Big Little Steps Psychology (2025)

29/09/2025

How’s your beautiful brain and heart feeling today?

One of the kindest things we can do for ourselves is to pause and notice what we’re feeling. When we name an emotion, it becomes a little less overwhelming and a little more understandable. It gives us language to ask for what we need — a rest, a conversation, some space, or connection.

This feelings map was created to help both children and adults find words for what’s happening inside. Sometimes we feel safe and secure. Sometimes we’re curious and creative. Other times we find ourselves in stormy feelings, or even big storm feelings. All of them are valid. All of them are part of being human.

You might like to use this map with your child to explore the day’s feelings, or keep it nearby as a gentle reminder for yourself. Naming what we feel is a first step towards caring for it.

24/09/2025

Together with owner, mastermind and author Zara McDonald and illustrator Nell Harris, I’ll be part of the Brave & Able Storytime and Workshop at Stirling Library — an afternoon of stories, creativity, and tools for navigating big feelings.

I’ll be facilitating “Draw Your Emotions Monster” — a safe space to externalise those big feelings, give them shapes and colours, and begin talking them through. It’s okay to feel loud. It’s okay to feel messy. It’s how we grow.

📍 Stirling Library
🗓️ Saturday 18 October, 2–3pm
🎟️ Tickets online (link in bio)

Come join us for storytime, drawing, and practical strategies you can take home and use every day.

21/09/2025

Your Permission Slip for Today

Do you ever find it hard to give yourself permission to simply be? To be unfiltered, a little messy, or to just stop. It can feel easier to keep going, to keep performing, to keep being what we think others expect. But constantly striving can be exhausting — and over time, it erodes our sense of joy and calm.

That’s why self-compassion matters. It’s not indulgence, it’s balance — offering ourselves the same kindness we’d give a close friend. Think of it as an immediate yes to being human in that moment. Sometimes, it’s as simple as a permission slip.

Today you have permission to:
• Rest without guilt (rest is recovery, not laziness)
• Laugh as loud as you want (the kind of laughter that makes your belly ache and eyes water — it lowers stress, lifts your mood, and reminds your brain that joy belongs here too)
• Say no (boundaries are not walls — they’re bridges to healthier connections)

You don’t need to earn these permissions. They’re already yours, simply by being human.

If you could add one line to your own permission slip today, what would it say?

11/09/2025

💛 Today is R U OK? Day — a reminder that a small question can open big doors.
We don’t need perfect words. We just need to notice, ask, and stay.

When someone we love is doing it tough, we often rush to fix. But care isn’t one-size-fits-all. You may have heard this very famous (for a reason) simple prompt to help us meet people where they are:
“Do you want to be heard, hugged, or helped?”
Heard: space to speak, be listened to, and feel understood — no rushing, no fixing.
Hugged: comfort and co-regulation — a shoulder, a hand to hold, a steady presence.
Helped: practical support — a plan, a call, a meal, a lift, a next step.

Offering these choices gives control back to the person who’s hurting. It honours boundaries and needs. And if you’re not sure what they need right now — ask again. Needs can change moment to moment.

If they’re not ready to talk, that’s okay. Let them know you care and circle back. If you’re worried for their safety, stay close and help link them to support. Connection lightens the load — and these conversations save lives.

If you or someone you know needs support:
📞 Lifeline 13 11 14

02/09/2025

I’ve had one of those days today where the weight of my invisible backpack felt especially heavy. What’s an invisible backpack? It’s our anxieties, our worries, our self doubt, our inner critic, our worse voices about ourselves - it’s the things that weight us down.

For me today - It wasn’t one big thing — more like a quiet build-up of little worries, doubts, and ‘what ifs’ that crept in and settled there. And even though no one else saw it, I feel that weight with every step.

I think that’s the tricky thing about our invisible backpacks. From the outside, people might see us smiling, working, showing up for our families, ticking off the to-do list. But on the inside, we’re carrying all these unseen loads - we feel exhausted by what’s loaded on our backs. And it can feel lonely, like you’re the only one weighed down, and that you couldn’t possibly ask anyone to help you carry it.

But here’s what I keep coming back to sharing doesn’t mean giving them our bag - it is more a change to hear the golden phrase -SAME! We don’t share these feelings to get affirmation — we share them to seek validation. To remind ourselves that we’re not alone. That all of us, in different ways, are carrying something. And that naming it, even gently, helps make it feel a little lighter.

Our invisible backpacks hold not only our worries but also our resilience, our hope, our tiny sparks of joy that sit alongside the heavier things. And when we allow ourselves to speak about what’s inside — we create space for connection. We remember that others have backpacks too.

So if yours feels heavy today, know this: you don’t have to carry it all by yourself. Sharing the weight doesn’t erase it, but it softens the edges. And sometimes, just knowing we’re in this together is enough to help us keep going. 💛

17/08/2025

So much of life is lived inside the “house” of our mind. 🏠 We move from room to room — tasks, worries, memories, responsibilities — sometimes forgetting that there’s anything beyond those four walls.

But wonder is our window. 🪟✨

When we pause and look out, we’re reminded that the world is so much bigger than our immediate concerns. A sunrise, the sound of rain, a child’s giggle, a breathtaking piece of music — these moments open up perspective. They let in fresh air, soften our edges, and show us beauty that was always there, just waiting to be noticed.

Psychologically, wonder is powerful. It interrupts rumination, lifts our mood, and gently rebalances our perspective. It connects us back to life, to others, and to something greater than ourselves. 🌌

The practice of wonder doesn’t have to be grand or rare — it’s in the everyday, if we allow ourselves to slow down, open the window, and really look.

Today, maybe ask yourself: Where can I find a window of wonder? 🌿

10/08/2025

In light of the end of Loneliness awareness week - Loneliness doesn’t always look the same

Sometimes it’s that ache of missing your person — the one you share the deep stuff with.
Sometimes it’s feeling like you’re on the outside looking in, even when you’re surrounded by people.
And sometimes, it’s a deeper kind of loneliness — wondering where you truly fit in, or what it all means.

Each type of loneliness can feel heavy in its own way. But none of them mean you’re broken.

They’re signals — gentle nudges from your heart and mind — telling you that something needs care, connection, or a shift. 💛

The truth is, we all experience loneliness at times. It’s part of being human. And the beautiful thing is, even the smallest steps — starting a conversation, joining a group, sharing your story — can make a difference.

✨ If any of these feelings sound familiar, know you’re not alone. Connection is possible.
What’s one small step you could take today?

👣 Big feelings. Little steps. Big impact.

05/08/2025

Ever felt shy and wondered if it’s a problem?
Here’s the thing: it’s not. 💛

Shyness is not bad or broken — it’s a part of your personality that might make you more tuned in, cautious, or kind. It’s only when fear takes over and starts impacting your daily life that we’re possibly moving into social anxiety territory.

✨ Shyness = being slow to warm up
😟 Social anxiety = intense fear of being judged or embarrassed in social situations

One is a natural part of being human.
The other might need extra support and care.
Both deserve understanding, not shame.

Let’s normalise quiet. Let’s celebrate gentle.
Let’s make space for the quiet power of the shy ones. 🌱

👣 Big feelings. Little steps. Big impact.
— Big Little Steps Psychology

04/08/2025

💥 Today’s school visit reminded me of something BIG:
Feelings aren’t good or bad — they’re superpowered. 💫

Angry? You care.
Sad? Something matters.
Happy? You’re loving it.
Embarrassed? You’re learning.
Scared? You’re staying safe.
Surprised? Something new’s landed.

Every emotion is a little messenger with something to say — and the kids I worked with today got it in the best way. 💬❤️

Let’s keep reminding our little (and big!) humans: feelings aren’t to be fixed — they’re to be understood.

27/04/2025

Anxiety isn’t a flaw — it’s layers we’ve put on to try and protect ourselves. Over time, those layers can start to feel heavy. Healing is about learning to loosen the grip, to trust ourselves enough to peel them away, one by one. There’s strength in slowing down. There’s courage in letting go.

16/04/2025

self-compassion and self-care are closely connected but not the same thing. Here’s the difference:

Self-compassion is about how you relate to yourself in difficult moments. It’s your inner attitude. It means treating yourself with kindness, understanding, and patience rather than criticism or judgment. For example, if you make a mistake, self-compassion sounds like: “It’s okay, I’m human. Everyone messes up sometimes.”

Self-care, on the other hand, is about what you do to support your well-being. It’s the actions you take to look after your physical, mental, and emotional health — like getting enough sleep, going for a walk, taking a break, or talking to a friend.

Think of it this way:
• Self-compassion: How you talk to yourself.
• Self-care: What you do for yourself.

And often, self-compassion leads to better self-care, because when you care about yourself emotionally, you’re more likely to make healthy choices for your body and mind.

Both are important, what do these terms look like for you?

14/04/2025

Life can feel a lot like standing at the edge of the ocean. The waves keep rolling in — sometimes gently, other times crashing with force. Those waves are all the bits of life that are uncertain, uncontrollable, or scary. The things we can’t predict. The feelings that feel overwhelming. The situations that seem too big to face.

We can’t stop the waves — and we don’t need to. But we can choose where we plant our feet. We can ground ourselves in the sand beneath us — the things we do know, the people who support us, our values, routines, and small, steady steps forward.

And sometimes, when the sea feels especially stormy, it helps to step back — to go up to the lookout. From there, you can still see the waves, but you’re not in them. You can notice their rhythm. You can see how they rise and fall. And you can remember that there is so much solid ground all around you.

But here’s the beautiful part — with the right support, we can also learn to surf those waves. We can build the skills to ride the tough moments, to move with them instead of fighting against them. And when we do that, we waste less energy just trying to stay afloat.

Because staying stuck in the waves — bracing, resisting, fighting — can be exhausting. But learning to ride them? That’s resilience. That’s growth. That’s power. The best surfers wait for the right time - the right wave, and the right conditions - they don’t exhaust themselves surfing all the waves - the ride the ones that they know will lead to the reward - the ones worth the ride.

Big Little Steps Psychology