Thrive Launceston

29/03/2023

I’m a big fan of finding goodness in the mundane and transforming the ordinary and… well… this is a love heart right? A giant piece of potato love! Just what I needed tonight.

07/03/2023

I always love me a good resource! Last year I attended a workshop with one of the authors of this book and I was so impressed I had to buy it. I’m excited to now have it in my kit and I’m looking forward to using it in sessions to help people who are recovering from trauma.

27/02/2023

I picked up this little brain at a trauma conference a few years ago and I’ve had it on display in my office ever since.

It’s a little visual reminder of something I often discuss in sessions - our brains can change and we can help that change happen by taking small actions again and again.

Habits help us get through life. We reduce our stress by doing the same thing repeatedly because we don’t have to put energy into thinking about what we are doing. The pathways for our habits are like a super highway in our brain - the neurochemicals whip down the pathway and we do our usual thing, sometimes without even being aware of it. That’s why changing our habits and thoughts is so hard.

The good news is we can create new pathways and new habits by consciously choosing new actions and doing them repeatedly.

Yep, it takes work and we often find ourselves back on the super highway of the old habit. But over time we can grow new pathways and change our brains and change the way we do life. Little steps repeated again and again.

That’s what the brain in my office is all about. It’s a reminder that change is possible, there is hope even when we feel our most stuck.

21/02/2023

Unpacking nesting dolls is like peeling back the layers of who we are and taking a peek inside ourselves.

Tucked deep inside are those small, sensitive, vulnerable parts of us that make us tick.

The person we let the world see is shaped by who we are inside, and that in turn is shaped by all we have experienced in a life time of relationships and connections. Like little dolls within dolls.

Gently getting underneath the layers to discover who we are and why we do what we do can be hard, painful work, but understanding ourselves better is a pathway to shifting unhelpful habits and developing new ways of being.

Worth the effort on the pathway to knowing ourselves better.

13/02/2023

It’s a glass of water.
What’s that got to do with mental health?!

The way we feel is affected by what is going on in our lives, our stress levels, our relationships… so many things impact how well we deal with life. Sleep, food and water are part of that. When we give our bodies what they need we have more resources to cope with the pressures of the day.

Small as it might seem, a drink of water (or three) can make a difference to how we feel.

So it’s a glass of water and a cup of self care, all in one. Drink up!

01/02/2023

I love pottering with the plants in my office when I arrive each day, watering them, adjusting for the light, pinching out any leaves that are past it, admiring the lines and patterns of the foliage and looking for new sprouts and buds. It’s a little routine that’s grounding and calming.

Little routines like this can seem insignificant but often they are what helps anchor us in the here and now when life feels overwhelming and we are caught up in worries and what-ifs.

What are your little routines? How do you help yourself get back to calm when something triggers you or puts you off balance?

Knowing our individual pathway to peace and calm can make a huge difference to how we cope with the bumpiness of life.

If you want to talk about any of this and where it might fit in your life, send me a message and we can work together to find your personal pathway to feeling calm.

12/01/2023

Meet Cynthia, latest addition to the Thrive Launceston office space. Is she blowing bubbles or deep breathing? I’m not sure, but either way I smile and breathe a little deeper every time I glance her way, feel that bit calmer. She fits right in with what Thrive is all about. 😉

04/09/2022

Father’s Day is here but it can be tricky if you can’t, or don’t want to celebrate it. This interview has some practical ideas for coping with the day when you find it tough.

Positive Psychologist Aaron Jarden has some practical advice for those who find days like this a real challenge.

28/04/2022

Ah, what a delight these are. When we pause and notice the goodness around us it can bring a little lift into difficult times.

What are your delights today?

📸 Grant Snider

07/03/2022

Sometimes the things we can use for our mental health seem so… so small. Insignificant. Like they would do nothing in the face of the giant feelings that overwhelm us.

But it’s the little things, the little things done with our careful attention that can make a big difference to how we feel.

The little things can distract us, delight us, fill us with wonder.

So in these days of big, scary, horrible things, let’s take a moment to notice the little things and let them calm us deep down into our souls.

(There’s a perfect soundtrack for this post, India Arie “Little things”, but I can’t add it to the picture here, so you’ll have to hum the tune while you look at the pic 😉)

01/03/2022

Ok. I admit it, I am guilty of this.

Step away from that phone… because maybe putting it down is the best thing we can do for our mental health just now?

01/03/2022

With so many big bad things happening, it can be helpful to deliberately stop thinking about them and bring our attention in to the little things that are nearby.

This tiny bug caught my eye today and helped me be present rather than caught up in events happening far away.

Any little things catch your eye today?
What did you notice?