How often do you find yourself saying “I can’t stop thinking about [insert problem here]”? If you struggle to switch your brain off, you’re not alone. We’re all guilty of overthinking sometimes, but overthinking becomes a problem when it starts negatively impacting your mental wellbeing. It can lead to anxiety, trouble sleeping, headaches, and more. So, why do we do this to ourselves? Overthinking feels like problem-solving, but it’s not. Our brains can get stuck in negative thought loops that don’t go anywhere. It seems like it should be productive… it’s good to think about our problems, rig ..read more

How have you been feeling lately? Exhausted? Run down? Burnt out? Lately when I ask people how they are, I hear “tired” more than “good”. Countless studies have shown that a large portion of the population are feeling exhausted. Depression and anxiety are on the rise.  A 2018 workplace study by Deloitte found that 84% of professional millennials they surveyed had experienced burnout at their current job. Of everyone surveyed, 64% said they frequently feel stressed or frustrated at work. But it’s not just work that makes us feel exhausted. We put pressure on ourselves to keep up with the ..read more

Life coaches are wellness professionals who help clients improve certain areas of their lives, usually by working with them to achieve their goals or overcome obstacles they may be facing. As coaches we are trained to ask our clients the right questions. We tend to avoid giving direct advice about a subject, instead we ask probing questions and work in partnership with the client to develop personalised solutions that work for them based on their preferences. Life coaching is a broad area with many branches and specialities. As a mindset coach, my focus is on helping my clients manage their ..read more

If you follow me on socials, you’ll know that lately, I’ve been trying to rekindle my passion for reading. I used to love reading as a child, but as I grew into my late teenage/early adult years, I became preoccupied with other things. Today, as part of reviving my love for reading (& hopefully to inspire you, too), I’m sharing some of the books that helped me the most on my mental health journey.    HEALTHY AT EVERY SIZE: THE SURPRISING TRUTH ABOUT YOUR WEIGHT – DR LINDO BACON This book helped me the most with: Body Image This is not a classic self-help book, but it helped me ..read more

Picture this: It’s 6 pm on a Sunday. Monday morning is creeping up, and with it, your “Sunday Scaries” are niggling at the back of your brain, getting stronger as the night approaches. And suddenly – BAM! A burst of motivation hits you. It’s decided: this week will be THE week. The week you finally make some changes. The week you finally sort your sh*t out and start living the life you truly want. The week you start eating healthy, working out, pursuing your passions, volunteering for a charity, and everything else you can think to add to the list. It feels wonderful to picture all the ways y ..read more

I often talk about things that can help make anxiety better, but what about things that make anxiety worse? Could you be unknowingly making yourself more anxious when you’re aiming for the opposite? Today I’m talking about five things you might be doing that often make anxiety worse instead of better. And I’m sorry to tell you, but #4 might make you a little sad. I know I was when I first found out!   1) OVER-ANALYSING THE ‘WHY’ “Why am I feeling so anxious??” It’s an innocent question, but it can have unintended consequences. As someone with generalised anxiety disorder, I often feel an ..read more

Have you ever been an hour deep in a scroll-hole on social media, feeling terrible about yourself because everyone is skinnier, wealthier, healthier, and happier than you? Yup, me too. The saying “the grass is always greener on the other side” refers to our human tendency to assume that ‘over there’ is always better than ‘over here’. We get FOMO, wish we were more like someone else, and put ourselves down in the process. It’s no secret that social media, and the media as a whole, perpetuate this issue. How many organisations profit off us feeling bad about ourselves? (Psst, the answer is ‘A L ..read more

“Where has the day gone?” It’s a question I often find myself asking.  Time has a funny way of slipping past me, especially when I’m doing self-directed work like studying or working on my business (I never ask myself that question when I’m working in my day job, I wonder why? ??).  It’s usually on days I’ve allocated to my business or personal life when I look at the clock at 2pm and think, “what the heck? That cannot be right!”. That’s one reason I set my theme word as intentional this year. When I sat down to do my 2023 planning, I had already decided I’d choose an overall theme ..read more

Do you have an annoying Aunt you dread seeing in the holidays because she ALWAYS comments on your weight? Or what about a frustrating, climate change-denying Uncle? Or maybe there’s not just one family member you struggle with; maybe the whole dysfunctional group grinds your gears! Even if you don’t have family drama to deal with, the holidays can still be a stressful and anxiety-provoking time. No matter what you celebrate, whether it’s Christmas or Hanukkah or something else entirely, this time of year can bring up a lot of negative emotions for people: Stress Anxiety Frustration An ..read more

When I started going to therapy (about nine years ago), I was taught how to challenge my anxious thoughts.  Challenging your unhelpful thoughts is a critical concept in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).  The idea is that most of our anxious thoughts are irrational, and you can disprove them using logic and rational arguments. In the sessions, it all made sense.  But once I left and started feeling anxious in real-time, I couldn't do it.  I was usually too overwhelmed by my anxiety to implement anything we’d discussed in therapy.  The physical symptoms of my anxiety ..read more