Understanding yourself and communicating your feelings and needs is essential to well being and growth. This gives us clarity about what is important to us and where we want to focus our attention and action. Here in the UK, we are largely encouraged to repress our feelings from an early … [Read more...]
A longing for a return to normal but what do you do when your normal has gone?
A guest blog written by Emma Hobson. When my parents died back in 1998, I was a mother of 3 at the tender age of 23 and it rocked my world. The event plucked me out of my life and trajectory and placed me in a strange new world without a map. I spent months and maybe even years dazed, wandering the … [Read more...]
Cultivating self empathy and self compassion with NVC
Mindfulness and embodiment can help us to cultivate self-empathy and self-compassion. Christopher Germer - a clinical instructor in psychology at Harvard Medical School and a founding member of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy says: Mindful self-compassion is the foundation of … [Read more...]
How to build trust in the workplace with NVC
Have you ever had a boss that you just don't trust? The top employers know that trust in the workplace is essential for wellbeing and productivity. However, it is a sad fact that many people don't trust their boss or their colleagues and they are working in a "toxic" environment. Recently someone … [Read more...]
Becoming Real-working with our trauma
What is trauma? According to Integrated listening Systems 'trauma is the response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope, causes feelings of helplessness, diminishes their sense of self and their ability to feel the full range of emotions and … [Read more...]
No more punishment and reward
My brother and I attended a small private school in London in the 1960’s. A punishment and reward system was the underpinning of the school environment. It was a time where the physical punishment of children was commonplace in an attempt to get them to comply. Standing in the corner At primary … [Read more...]
There is wisdom in the way the body moves
The body is an essential aspect of who we are and how we show up in our world. How we breathe, walk, stand, sit, use gestures, express ourselves and dance, influences who we are. Body awareness and conscious movement increase our emotional intelligence. Dr. Arielle Schwartz says "Sensing our … [Read more...]
How to handle anger
What is Anger? According to the Collins online dictionary "Anger is the strong emotion that you feel when you think that someone has behaved in an unfair, cruel, or unacceptable way". Dealing with and knowing how to handle anger can be difficult, but anger is a part of the myriad of emotions and … [Read more...]
How to express yourself clearly and get your needs met
A guide to honest communication. Have you ever kept your mouth shut just to keep the peace? Or felt that your opinion didn’t matter. Or simply just ‘let things go’ to not have an argument? This may happen at home, with friends and family, in the workplace or both. How can you move from holding … [Read more...]
Communicate compassionately with yourself
Adopt an attitude of empathy Have you ever made a commitment to stop doing something you consider unhelpful or unnourishing in a relationship only to find yourself slipping into old habits again and inevitably feeling disappointed with yourself - I have! Set yourself realistic expectations for … [Read more...]