One of the most common obstacles I hear from dreamers, is that of not having enough time. Now, to some extent, there may be a truth to how much free-time your specific situation allows you. You may be a carer or have two jobs in between meals and sleep: often the only pauses to breathe are those transitions between tasks. However, in many cases, this is a choice of prioritisation, where tweaks could be made. Read more…
Someone posted a question in a Facebook group at the weekend asking for help with managing stress at work. The gist of the question was “How can I stop crying angry tears at work?” Now, I’m not a medical professional, and these articles focus on giving my opinion based on my knowledge and experience. I believe angry tears differ from other types of crying. Recognising Tears When I feel sad, I may cry sad tears. Read more…
I’ve been having a lot of conversations about inner strength both in coaching sessions and in my day-to-day life. What began as a discussion with one person became a group question, and led to re-watching this talk on and mental strength, commitment and belief. This week, I was reminded of this TED talk by Amy Morin. Amy Morin outlines unhelpful thinking styles in her talk, and explores how habits have a butterfly effect: tiny choices in Read more…
Whether we seek to change a habit, make a transition, expand our horizons or follow the path forward, I often find myself repeating a six-word mantra to motivate myself to keep making some kind of progress. It is not some untold secret, nor some great proverb. It is the thing which I say to myself, or to anyone when it feels like we cannot make progress, when it feels like we cannot make today’s change Read more…
Delilah Dawson, whom I follow on twitter, had a set of tweets a couple of week’s ago about being okay with emotional triggers and the thoughts which often follow them. She commented that when she is close to burnout, and does something which triggers her (certainly for me, triggers occur when I feel afraid, I am mentally taken back to a past negative event or a genuine sense of anxiety or unease), she has a Read more…
Every time I try to write this post (ironic for a post about direction), my brain pulls my hands in slightly different directions. I have so much to say, and yet, I have no idea how to start. So I’m going to begin at the end. The moral of this story is clear: seeking the ‘right’ path is not productive. Because every path is a step forward, and the ‘right path’ will change as you Read more…
I began supporting young adults in Anger Management courses back in 2011. The groups ran for 6 sessions, mixing lifestyle choices, peer-support and neuroscience in the education aspects. Practically speaking, we led mindfulness exercises, drew on flip charts, and used boxing gloves. This was the job where I truly learned the power of mixing education and theory with practise and guided support. During one session, a phrase about commitment came up, which I have carried with Read more…
Despite beginning my journey down the self-development path in 2004, I didn’t know what the destination would look like. In fact, I really struggled to picture my future. As a young adult, I had no career calling to me, and thus looking at job adverts was like looking over a menu where all of the food includes something I “don’t mind” and nothing I truly love. Nothing jumped out at me and I couldn’t make a Read more…
Over the festive holidays, I visited my in-laws to reflect on the year, open presents and share good food. I find spending time with people over the holidays always sparks great conversations, because they often have a different view from my own experiences. Conversations are great for questioning our mindset. While discussing a soon-to-born-baby in the family, my mother-in-law said something that really got me thinking about the self-development idea of ‘shifting your perspective’ and Read more…
There are hundreds of tools, tips and techniques to succeed in your goals and reach your potential… I’d even recommend some of them, but one thing I have learned is that alone, no single tool will meet every requirement of each situation. But having a system in place can make things that bit easier… Case in point… I hiss at my cats. When we were planning pet adoption, I researched a little bit how best to Read more…