As a psychologist, there is a lot of pop psychology advice that I really hate. One of the simplistic pieces of pop psychology advice that I loathe is the idea that you can easily add new activities to a busy life by simply getting up earlier. Want to meditate? Exercise more? Write a novel? Simple! […]
There is a classic Star Trek episode (The Enemy Within) in which a transporter malfunction causes Captain Kirk to split into two- a good Kirk and a bad Kirk. With all the darker aspects of his nature distilled out into a separate being, the good Kirk is unable to function. He is weak-willed, indecisive, and […]
Experiential acceptance, the ability to sit with difficult thoughts, feelings, sensations and memories, as they arise in the lived present moment, is a cornerstone of the latest psychological therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Sometimes, within ACT, experiential acceptance is described as willingness, as in willingness to have difficult thoughts, feelings, sensations and […]
I’m currently participating in a series of podcast interviews with Nicky from Practical Research Parenting. The current podcast focuses on the transition to motherhood, drawing from my book Becoming Mum. Access the podcast here: Podcast Becoming a Mother
I have started adding meditations to my website! It is something I’ve been meaning to do for a while and I’ve finally started to do it. There will be more meditations to come over the next month or so as well. Some of the meditations are from my book Becoming Mum and some are original […]
Ever been in one of those moments that renders you speechless? Perhaps something tragic and unexpected happened to someone you know. You watched the horror unfold. You searched desperately for the right words and just couldn’t find them. Or maybe you weren’t on the sidelines watching the horror unfold, maybe the loss was yours too. […]
To choose to have children is to accept the challenge of finding, within yourself, unconditional love. It is the challenge of accepting into your heart someone who could be anyone. It is the challenge of loving fully someone you could lose. Your children may come easily and quickly, or unexpectedly, or slowly and painfully and […]
‘It’s not who you’ve known, but who you’re knowing’ Who are you ‘knowing’? Who do you spend time listening to? Who do you make efforts to understand? Who do you treasure learning little details about? Who are you aware of? Who are you insightful about? Who do you share living with? Work colleagues, acquaintances, celebrities, […]
Mindfulness involves practising keeping your awareness in the here and now, with an accepting, compassionate stance towards your own moment to moment experiences. Regular mindfulness practice has many benefits including lowering stress and preventing and treating depression and anxiety. You may already be familiar with mindfulness practice as sitting meditation, zazen, yoga or even tai […]
I love this time of year. It can be busy and crazy… overwhelming even. But there’s also something magical in the air. A new year is about to begin. Can you feel it beckon? In amongst all the celebrations, it is a good time to pause and reflect: Are you where you thought you’d be […]