress and many adults feel stressed daily.
- Dr Niamh Clarke says this shows we neglect our mental health compared with caring for material things.
Calmness Trained At Home And Work
- Niamh attributes part of her calm presentation to years as a mum and psychologist managing family logistics.
- She says a calmer parent tends to create calmer people around them.
Treat Body Clues As Early Warnings
- Notice physical clues of stress like shoulder tension, headaches or digestive changes and treat them as signals.
- When negative self-talk appears, pause and hold those thoughts rather than immediately accepting them.