Is your inner child running the show?

Guess what?  You’re filled with little people.  And a lot of the time, they’re running the show. No, I haven’t lost the plot (honest).  Hear me out…. When we experience traumas which don’t get resolved, particularly in our early years, then our younger selves get stuck in the cycling of that experience.  They remain inside of us, and show up whenever something similar arises.  They take over our behaviours and reactions, trying to keep us safe (but their toolkit [...]

Successful socialising as an introvert (and getting through Christmas)

I'm Emma, and I'm a committed introvert. I 🧡 time on my own and I can easily get lost in a solo world.  And much as I love being with people (and I really do - hence my job), I can find big, busy gatherings tiring, if not overwhelming and run out of steam if I'm with too many people for too long. And I know I'm not the only one.  Most of my clients are introverts too and [...]

2022-12-16T14:46:40+00:0016 December 2022|Categories: Introvert, Self Care, Self help|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |Comments Off on Successful socialising as an introvert (and getting through Christmas)

How to find connection when you prefer to be on your own

One of my tips from last week’s Winter-Blues-Beating toolkit was to “feed the fire with strong, meaningful connections”.   And I stand by this.  We are pack animals, and we need other people.  The health impacts of loneliness are well documented, not to mention the profound emotional impact.  Being part of a tribe, being seen and belonging are vital to the internal fire that gives us warmth, energy, love, joy, connection, purpose and support. But I also [...]

2022-12-08T11:25:31+00:006 December 2022|Categories: Self help|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |Comments Off on How to find connection when you prefer to be on your own

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, [...]

5 Simple Steps to Work Efficiently

A recurrent theme of my coaching this week (in fact, most weeks) is how to work efficiently. Many of my clients are go-getting employees or ambitious entrepreneurs and all are super busy. And often super stressed. And if I'm honest, not operating super efficiently or effectively (mainly because of this stress). Instead, they're firefighting, juggling, and dealing with whatever's shouting the loudest. They're being pulled in many different directions and feeling overwhelmed. And they're starting to become frazzled and [...]

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 [...]

Detox Your Life with the Magic of Autumn

So the Autumn Equinox fell in the early hours of this morning (September 23 2022).  In the Chinese Solar Terms, this actually marks the half way point of autumn so we’re well into the season.  But outside the window, what we think of as autumn is only just starting (oh and yes a little inside too with the annual spider invasion - check out one of my fave cartoons about this). I know a lot of [...]

Why am I feeling stuck? Overcoming internal resistance and exploring options

Are you feeling stuck right now?  Have you taken time to notice how you react to suggestions, new possibilities and different options? You might be struggling with what I call the "instant no"?  Or perhaps more accurately, it's not so much of a hard no (because we're also the people who often find it tricky to set clear boundaries).  It's probably more of a "hmm, not sure that's for me", a "but what if.." or a "that's beyond me; [...]