In my previous blog, you can answer a quick quiz to find out if you may have Fibromyalgia (FM). Then, it’s important to consult your GP or medical specialist to confirm this. So, managing Fibromyalgia: where to start? Diagnosing Fibromyalgia FM varies greatly from one person to another. It is also possible to have other […]
Managing Fibromyalgia: where to start? Read More »
Take this quick quiz: Is there pain/tenderness in all or almost all the parts of your body at the same time? Do you struggle with fatigue? Are you having trouble thinking or remembering? Do you wake up tired/unrefreshed? In the past 6 months, have you had pain or cramps in your lower abdomen? Have you
What is Fibromyalgia and do you have it? Read More »
Early on in the COVID-19 lockdown in SA (when we thought it might be 3 weeks MAX!), I reassured most clients to just “aim for sane”. It was about survival. Now, it looks like we will live under restrictions for several more months. And, we don’t know what comes after. So, whilst survival is still
5 steps for Recalibration. Read More »
Third week of lockdown in SA and it’s the week of hitting the wall. Now everyone’s a bit grumpy with the “go-for-it” attitude of the emergent online motivators! So, here’s what I’ve been saying to my clients from the start: aim for sane (not super!) Why settle for sane, you say? Do I believe good
Aim for sane (not super!) Read More »
Sometimes the sources and solutions to stress are simpler than we think! You can use sensory regulation to manage stress. Your sensory profile Like Olaf, I like warm hugs – but I get grumpy after gatherings. I switch the radio off while looking for a street address, but I can read for hours in the
Use Sensory Regulation to manage stress! Read More »
“Calm down!”, “Just relax!” and “Take a breath!” can be really annoying and impossible instructions to someone who is in distress. (I wrote about distress here.) But what if it was this simple? What if you could flip the switch on stress and pain and trigger a cascade of calming effects on your body? What
Flip the switch on stress and pain. Read More »
During this COVID-19 pandemic we are feeling all the feels! Feelings of sadness and fear are common reactions to chronic stress and part of our humanity. We don’t need to pathologize feelings unnecessarily but we also can’t just pretend when those feelings have become disordered and dysfunctional. We need to stay safe and sane (as
Just “stressed”? Or in distress? Read More »
There’s been a massive focus on personal hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic – because it’s our personal hygiene that can make a big difference to public health. But there’s another kind of hygiene we need to attend to for our own personal health – sleep hygiene. Don’t lose sleep during lockdown! Poor sleep has wide-ranging
Don’t lose sleep during lockdown! Read More »
I read in the news today that the main emotion South Africans are feeling a few days into COVID-19 lockdown is anger. Surprising? No, not really. Here’s why… I like to think of anger as “fear’s bodyguard” – because that’s usually what anger is protecting: the more vulnerable feeling of fear we don’t want to
The antidote to lockdown anger Read More »
So, during the lock-down you’re staying safe at home – but you’re realizing that safe and sane are not the same! Your safe-haven can quickly get toxic when it now doubles as your workplace and your dearly beloveds have morphed into irritable colleagues! This is especially true for introverts who are more prone to burn-out
Lockdown: Stay safe and sane! Read More »
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