CategoryMental Health

How to practise self-witnessing

woman wearing gray long sleeved shirt and black black bottoms outfit sitting on gray wooden picnic table facing towards calm body of water at daytime

Self-witnessing is a powerful practice that allows us to delve deep into the intricacies of our inner world. By consciously observing our thoughts, emotions, and actions, we gain valuable insight into our own psyche. This introspective process aids us in uncovering the underlying motivations behind our behaviours, unravelling the complex web of perceptions that shape our reality. Through self-witnessing, we cultivate a heightened sense of self-awareness, becoming attuned to the subtle patterns and dynamics that govern our thoughts and emotions. […]

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12 simple steps to take you from trauma dumping to emotional sharing

Going from trauma dumping to healthy emotional sharing is a crucial step towards building more supportive and balanced relationships. Trauma dumping can be overwhelming for both the person sharing and the listener, and it may not provide the emotional support that the sharer truly needs. Here’s an actionable guide to help individuals transition from trauma dumping to more constructive emotional sharing: 1. Self-reflection and awareness Before sharing your emotions, take some time to reflect on your feelings. Ask yourself why […]

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Discovering your dream life: how to figure out what you really want

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live your happiest life? To wake up every day and be truly content with your surroundings, relationships, and daily activities? While it may seem like an elusive dream, there is a simple yet powerful technique to start uncovering your ideal life. Whether it’s finding your dream job, pursuing a passion, or experiencing a new adventure, this approach can help you move closer to a life that brings you joy and […]

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The lingering wounds of adult bullying: how emotional scars run deep

Bullying is often thought of as a behaviour that only occurs in childhood or adolescence. But adult bullies are also a reality that many people face. Adult bullying takes many forms and can have a significant impact on the victim’s emotional and mental well-being. What is adult bullying? Adult bullying includes verbal, physical, and emotional abuse. It can occur in the workplace, social settings, and even within families. Some examples of adult bullying include: Adult bullying is often fuelled by […]

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Unlock the power of journaling for your mental health: discover the benefits of daily reflection

You wake up in the morning, feeling a sense of dread wash over you. You’ve been feeling anxious and stressed lately, and it’s starting to take a toll on your mental health. But then you remember something that has been helping you feel better – journaling. You sit down at your desk with a pen and a notebook, and begin to write. You start by jotting down your thoughts and worries, just as they come to you. At first, it […]

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7 great reasons to use a notebook for better mental health

bird notebook on a bench

If you have thoughts, you’re a thinker. Every human being engages their mind all day, every day. And the mind can be exercised and optimised, just like the body, with a few simple tools. Your smartphone can do almost anything, especially with the right apps. But it’s useful to sometimes ditch your phone in favour of a trusty notebook because there are things a notebook can do for your brain that a smart device cannot. 1. Disconnecting is good for […]

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6 ways to master being comfortable with being uncomfortable

How to master being uncomfortable to achieve your goals

If you want to reach those big goals, you’re gonna have to get comfortable with a degree of discomfort. Pushing yourself to your limits and then exceeding those limits is not painless. It requires trial and error, failure and success. And know that that’s the only way to get there. There are no shortcuts. Most of all, it requires showing up every single day. No matter what you’ve got going on in your life that might make you feel like […]

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Feeling lonely? Use this simple technique to make it go away

woman standing under blue sky

Loneliness makes you feel empty, alone and unwanted. You crave human contact while feeling that it’s difficult to form connections with other people. And even if you like to spend time by yourself, in your own company, deep down you know that humans don’t do well if they’re completely alone. We’re social creatures and have evolved to rely on a community, however small, to survive and thrive. And so, the absence of social connection triggers the same, primal alarm bells […]

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5 things I wish people knew about me as a highly sensitive & introverted empath

woman wearing gray long-sleeved shirt facing the sea

Being highly sensitive means being misunderstood quite a lot. Having a particularly sensitive nervous system means that you process everything – and I mean everything: thoughts, feelings, temperature, sensations, smells – more deeply. Your experience of the world is different. And your sensitivity can feel like an annoyance or burden to other people. I know that my sensitivity has created many misunderstandings, especially with family members who insist that my sensitivity is just “all in my head”.  While not everyone […]

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5 reasons why you need grit and 5 ways to get it (not the sand kind, but the mental toughness kind)

Why you need grit and how to get it

You can bring all the talent in the world, and say that you’re going to depend on that alone, but it will only get you so far. To get to the finish line, it’s going to take grit and grind and desire. Every piston needs to be pumping at full-throttle in the engine if you’re going to win. Once you start thinking of building grit as a life strategy, it becomes easier to weave it into every aspect of your […]

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10 things you can learn from highly resilient people

What you can learn from highly resilient people

It’s natural to resist change, especially when it comes in the form of challenges and adversity. Who wants to climb the mountain when you can take the ski-lift and enjoy the view on a leisurely ascent to the top? But since change is the only constant in life, change is inevitable. Building up yourself to become more resilient will not only help you survive and bounce back from change, but it will also allow you to thrive even in difficult […]

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Have you been told you need to grow thicker skin? Maybe you’re an empath!

woman wearing white floral dress raising right hand

Empaths are like emotional sponges who absorb both the stress and the joy from the world around them. To really thrive as an empath (not just survive), you need to learn how to stop taking on the energy, stress and moods of other people. To an empath, the world can often seem coarse, heartless and disdainful of sensitivity. I’ve been told time and again that I need to be less sensitive if I want to succeed in life. And I’ve […]

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Did you realise that your smartphone is exploiting your brain’s natural chemistry for profit and gradually changing how you behave?

Smart phone addiction is real. Here's what to do about it.

Smartphones have taken over our lives. Like so many Lemmings, they’ve crowded into every nook and cranny of our lives. And now we can’t go anywhere without them – even to bed. Studies and surveys have uncovered that people sleep with their phones and wake up during the night to check what the latest haps are. People have even admitted to checking their phones during sex. How big is the effect of smartphones and constant connectivity on our daily life? […]

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How to declutter your emotional closet (with a little help from F.R.I.E.N.D.S.)

How to declutter your emotional baggage

Just like our regular closet, our emotional closet gets filled up with all sorts of things. And just like you get inspired at 2 AM to Marie Kondo your way through your closet, it would do you a world of good to unload some emotional baggage too. The funny thing about emotions though, is that, even though they’re biological markers for you to use along the way – and very useful at that – they can get you stuck. To […]

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Is it absurd to smile when you don’t feel like it?

Does smiling make you feel better?

A smiling face is truly a beautiful face and a simple smile is the door to opening your heart to compassion. Everyone recognises and understands a smile because a smile is the universal language of kindness and friendliness. With hundreds of languages around the world, the smile speaks them all. A smile is the shortest distance between two people. Because when you smile you get smiles in return. Not only is a smile a powerful gesture to show others, but […]

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