How to Beat the Winter Blues

Winter’s back – and so it’s time to return to my series of seasonal blogs and look at how to beat the winter blues.  Each time I revisit these blogs, I gain a more nuanced understanding, and my toolkit for flourishing improves.  And so, I hope you don’t mind the occasional repetition and that you too can embrace sitting with the familiar to gain a deeper resonance.  And that, my friends, is really key to this time of year.  [...]

Why am I so angry? The answer might not be what you think

Lots of people are asking "why am I so angry?" right now.  They're struggling with the emotion - how it makes them feel and the impact on others.  I'm also aware that I spoke of "harnessing anger" for good in last week's blog, and some of you are wondering how to do that.  And so I thought this was worth a bit more exploration. Anger in Chinese Medicine In Chinese Medicine, anger is the emotion of [...]

Dealing with bad news: how to stay sane and stay engaged when chaos reigns

It's hard to miss the news right now.  And it feels like none of is it good.  And so many people I know are fed up with dealing with bad news so are stepping away from it altogether. And I get that.  I did the same myself back in 2016 when my nervous system was shot with ill health and burnout (and Trump 🙄).  And there's no doubt that being exposed to these stories absolutely creates a stress response in us, [...]

Soothe Stress and Anxiety with the Mindful First Aid Kit and the Senses

I've created this page to make it easy to find my blogs all about how to soothe stress & anxiety.  I'm passionate about the role the non-conscious brain and  the nervous system have on how we think, act and show up.  For change to really happen - and last - we have to bring our nervous system along for the ride, in a safe and sustainable way.  As powerful as cognitive coaching can be, if the nervous system is dysregulated [...]

Soothe Your Nervous System by Tuning Into the 5 Senses: Touch

Here’s the final blog in my series about how to soothe the nervous system and restore a sense of calm using our five senses.  It’s the turn of touch, a powerful tool for feeling better when stress, anxiety or overwhelm are looming. The techniques listed in these blogs are all great ways of finding some calm.  Some are more complicated than others so use the rules of KISS to find the ones the resonate with you.  With practice, they'll [...]

Simple Tips to Reduce Stress and Anxiety The Senses – Taste

How can we use our tastebuds to reduce stress and anxiety, and beat overwhelm? What's that?  “Cake, and loads of it!” But is that the only way? And does cake work? This is the latest in my blog series, all about how to reduce stress and anxiety and beat overwhelm by tuning into our senses. Whatever you choose, remember, the rules of KISS... Remember to Keep Things Super Simple (KISS) Find small, simple ways to soothe Choose [...]

Using our Sense of Smell to Stay Calm

TOP TIP: Remember to Keep Things Super Simple (KISS) Find small, simple ways to soothe Choose ones that resonate with you And do them again and again, especially when you’re feeling strong, so you’ll be able to access them easily when there’s a wobble And so this week we're looking at how we can use our sense of smell in various ways to stay calm and relaxed. This is the third blog in my series, all [...]

Stay Calm and Stress Free with The Five Senses – Hearing

Here’s the second blog in my latest series about how to stay calm and stress free by tuning into our senses.  This week it’s hearing. Check out last week’s blog with super simple ways to reduce stress and anxiety using sight.  And how to build your Mindful First Aid Kit to deal with stress emergencies. Remember, these techniques vary in complexity and some will appeal more than others.  Use the rules of KISS... TOP TIP: Remember [...]

Soothing Stress & Anxiety with The Five Senses – Sight

My previous blog was all about finding super simple ways to soothe stress & anxiety, at those times when doing anything feels almost impossible. A mindful first aid kit.  Check it out here… One of my favourite techniques is tuning into the 5 senses with a quick scan, gently focusing in turn on what can we can see, then hear, then smell, taste and touch. And so I’ve decided to write a series of blogs about [...]

Beat the Winter Blues – Making Winter Work for You

Well, we’re back here again. Winter, the season of ultimate yin – cold, dark, hidden, internal - and for many a time of dread.  But this season is so important.  So how can we make winter work for us, and beat the winter blues? I used to hate winter and couldn’t wait for the longer, warmer days.  I would be sluggish, dull, craving sunlight, and battling it every step of the way. My relationship with the seasons transformed when [...]