Soothing the Laps of Guilt in Grief: How many more laps are you going to run?
I like to run. Laps. Around the tracks in a park nearby. And when I am in grief? I also run another type of lap. No, not laps in the swimming pool. Laps of guilt. Yup. We are going THERE today. Are you in? Let’s do this! You may have heard the concept of “waves […]
“Shhh.Don’t wake up the grief”, Said the assumption.
An assumption: “something that you accept as true without question or proof” https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/assumption We all make assumptions. I do. You do. This article is full of them. I’d like to invite you to a reading and reflection exercise to get things started. I have put together some comments below – fictional – but based on true events. As you read them, I invite […]
A loved one is going through a difficult time. How can I support them and what do I SAY?
I remember this experience, eons ago, back in University. I was going through a difficult time. A friend was dropping me off at my place after an evening at the movies. Before I got out of the car, I could not hold back anymore and burst into tears letting them know I may be […]
Thinking of Giving Up? Why your Goal-Setting approach needs a sprinkle (or a dump?) of “Give Yourself a Chance”.
“Yeah, I tried, it just didn’t work out”. “It’s just not for me so I stopped”. “I’ve never been good at this anyways”. “I tried a few years ago, no point in trying again”. “See? I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it”. “I ended the relationship. They’ll break up with me anyway. They […]
A 7 Approach Guide to Managing your Stress. No, its not just a list of Relaxation Techniques.
7 Approaches to Managing your Stress and No, its not just a list of Relaxation Techniques. Let me start with a bit of background…a prologue, to help set the tone and mood for this read. So…yes. This WAS supposed to be an article pertaining to stress management strategies however has turned unto somewhat of a […]
A TWO-Question Approach to Anxious Thoughts
I’m curious. Hands up (or heads up!) if you have found yourself or do find yourself encountering an unsettling or anxiety inducing situation only to spend hours, even days, coming up with a bunch of possible outcomes, predictions and explanations (stories) and then find you that none of these stories materialized as you thought? That’s […]
Feeling burnt out? Maybe it’s time for a Reset and a different Self-Care plan…..based on a Cat?
I tried Resetting myself by being a Cat for 1 day: What it taught me, what a Reset day is, it’s role in creating a Self-Care plan and 4 steps to take away. The backstory (where did this idea come from?)! The short of it? A cocktail of feeling I was heading for […]
I was anxious, so I cleaned my toilet: An approach to help you navigate “Fall Transition” related anxiety
This morning I had a sprout of anxiety: Numerous anxious thoughts having a little party in my head, creating fantastic narratives around “what if” scenarios and existential questions like “what am I doing with my life” . It needed to stop and I recognized the spiral in time, and used my go-to strategy. What did […]
What is the least empathetic thing someone has ever said to you?
“Well Fanie, that’s life.” I was told after, at the age of 11, I watched a car run over a cat on a highway by a car. (Just for some background context this was in a rural area in Southern Greece back in the 90’s). Thanks! I feel much better. Right?!!! What a […]
Resiliency : Use with Caution
Cheerleader: “You are SO resilient…nothing can take you down!” Recipient’s inner voice: I can’t keep going like this Cheerleader: “I would have cried for days…I wish I were as resilient as you are” Recipient’s inner voice: I cry myself to sleep every night. Cheerleader: “You went through all that and you are still standing! That […]