When we lack confidence, we can avoid asking questions for fear of being judged as unintelligent; or because we have imposter syndrome and are terrified of being uncovered as out of place; or because we don’t want to be a burden. The reality is, nobody knows everything and avoiding asking questions means we will continue to live with a lack of clarity. Ironically, this may well lead to us underperforming, highlighting our inadequacies and creating more work for those around u

Do you ever wish you could remember all that you need to recall as simply as downloading content onto a USB stick? While memory isn’t quite as straightforward for humans as it is for a computer, we do have tools that we can use to help. Storytelling, visualisation and association are all key components of making content more memorable. Our brain holds onto stories much more easily than it does to data. So, if we tell a story and “hide” data within it, we are more likely to ke

Our pre-frontal cortex (the part of our brain that manages our executive functions like problem-solving; impulse control; planning and decision-making) doesn’t fully mature until we’re around 25. In fact, experts state that it takes until the age of 30 or so for males. Our limbic system (the brain’s emotional centre) develops and matures earlier. This means that we are less well-equipped to make good life choices and exert self-control when we are younger. It also means for u

January offers a chance to reflect on past successes and areas for growth. For me, 2025 brought a lot of change in my career as a coach and as a marketing consultant. In collaboration with a wonderful coaching friend, I launched the @belong_uk programme. We’ve had the privilege of working with several groups of women, across a range of demographics, helping them to grow in self-awareness and self-confidence, as well as to develop new friendships. Belong had been 2 years in th

HALT is an acronym used within addiction recovery programmes, but I think it is useful for anyone to have in their wellbeing toolkit. The principle is that when we are Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired, we are more vulnerable to feeling triggered, which may cause us to drop into unhelpful coping behaviours. This is true for all of us. Depending on our personality and past experiences, however, these behaviours can range from doom-scrolling on social media to self-isolating or se

It took me years to take to heart the difference between complaining and advocating for myself. Perhaps you can relate? Yes, sharing what's upsetting you can help to alleviate some stress, but if you don't advocate clearly for yourself then the situation won't change and you'll be back to square one soon enough. Advocating for yourself means sharing your concerns and clearly communicating your boundaries (not simply complaining and hoping the other person will hear your conce

Understanding how our brain works, helps us to better understand what's going on when we "lose it" or "flip out" or simply feel overwhelmed. Daniel Siegel, a professor of psychiatry, introduced an incredibly simple and effective "Hand Model" to help with this. Consider the palm of your hand as the "Brain Stem", which is the part of our brain responsible for automatic functions like our heart beating and our lungs breathing. Now place your thumb over your palm. The thumb repre

If you experience strong feelings that you find difficult to handle, one important step towards easing that discomfort is to improve your language skills around emotions. Many of us can identify when we're feeling or displaying anger, for example, but being able to name that emotion more specifically as frustration or annoyance, or perhaps even a sense of violation , can help us to pinpoint the root of this feeling. Examining the bodily sensations that we're experiencing and

As somebody who works in marketing communications as well as coaching, I love an acronym for helping to distill information into a memorable little word. I'm also pretty fond of a meme that shares a powerful message in a few short words. Here's the thing though, just because a statement has been immortalised in quirky digital short-form it doesn't mean that the words are true in every moment and for everyone. Some words are for a certain season and others for a particular per

Coined in 1989 by Dr. Kenneth J. Doka, the term "Hidden Grief" or "Disenfranchised Grief" describes forms of grief that are not...

If you're a pilot, you're taught the 1 in 60 rule, which states that after 60 miles a small one degree error in the way the plane is...

With September around the corner and the second of my two children starting secondary school in a couple of weeks' time, I've been...

In the same way that we can view life through "rose-tinted glasses" (a romanticised, blinkered perspective that only sees the positive),...

Having been married to an ex-landscape gardener for nearly 20 years now, I’m no longer surprised by the process involved in creating a...

I love butterflies. I love how they flutter delicately through the air and I love the different colours and shapes their wings come in...

It goes without saying that plants can vary in shape, colour and function. Some plants are good for hedging, creating privacy or...

Any of you that know me, will know that I don’t enjoy gardening. However, I do enjoy gardens (and I love wildlife and nature for that...

Did you know that you shouldn’t harvest asparagus until the third year of it growing? Apparently, if you take freshly-grown asparagus...

Did you know that every snowflake is unique, much like our fingerprints? In a commercial world designed to encourage comparison and...

This photo shows the main flower bed in my garden. Last year, I was surprised to find there wasn’t one foxglove to be seen. 3 years...