Why is it so hard to say no?

You’re just in the middle of cooking dinner. The phone rings. You look down. It’s mum calling. You pick up for the chat even though it isn’t the best time. She knows this is when you usually have dinner, and yet she always seems to call just now. Something gets burnt, another thing doesn’t get […]

Why is life so hard sometimes? The hidden message behind pain

Why is it that you can be looking at the most exquisite view, be in the presence of a moment of grace or beauty, be surrounded by those you love and yet be completely and utterly in pain. Nothing can shift the agony of the torment in your body, the thoughts that circle continually, the […]

5 questions to ask if you feel like running away

There are these moments in life when it all starts to feel too much. Perhaps it’s the continual work demands, stresses and requests that play havoc with your sense of wellbeing. Or maybe your relationship and family life keep going around in circles, the same old arguments, routines. Nothing ever seems to change and you […]

I’m worried if I show my vulnerability, people will take advantage

Celine* is always smiling. It’s a disarming smile, because it says I’m friendly. But it also says don’t get too close. It’s a well practised look which has served her well until now. It keeps the world at bay, using charm and apparent warmth. Ask her friends and colleagues what she’s really about, they might […]

10 ways to manage feeling overwhelmed and anxious

I’m writing this at a time of great change and huge-scale upheaval. 1000s of people are fleeing their homes and risking their lives to find a safer place to live. People are dying in the most awful of circumstances, trapped in lorries, drowned, crushed, starved, falling ill, being asphyxiated. Solutions are both simple and deeply […]

How to stop rescuing a moody parent or partner

You’re out having a meal together. So far the evening has gone well. But then something gets said. The atmosphere chills and your partner goes silent on you. It’s a familiar experience by now in your relationship.  The thing is, you’ve tried hard in the past to get him / her back to be present […]

How to beat the holiday blues

  You’re a few days into your holiday. This break has been long awaited. The thought of getting away from work / home life has been in your mind for weeks, if not months. So here you are. It should all be hunky dory right? And yet it doesn’t quite feel that way. It’s a […]

The hidden message behind loneliness and depression

I’m sitting at my desk, laptop infront of me. To my left, my work phone; to my right my personal phone. In my browser window behind, my social networks spew their messages out. And here I am contemplating loneliness. There are times, in what seems to be an increasingly ‘connected’ world where life can feel […]

F*** it, f*** everything and everyone – managing your anger

    Andy* is boiling over with rage. His colleagues are metaphorically ducking for cover again as he starts to build up a head of steam. His voice raises in tone and volume. His face changes to a deeper red. His body seems rigid. It’s a powerful and rather scary sight to behold. The thing […]

The secret highly driven people don’t want you to know

The brave face, the disarming smile. On paper Ellie* has a lot going for her. She’s the kind of person everyone wants to be friends with. People gravitate to her and have done throughout her life.  She describes herself as driven, in all she does. Work has gone well. She studied hard at school and […]