Going beyond the conversation of asking if someone is OK, is a difficult step to take. It takes a bundle of courage to simply ask, “Are you okay?” However, it takes a stack of bravery to go a step further and genuinely help someone who isn’t okay. Initially, when asking if someone is okay, people tend to frame the question in a manner that encourages a positive response rather than a genuine response. This includes, “You’re okay, right?” or “You’re okay, aren’t you?”. This positive framing occurs as we are actually unsure about how to respond and help if the answer is ‘no’. However, this isn’t ..read more

What Actually is ‘Assertiveness’? Assertiveness sits in the middle of being passive or aggressive. When correctly demonstrated, it is an invaluable tool that can be used in every area of your life. However, a majority of people struggle to achieve and maintain this balance of standing up for themselves and their values, without intimidating or offending people. Assertiveness is defined as “Communicating feelings, beliefs and thoughts openly, and defending personal rights and values in a socially acceptable, non-offensive, and non-destructive manner” (MHS Inc, 2011) Truly assertive pe ..read more

Why 66 days?  It takes approximately 66 days to form a habit. If you can make it through the first push, then you are settled in for the rest of the year. However, to effectively set and maintain these habits, you need to prioritise them. It’s easy for people to tell you to prioritise your goals – but once you get back into your usual work/play/sleep routine, it becomes much more difficult. You have deadlines, stressors, relationships and personal issues that all start arising. Sometimes all it takes is one day of feeling like pizza instead of a salad, and you giv ..read more

Are you ready to leave 2023 behind? Ready to make that change in 2024? We are too! The end of the year gives us time to reflect on the good times and the not-so-good times. It even gives us a chance to prepare ourselves for the new year and set new challenges. This is when New Year’s Resolutions come into play. Often, we might set New Year Resolutions on our own or we do it with people we love. Either all, it is an opportunity to set a goal we wish to achieve which can be all the more exciting. What are Resolutions? New Year’s resolutions are typically broad and require us to change our behavi ..read more

As parents, we always want what’s best for our children, we want them to grow up feeling secure and instil a sense of confidence and self-worth. Think of it like planting a tree, we first start with planting a seed that needs consistent nurturing so that it turns into a sapling. Once it is a sapling, it needs to be watered regularly so that it has the best chance of surviving and becoming a well-established tree. The seed is like an infant, the sapling is like a child and the watering can be thought of as the way we foster confidence, joy, respect and resilience in our children so that they ha ..read more

When people feel empowered in the workplace, they are more likely to take ownership of their work, contribute innovative ideas, and just straight up be happier. There are concrete ways to boost a feeling of empowerment, in the workplace, most of them focus on communication and, you guessed it, actually empowering people. People who are empowered in the workplace feel trusted, which is one of the biggest factors in feeling respected by their workplace. Respect breeds respect, and a lot of employers who take conscious steps to respect their employees find they are given markedly more respect in ..read more

It’s the beginning of a new year, and for many of us, that means making resolutions and setting goals for ourselves. But what happens when we inevitably break those resolutions? It’s easy to feel discouraged and like we’ve failed, but it’s important to remember that it’s completely normal to stumble along the way. Breaking a resolution doesn’t mean that you’re a failure or that you can’t achieve your goals. In fact, it’s completely normal to face setbacks and challenges when working towards something new. The important thing is to not give up and to find ways to get back on track. If you’ve br ..read more

When it comes to the new year, most people feel a sense of excitement for a fresh start and motivation to achieve the goals they had in the back of their mind during the previous year. Why don’t we just try and achieve these goals mid-year? That is the question of the century. It may be partly due to a lack of symbolic gesture for a new beginning. It could be because we would need to do it alone rather than with everyone else around the world. Or, finally because we just need that end of year break before we try and start again. Regardless of the reason, you might be wondering how to make this ..read more

Being the main character of your life means being responsible for your own choices, actions, and wellbeing. The main character is the character the story is primarily about. It’s the character that usually experiences the most growth or change throughout the story, and who’s actions and decisions often drive the plot. Being the main character of your life means taking control of your story and shaping it in the direction you want it to go. Why you’re afraid of being the Main Character There can be several reasons why someone might be afraid to be the main character in their own life. Some poss ..read more

Signs and Symptoms of Zombification We have all at some point in our lives started to feel like a zombie going through the motions of life without finding meaning, and feeling utterly exhausted. When we start to feel like a zombie, chances are we are struggling with burnout, or experiencing high levels of stress or distress including anxiety and low mood. Symptoms might include: Headaches, stomach-aches and fatigue Changes in appetite and sleep Feeling helpless, cynical, like a failure or full of self-doubt, Feeling unmotivated, detached, and ambivalent towards things we used to enjoy. These ..read more