How do you start healing your body when you don’t love it? How do you work on your mind-body connection when you’re already exhausted? Our culture focuses so much on exercise regimes and weight loss and productivity… All things that are loaded with energy and “busy-ness”. But they don’t really address the way to show ourselves compassion. So I wrote down the things I do that make me feel good - the love notes I give myself when I want/need to reconnect - and it turned into this poem.
Read More21 Ways To Soothe Your Body In Trying Times
Whether you’re handling a mental health diagnoses, or frankly have just been conscious during 2020 so far, chances are your anxiety levels are through the roof. Being in constant fight or flight mode can wreak havoc on your body, causing chronic pain and other symptoms that make you feel super shitty. Being in constant fight or flight mode can wreak havoc on your body, causing chronic pain and other symptoms that make you feel super shitty. Over the years, I’ve compiled a number of practices, rituals and tools that I use to soothe my nervous system and soothe my body when I’m dealing with somatic experiences from mental health challenges. Here’s are 21 of them for you to try!
Read More3 Artists & Their Creations: How They Created During Lockdown
There’s no doubt that lockdown has brought with it a vast array of emotions, but if there’s one thing that comes with pain, it’s the drive to create in order to heal. One of the things I’ve personally loved about this past few months has been watching artists I know and love really come into their own! It made me so curious as to what drove them, why these artists chose now to step into their creative space and how they felt it impacted their mental health. So I reached out to a few of my faves to see if they would mind answering some questions about their work, and I’m so excited to share their stories with you.
Read MoreThe Healing Power of Breath Work
Breathing isn’t something I ever considered to be a skill until I started my journey towards healing! I mean, it’s not like optimal breathing is something they teach in schools. At least, they didn’t when I was growing up. Most of us think of breathing as a physiological function that our body does automatically in order to keep us alive. But breathing is about so much more than just feeding us oxygen. It’s actually the one thing that can bring our mind and body back into alignment when they are out of sync.
Read More4 Reasons and Ways to Date Yourself... Whether You're Single Or Not!
Dating myself might seem strange, but it’s actually one of my most favorite things to do. One of THE most important lessons I have learnt in my therapy journey is this: it is of paramount importance that you truly get to know yourself. That you make space for discovery. Here are 4 reasons and ways to date yourself!
Read MoreWhen A Book Changes Your Life: Freedom Is An Inside Job by Zainab Salbi
Does anyone else go into book shops and, instead of reading the blurb on the back, they pick up a book and turn to the first page that naturally drops open to see if it’s going to be a good fit? Call it the Universe, the earth’s energy, God… whatever it is, it brought me to this book all those months ago… And it changed EVERYTHING.
Read MoreWhat's In My "Oh Shit Kit" & How To Create Your Own
The “Oh Shit Kit”. A simple box that helped me to step out of my self harming days and start living my life again. It literally saved my life and, although it’s evolved over the years, it’s been at the core of my healing. So why is it so important for mental health warriors? What’s in mine and how can you go about creating your own?
Read More8 Ways To Stay Mindfully Connected During Lockdown...That Won't Sap All Your Energy!
We are living in a time where that which is supposed to connect us, can make us feel more disconnected than ever. Technology makes being confined to our homes more bearable with platforms such as Netflix and social media keeping us occupied and distracted. However, when overloaded with different ways to connect with literally thousands of connections, it can frankly feel rather overwhelming. So what can you do to stay soulfully, meaningfully, mindfully connected to those you care about during lockdown? Here are a few ideas…
Read MoreWhat Is A Mental Health "Trigger"?
Last week I received a message from a really good friend of mine who has been struggling with some panic attacks. She had been listening to the podcast and reading some of our recent posts and asked me what a mental health trigger is. I don’t think we have ever actually gone into the definition before, what they do and how we manage them.
Read MoreAustralian Fires - The Light & How You Can Help
It can be really hard to take in a crisis like this whoever you are, but being a highly sensitive person or someone with anxiety means it can have a tough effect on our mental wellbeing. But tonight, a good friend of mine from my local zumba group started a small fundraiser, and it lead me down a different path. For anyone who is looking for resources and places to contribute or get involved, below are some that have been in my immediate feeds over the last 24 hours.
Read MoreThe 2019 Transformation - Pain, Purpose and Alignment
2019 was a year of complete transformation for me. I mean…total transformation. Like, my life at the beginning of the year looks nothing like the end of it. I didn’t get a chance to send out a Christmas Card this year. But having found so much alignment and fulfillment in being open about my journey, it made sense for me to bring 2019 to a close here at She Be Red! So here are my lessons from 2019.
Read MoreWhen Breakdowns Become Breakthroughs - Maddie's 10 Years of Recovery!
10 years ago this week, I had a mental health breakdown and my life completely changed. Suddenly I was seeing the world through a whole new lens and I didn’t know how I was going to survive it. But here I am, 10 years later, living a life I am so grateful for. So what’s new? What’s changed? How did I turn my breakdown into a breakthrough?
Read MoreSo Much To Say.
I decided to take a break from blogging, because blogging felt so vulnerable. I made it my mission to find my creativity again and in that space, I started new projects, got my life to a really great place as I moved through the transition of divorce and I wrote my first complete song in over 5 years.
Read MoreFaces of Mental Health - My Last 6 Months
I’m spending a lot of time reflecting and thinking about the life I want to create. I’ve been documenting EVERYTHING including MANY selfies (not ashamed)!
Below are a few I wanted to share. Because the truth of it is that I’ve experienced every emotion there is. It hasn’t always been pretty. But I’m truly living. Here’s to life not always being perfectly curated.
Read More4 Ways To Get Back To The Yoga Mat
Somewhere, underneath all the shit, the mat was calling me back and I found myself longing to return to it and listen to what it had to say. So I started seriously considering going back to yoga and it was so much harder than I thought.
Read MoreYou get to choose.
I’ve spent a lot of my life on paths that were already carved out for me. It wasn’t a bad thing. And I have no regrets. But when you suddenly find space in your life in a way you didn’t before, you discover that the beautiful thing about being an adult is you get to choose.
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3 Lessons I Learned From Being Laid Off (As A Workaholic)
Have you ever been laid off from a job before? I mean blindsided - no idea it was coming and then having to figure out…what next? Well my friend, not that long ago, I was there. I want to tell you about the 3 incredible lessons that that I learned as a consequence.
Read MorePhoenix: The Story Behind The Album
Ever since I was 11, I’ve been making music. My Mumma was a piano teacher and so for as long as I can remember, I’ve always found peace at the piano. This month, I am releasing an album of music called ‘Phoenix’ that I wrote about my mental health journey. One of the things that kept me plodding on through my breakdown was writing these songs. Here’s the story behind the album.
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What Makes Soulful Self Care Different?
We hear it all the time now on the 'gram, with countless selfies of "self care Sundays". It's the magic elixir that leads to emotional awareness and energy...but what is it exactly??? There are two kinds of self care - boring self care....and soulful self care. Here’s what makes them different…
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9 Lessons from 9 Years of Recovery
Today is the day. Today is my breakdown-aversary. It’s been 9 years. Recovery is different for everyone, and over my journey with mental health recovery, I have learnt so many lessons. Here are some of my faves…
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