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The two parenting books that helped me through lockdown (and beyond!)
Review of Mindfulness for Mums by Izzy Judd and The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read by Philippa Perry I have never been much of a fan of parenting books, and after nearly 12 years of being a mum I have managed to steer clear of them, probably owing to some fear that they would confirm I was getting it all wrong and really was as clueless as I felt! Having come to an acceptance over the years that I don’t have to have it all sussed, and that seeking support is absolutely not a sign of weakness or inadequacy, I was curious about what I could learn from…
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Pause, Reflect, and Discover… What can you learn from lockdown?
As we take tentative steps towards opening up our businesses and communities, as well as making our own personal emergence from lockdown, there will undoubtedly be a mixed bag of feelings and a whole range of different experiences. Maybe you have actually relished the time to pause or perhaps there was no time to pause at all and you were busier than ever. You might have had to spend time recovering from the virus or have endured a long period of isolation to shield yourself and other family members from it. Maybe you have been going through immense heartache and have been grieving over the loss of loved ones, or…
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Surviving the Storm: Breakdown, recovery and learning to manage anxiety
I am taking a huge deep breath and sharing this deeply personal experience with you because when I was in the clutches of a mental health crisis I felt like I was alone in my struggles even though I had incredibly supportive family and friends around me. Once I was able to be honest with myself and started opening up to them, I noticed that they were able to tell me about their own experiences with mental health issues or how they had overcome other adverse situations. Listening to their stories gave me the courage and motivation to keep going. Crucially, I also felt some reassurance that it wasn’t ‘just…
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My Top Takeaways from You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
Review of You are a Badass: How to stop doubting your greatness and start living an awesome life by Jen Sincero (2016, John Murray Learning, 256 pages) Because I enjoy reading motivational, personal development books, especially the ones that make you feel like you can be anything you want to be, I picked up a copy of You are a Badass*. Through this book, the author, Jen Sincero, delivers a pep talk to her readers, outlining how they can become more successful by addressing their limiting beliefs and personal barriers head on, clarifying their goals, and using the concept of manifestation to bring whatever it is that they want into…
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Nothing compares to you…
What to do when you feel like you don’t quite measure up to others I know I should really give myself a break, like many people in lockdown right now I’m in the midst of adjusting to a new way of life, figuring out this home learning business, and dealing with the uncertainty of not knowing what life will be like for us all afterwards. Yet, in spite of all the upheaval, and the fact that we are all just doing our best to get by right now, I’ve still found that whenever I’ve been scrolling through social media to see what the outside world is up to, I’ve been…
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Coping strategies for self-isolation and social distancing
And just like that, in an instant, life as we know it has dramatically changed. All the routines, comforts and freedoms that we took for granted are no more or are becoming scarcer and harder for us to carry out. I have spent my days watching the unfolding situation in horror and with immense sadness, seeing the suffering and ensuing chaos that is going on around the globe. Since coronavirus hit the UK I have been busy adapting to our new reality, cancelling upcoming plans, and bobbing between feelings of disbelief, frustration, panic, confusion and fear (as well as seriously counting my blessings!) Unfortunately, my career is now on pause.…
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Maintaining wellbeing after therapy
A few years ago, during a prolonged and severe episode of anxiety, I was enrolled onto an online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) programme via the NHS. After being introduced to a variety of techniques that could help me to manage my anxiety in the long-term, I was advised to put together a plan for keeping well. I thought that devising a plan to maintain my wellbeing would be incredibly useful since I was so keen to apply what I had learned from the course and I was determined to keep on expanding my knowledge of anxiety through reading self-help books that my local counsellor had recommended to me (in particular…
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Developing a Positive Body Image
Reflections on the Body Positivity Workshop, hosted by Tanya Sturges, Accredited Transformational Coach and Michael Mclaren, Personal Trainer and Coach. Having attended a couple of Tanya Sturges’ events this one particularly caught my attention since, for pretty much as long as I can remember, I have not been 100% comfortable in my own skin and have developed a bad habit of comparing myself to others. Like all people, I’ve seen my body go through some major changes, childbearing and ageing being probably the most difficult experiences for me so far, what with the appearance of stretch marks, wobbly bits, fine lines, etc. (showing that I too have absorbed messages that…
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Body confidence, working smarter, showing compassion and the importance of self-belief – Key takeaways from the Life Lessons Festival
The Barbican Centre, London – 15-16 February 2020 It was the first time that I had ventured to a festival dedicated solely to the topic of wellbeing and I was bubbling with excitement at the prospect of listening to, and learning from, the array of high-profile speakers that were listed on the Life Lessons Festival programme. Before the start of my sessions I took the opportunity to head over to the Waterstones pop up shop where I picked up my free copy of Philippa Perry’s The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will be Glad That You Did). Being a bit of a bookworm it was…
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Beat procrastination and start accomplishing your goals
Just a few thoughts that run through my mind when I am tackling my task list for the week: I don’t mean to boast but I have become quite skilful in the art of putting things off! At times my goals just don’t seem like a big enough priority (I just know I want to achieve them someday…) or they are taking me out of my comfort zone, requiring that extra bit of effort and confidence on my part. If you can relate to this then read on to discover what I found out when I attended a session on ‘How to overcome procrastination and boost productivity in order to…
