Dare To Live

Overwhelm. It's a word I've grown to sincerely dislike over the years. A word that to me in the past, suggested that I was incapable, weak - never up to the task. The idea of being overwhelmed never failed to bring me shame, y'know cos I seemingly viewed myself as some kind of invincible Superwoman or something, (probably minus the outfit...poor body image and all!)

Overwhelm is a word and feeling that swirled around me consistently; tornado-like in its suffocating surround. It appeared to have the unwavering capacity to make me feel inadequate, upset and stressed out, all in a mere whirlwind of my mind. Faced with that reaction to most things I pursued, I got stuck in a rut pretty fast and ended up pursuing nothing.

When I wasn't well, it was the simplest of things that ignited the incense of overwhelm. Its smoke serenading the panic within me, triggering the screeches of the overly sensitive anxiety alarm. Deafening, claustrophobic, unbelievably overwhelming. Simple ta…

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" Eleanor Roosevelt 

A common undercurrent of the waves of mental health challenges, is the feeling of not being good enough. Not thin enough, not smart enough, not interesting enough, not attractive enough. 

There's a serious deficiency of worth within ourselves that we try to mask by people pleasing, self-destructive behaviours, trying to be someone we're not, ignoring our boundaries or doing whatever we feel makes us look 'better'. Rife with doubt and a lack of self-respect, we continually exhaust ourselves trying to convince the world that we are worth something.

But we actually don't need to hustle for our worthiness. I remember hearing Brené Brown saying that phrase and relating to it so much. We don't need to silence ourselves to fit in, we don't need to put on a show to be liked, we don't need any of this. We don't need to prove anything or try to convince people that we're ac…

Whether you love it or hate it, the blanket of red and pink has descended and if you manage to wade your way through the chocolates and roses, you'll see that Valentine's Day has arrived.

Inspired by the ever wonderful Elizabeth Gilbert in this post, I wanted to make a case for Self Love today. Of course I'd absolutely advocate milking the day for its many benefits - whether that's with a significant other or making a date with some friends, a movie or a slap up meal - but first I'd suggest taking a moment with yourself.

Self hatred, when you look at it from the outside in, seems like a crazy concept. You are yourself, you encompass every aspect, every intricate detail of who you are and have become so how could you possibly direct any hate inwards? As someone who used to be fluent in self-hate, I just didn't think there was any other way I could feel about me. It seemed to come so natural and I kept coming up with evidence to cement its credibility so it stuck. …

You attract your dominant thoughts.
Regardless where we're at (or think we're at), as a participant of life's unpredictable journey, it's always going to be helpful to have a litany of tools to tap into whenever the need calls. For me, these can vary from quotes, to videos, to books, to activities, to just remembering to slow down and breathe. Sometimes I just need to remind myself of what helps get me out of a funk and get my hands on that, pronto.
Along the journey I've collected my very own scroll of solutions, bit by bit. When I was feeling insecure, it was all Louise Hay everything - affirmations, videos, books. When avoiding vulnerability or emotion you can bet I'll be watching/reading/breathing Brené Brown. For stress I could connect with movement, self care, writing and as many scented candles as I could light without the smoke alarm going off. You get the picture; whatever I was feeling I discovered ways to meet my needs. Where there is a deficiency in o…