Look After Yourself LN5

14/04/2026

This is something that comes up in conversation all the time in sessions here.

Acceptance of one’s self goes hand in hand with the letting go, stopping negative self talk, kindness and compassion to the person in the mirror and all the younger versions of us that had no choice in developing the neural pathways and ways of being we have developed.

It’s not your fault. We are all a product of our experience much of which we had little control over.

If you’re struggling to accept yourself and have been considering exploring ‘self’ please do get in touch. Link in comments. 🥰

https://www.facebook.com/share/176QqLL9xp/?mibextid=wwXIfr

"The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change."
Carl Rogers - On Becoming a Person

24/03/2026

News from the States
I have just got back from visiting my daughter who has just made history!

Only once in 125 years has the freshman women’s 8 boat won the class day regatta. This happened in 1990.

This week the class of 2029 (the freshman class of which my daughter is one) raced all the other four year groups and won.

Not only is this an incredible part of history, they clocked the 7th ever fastest time for a female 8 boat on this course which has been raced on by thousands of elite crews across more than the last century!

I could not be more proud and their faces at the finish line say it all. My kiddos the one with yellow writing on her top! ❤️

12/03/2026

She’s still smashing it with ‘She Moves’ community in Lincoln.

As a guest on the ADHD Women’s Well being podcast Ella talks about her own experiences with her diagnosis and how it’s led to the recognition that movement is such a wholesome support mechanism for well being.

This episode covers lots of things faced by the community and is a really great listen for anyone struggling with their well being or an ADHD diagnosis.

Always hugely flattered to get a mention but also mindful that this is all her own inspiring work and I am immensely proud to have played such a small part in something so awesome!

Well done and thanks for the mention….you are the legend!!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3JJntEiSvO3tFtmmpDUoiL?si=QENuUXibS0eiK_-Y2_8tug&ct=469&t=469

09/03/2026

A very well articulated post that re-iterates my own thoughts about the efficacy of EMDR if not conducted within a safe relational space.

05/03/2026

Amen to this!!
I knew this 19 years ago and NEVER used this method…..when I look at my now 19 year old and her achievements and sense of self I wonder how much this contributed. None of that really matters, what is important is that we finally fully understand and utilise the knowledge that humans learn self regulation through co-regulation and early attachments and responses are absolutely vital to long term well being!

❤️

Denmark just took a major step.

They are moving to end the “cry it out” method after a nationwide review and more than 700 psychologists raised concerns about potential risks to brain development and attachment.

Let that sink in.

Over 700 psychologists.

The study looked at what happens when babies are left to cry for extended periods. Researchers linked prolonged crying without response to elevated stress hormones and possible long term impacts on brain development and emotional bonding.

And honestly?

None of this surprises me.

We have known for years that babies are not manipulating. They are not testing you. They are not trying to control the house at 2 AM.

They are signaling.

A baby’s nervous system is immature. Their stress response system is still developing. When they cry, cortisol rises. When they are comforted, their system regulates.

That regulation is not weakness. That is brain wiring.

Responsive caregiving helps build secure attachment. Secure attachment supports emotional regulation, resilience, and cognitive growth long term.

This is not about shaming parents who have used certain methods. Many parents were told it was the gold standard. Many were exhausted and doing their best with the information they had.

But we are allowed to grow when the science grows.

Denmark’s decision reflects something bigger: a shift toward understanding early childhood through a neurological and psychological lens, not just a sleep schedule lens.

Sleep matters. Parents matter. But so does how a baby’s developing brain processes stress.

There are gentle, responsive sleep strategies that do not require ignoring distress. There are ways to support sleep without compromising connection.

And at the end of the day, babies are not meant to self soothe in isolation.

They learn to regulate by being regulated.

That is biology. That is attachment. That is development.

We are not creating dependence. We are creating security.

And secure children eventually become independent adults.

If you responded to your baby at 2 AM even when you were exhausted…

You were not creating a bad habit.

You were wiring a brain.

🤍

03/03/2026

1st Jan I got on the scales and thought whoah! How did that happen. I weighed 80.15kg and have not been that heavy since a period of time after my eldest was born 19 years ago.

In the first two weeks of Jan I was almost scared to step on the scales again but tried really hard to sort myself out. I am not foolish enough to not know that when I weighed again on 16th Jan and was 2.15 kg lighter this was obviously a fluid retention and subsequent loss issue. Not fat!

For the least two months I have worked hard at both indoor rowing and at eating a tracked 500 calorie deficit daily intake

As a 51 year old menopausal woman this time of my life has been the absolute hardest yet to shift the smallest amounts of fat.

I have not been doing my usual gym routine which would involve lifting heavy weights and building muscle (I will be back to that in time). I have simply been indoor rowing 4-5 times a week and considerable efforts (this was something I felt I needed to do to regain my old levels of fitness).

It’s been super hard to maintain and last week I only rowed once and generally felt like utter s**t.

I am back on it this week and despite not completing the full 10km of my session and bailing after only 5km yesterday I am still determined.

These two sets of data are from 16th Jan and today.

It’s a long and slow process and I am hitting many plateaus but I am determined to keep it up.

Nothing in life comes easy and this very tough battle at this very tough age must continue so I am posting this for accountability.

Belly fat is my most stubborn area and whilst it is shrinking I would like to lose another 4.5kg. So having thus far lost only 3.5 kg I suspect it will be a few months yet.

Fingers crossed I can stick at it because if I don’t do it now I know I never will. 🤪

Slow changes over long periods are the best way to do this, otherwise it will all just pile back on again. Fingers crossed my will power endures!!

P.S. my arms are not fat 😭😭😭😭 it’s a massive liar!!

03/03/2026

I buy my skincare creams form this amazing lady and she makes a very good point! Speedy recovery Zoe Bee Beauty ❤️

01/03/2026

Established and fun Pilates class in Lincoln!

What’s not to love!

Healthy movement, improved mobility and strength, more flexible spine, friendship, laughter and fun.

Spaces available Mondays at 1830 for Pilates in Bracebridge Heath Village Hall with me, Ange.

Link below for more details or message the page.

Hope to see you soon!

https://www.lookafteryourselfln5.co.uk/pilates

26/02/2026

This!!!
‘I have neuro plasticity on my side’
‘8 year old me would love me!’

This is how we should approach our mind! 🙏🏻

I watched her answer this. She didn’t hesitate once. She has had a tough life and faced a lot of well being issues both mentally and physically including seizures.

Quite the motivation to master our own thoughts here! ❤️

Eileen Gu was asked if she thinks before she speaks. Her answer touched on neuroplasticity, journaling, and was radically optimistic.

She grew up in San Francisco. She studies at Stanford. She competes for China. In 2025 the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau was set to pay her $6.6 million. She earned $23 million last year from endorsements alone. Her citizenship status has never been publicly resolved.

She is 22 years old. The full quote is below.

"Thank you, Charlotte. That’s very kind. Oh man. Do I think? I think overall I’m just a pensive person. I’m very introspective, I’m an introspective young woman. I spend a lot of time in my head, and it’s not a bad place to be. I journal a lot. I break down all of my thought processes. I think I apply a very analytical lens to my own thinking, and I kind of modify it, because it’s so interesting: you can control what you think. You can control how you think, and therefore you can control who you are.

Especially as a young person, I’m 22, so with neuroplasticity on my side, I can literally become exactly who I want to be. How cool is that? How empowering is that, right?

And so the fact is: I get to become, every day, the kind of person that me at age 8 would revere. Like, I would be obsessed with me today. Are you kidding? I would love me. I think that’s the biggest flex of all time, that younger you can be proud of you today. So I guess for me, it’s like: yes, I spend a lot of time in my own head. Yes, I think a lot. But it’s not really in an egotistical way, it’s in a tinkering, scientist kind of way. I’m always trying to modify. I’m trying to think: how can I be better? How can I approach my own brain the way that I approach my craft of freeskiing, so that I can be better tomorrow than I was today?"

25/02/2026

One of the best and most concise descriptions of mis-diagnosis (which I see a lot of) I have seen. Well worth a read.

09/10/2025

A fantastic chance for some Christmas family photos for all the family.
Lots of venues and opportunities just reach out through Pete’s page 😍

We are about to start the first Christmas shoot of the year here at Waddington Children’s Centre. This is the set-up for this year!

Mums, Dads, carers, you are all more than welcome to have your photos done too! In fact, I encourage it!!

I hope to see you soon!!

30/09/2025

Irvin Yalom.🙏🏻
A kind and most profoundly empathic therapeutic genius
(if there is such a thing), sharing this world with a man such as this is a privelege.

If you have ever thought of delving into his writing I can highly recommend, amongst his many incredible works, Love’s Executioner. More pass time comfort read than many of his amazing educational works and a brilliant read! 🙏🏻❤️🥰