Frustration. It’s a complex cocktail of being annoyed, angry, disappointed, and powerless. It’s an emotional reaction to stress and in many cases rather short-lived. However, continuously being exposed to stress can take a long-lasting and serious toll on your health and well-being. During this disruptive time of load shedding, it’s natural to be frustrated, disillusioned, and outraged at the enormous impact the power outages have on our day-to-day living. Our days without load shedding are already filled with daily hassles and stressors, and adding on an additional load (pun intended!) could lead to a sense of hopelessness, and powerlessness, and [...]

It’s true that society has created certain standards for mothers. It naturally doesn’t help that we as women have also set our own standards that are incredibly high and drive us in constant pursuit of being the “perfect mother and woman.” We strive towards “always getting things right”, to please others, to juggle all the balls of marriage, parenthood, career, friendships and self-care with incredible efficiency, and instead of supporting our fellow women, compete for the trophy. Guilt can so easily creep into every single aspect of our lives that we end up second-guessing ourselves, feel guilty when we are [...]

We all strive to be confident, standing our ground and standing up for ourselves. However, the reality is that more often than not, we rather back down in an effort to avoid confrontation and to save ourselves from possible drama. But with bullying and abuse, both in their subtle and aggressive forms being rife in the corporate corridors and at home, we need to learn how to find the middle ground when standing up to the abusive behaviour of others without being overly strong and pushy, or appearing insecure, weak, and a ‘push-over’. READ: The art of subtle bullying and [...]

Change is inevitable, yet we all fear it because we don’t know the outcome. We prefer to know, to find peace in the knowing, and as a result find it hard to move on when something comes to an end. We naturally reject uncertainty and are prone to be paralysed by our fear of the unknown, running various scenarios in our search for clarity, and end up with worry and anxiety, especially if the change is out of our control. For example, if you decide to move cities or start your own business, you feel more in control of the [...]

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give. (Winston Churchill) Powerful words by Churchill. And he is so right. By giving we unleash so much happiness in ourselves! At the start of 2021, I joined the worldwide Facebook post, whereby the first 5 people who shared my post and committed to paying it forward would receive a random gift from me throughout the year. I sent cupcakes to Gauteng and Durbanville, and coffee vouchers to Stellenbosch. I have no idea whether my 5 recipients actually paid it forward but you know what? [...]

Emotional baggage is a collective term for all our unresolved past emotional experiences and issues, traumas, and stresses. We carry these experiences, inner criticisms, insecurities, deep (perhaps shameful) secrets, and past relationship pains, with us at all times, allowing these negative thoughts about our unresolved past to constantly occupy our minds and body. If not taken care of, emotional baggage can negatively impact: • the way you think about yourself (manifesting as resentment and self-loathing) • your physical well-being • how you react to stress • your relationships with others • decision-making • your mental health (depression and anxiety) Facing [...]