Marlize Labuschagne-Educational Psychologist

16/03/2026

Feeling exhausted? Exhaustion doesn’t always come from one big event. Instead, it often builds slowly through the quiet accumulation of everyday efforts: managing responsibilities, thinking ahead, keeping things running smoothly, and responding to other people’s needs.

It's no surprise that many people feel emotionally drained even when life appears relatively stable. Nothing dramatic has happened, yet the mind and nervous system feel tired.

This experience is also not limited to one specific stage of life. It can happen at any time, whether you're navigating school pressure, workplace demands, family responsibilities, or life transitions.

Rather than being a reflection of one big event, this exhaustion often reflects how much emotional effort has been happening quietly in the background.

New post up on the blog. The link is in the comments.

13/03/2026

If you want to know more about autism, or how to support the autistic person in your life (or even understand yourself better), I can definitely recommend this workshop!

Autism 101 Workshop: Online
11 April 2026

Let’s talk about autism, minus the jargon, myths, and outdated thinking.

This workshop is for parents, families, educators, and autistic individuals who want a clearer, more respectful understanding of autism through a neuroaffirming lens. Together, we’ll explore ideas like Double Empathy, Monotropism, and Intense World Theory, and unpack what autistic experience actually looks and feels like in real life.

This isn’t about “fixing” anyone. It’s about understanding, reducing stigma, and making sense of differences in a way that’s compassionate and practical.

Expect an informal, thoughtful, and engaging session where curiosity is welcome, questions are encouraged, and complexity is respected.

Whether you’re supporting someone, reflecting on your own neurotype, or simply wanting to learn, you’ll leave with new perspectives, clearer insight, and ideas you can genuinely use.

Info@ndhive.co.za
083 676 1462

13/03/2026

A good friend recently said to me, “I just need to try and be less lazy.”

When she started telling me more about her week, and we slowed it down, it sounded like this: work emails that never really stopped, back-to-back meetings, school pick-ups, dinner to organise, messages to reply to, decisions about everything from deadlines to what’s for supper, very little sleep, and almost no proper quiet time. By Friday, even reading a simple WhatsApp felt like too much.

She called herself lazy, but nothing about that week sounded like laziness. In fact, it sounded like a system that had been carrying more than it could comfortably hold.
We are often quick to criticise ourselves, and slow to notice how much we’re actually carrying.

If you looked at your week through a lens of self-compassion instead of self-criticism, what would you see? And how would you name it?

12/03/2026

Some more photographs of my leadership development with the leaders at Laerskool Paratus Primary. This is one of my favourite things to do!

11/03/2026

Sometimes what we call 𝙡𝙖𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 is actually 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙢.

When your system is carrying too much sensory, cognitive, emotional or social load, even ordinary tasks can start to feel heavy. You procrastinate. You snap. You withdraw. And then you criticise yourself for not coping better.

Overwhelm is not a motivation problem. It is a capacity signal.

If this resonates, I explore this more deeply in this week’s blog, especially how overwhelm shows up in neurodivergent teens and adults.

👉 https://mlabuschagnepsych.wixsite.com/marlize-labuschagne/post/when-your-system-is-full-what-overwhelm-is-really-telling-you

Before pushing yourself harder this week, pause and ask: "𝐼𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠… 𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙?"

09/03/2026

"𝑻𝒐𝒐 𝑭𝑼𝑳𝑳" 𝒂𝒏𝒅 "𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝑬𝑴𝑷𝑻𝒀" (𝑺𝒂𝒎𝒆-𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕)

Full versus empty. Logically, they sound like complete opposites, right? Yet when it comes to overwhelm and burnout, it is surprisingly easy to confuse the two. On the surface, they can look very similar: exhaustion, irritability, withdrawal, and snapping over small things.

But they are not the same, and they are not asking for the same response.

In this week’s blog, I explore what overwhelm is really telling you, especially when your system is carrying more than it can comfortably hold.

👉 https://mlabuschagnepsych.wixsite.com/marlize-labuschagne/post/when-your-system-is-full-what-overwhelm-is-really-telling-you

Let’s chat 🤭: I’m curious. When you are really stretched, does it feel more like you are too full… or completely empty?

Overwhelm... Is it stress? Am I just tired? Or is it, in fact, the sense that there is way too much going on, all at once? There is too much noise. We have to make too many decisions (not only for ourselves but often also for all of our family members!) There are too many expectations to try to meet...

06/03/2026

Were emotions welcome in your home growing up?

For many of us, certain feelings were minimised, corrected, or quietly discouraged. Maybe anger felt unsafe. Maybe sadness was brushed aside. Maybe anxiety was labelled as overreacting. Over time, we learn which emotions are acceptable and which ones are better translated into “I’m fine.”

That doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. It means you adapted to your environment.

𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭: What emotion felt unwelcome in your home? How does it show up for you now?

You don’t have to analyse or fix anything. Simply noticing is a powerful place to begin.

If this resonates, I’ve explored emotional literacy more deeply in this week’s blog: https://mlabuschagnepsych.wixsite.com/marlize-labuschagne/post/where-exactly-is-i-m-fine-on-the-wheel-of-emotions

05/03/2026

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation calendar's Day 4 task was to "Try a new food from another country. Bonus if you share it."

This wasn't new food, but it was the first time I tried making Scottish shortbread 😁 It's delicious!

Tomorrow's task: "Ask a classmate or co-worker about a family tradition they love."

I hope you will come and share your new knowledge with me!

04/03/2026

Today, I looked at task 3 task of the The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation March calendar. It was the following: "Compliment someone on a unique trait or talent that is different from yours".

I worked from home and had very little human interaction, so I could not directly compliment anyone. However, I thought I would share this amazing talent and skill with you.

This is Chef Amaury Guichon making magic! He currently has a show on Netflix, called School of Chocolate. Go check it out. It is unbelievable!

https://youtube.com/shorts/LhJx6soOkps?si=1KNPGQsl29EHDmNf

Tomorrow's task: "Try a new food from another country. Bonus if you share it."

Any suggestions for a new dish to try out?

A Chocolate Violin by Chef Amaury Guichon 🎻🍫What a true chocolate masterpiece. The precision. The artistry. The insane level of detail. Chef Amaury continu...

04/03/2026

Not all uncomfortable feelings are the same, even when they look similar on the surface.

Overwhelm can feel like too much input.
Anxiety can feel like something bad is about to happen. Shutdown can look calm, but feel like a disconnection.

When we label everything as “stress” or say that we feel “fine,” we lose the detail that helps us find the best response.

The more accurately we name our emotions, the clearer it becomes what we need to do next.

I’ve written more about emotional literacy and why the right word makes such a difference in this week’s blog: https://mlabuschagnepsych.wixsite.com/marlize-labuschagne/post/where-exactly-is-i-m-fine-on-the-wheel-of-emotions

03/03/2026

Who did the tasks today? Here is what I discovered:

𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝟏: 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 "𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨" 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬.
I will have to practice my pronunciation but here are my three languages.
1. Ukranian, spoken in Ukraine 🇺🇦: Greetings everyone ➡️ Вітаю усіх ➡️ Vitayu usikh
2. Hindi, spoken in India 🇮🇳: Greetings everyone ➡️ सब को नमस्ते ➡️ Sabko Namaste
3. Farsi, spoken in Iran 🇮🇷: Greetings everyone ➡️ سلام بر همگ ➡️ Sa-laam bar ham-e-gee

𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝟐: 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧.
I found a really cool website with stories from all over the world. The one I read today, is called 𝘚𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘴, and it is a story from Columbia.

https://www.worldstoriesbank.org/story/sofia-the-shepherdess/?source_page=/new-stories

Let me know if you did one of these tasks today 😃

Tomorrow's task is to compliment someone on a unique trait or talent that’s different from yours. You don't have to tell us who you complimented, but come and share what you noticed.

Join Sofia's adventure as she searches for her lost sheep in this short folktale for kids from Colombia. An adventure tale about bravery and hard work.

03/03/2026

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation shared the kindness calendar for the month of March. I LOVE these ideas! Our world needs more empathy right about now.

Because it's already the 3rd of March, I will try and do March 1st and March 2nd's activities today and give you all feedback tonight.

Who wants to join me?
Task 1: Learn how to say "hello" in three new languages.
Task 2: Read a children's book or short story from a culture different from your own.

I'm really looking forward to this one.