Written by Yalini Nirmalarajah, Self-Love & Relationship Coach Founder of The Yalini Experience, Yalini has qualifications in psychology and a master’s degree in social and political science. She is a certified Master Practitioner in hypnotherapy, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and timeline therapy. "I need to heal before I'm ready for a relationship." How many times have you heard this? Maybe you've even said it yourself. After all, it seems to make perfect sense, heal your wounds first, then open your heart to love. Work through all your past traumas, resolve your trust issues, and only then will you be truly ready for a meaningful relationship. But what if I told you this well-intentioned advice might actually be keeping you from the love you desire? Don't get me wrong, taking time to process past hurts and reconnect with yourself after heartbreak is important. But somewhere along the way, this healthy practice morphed into an impossible standard, the belief that you must be completely healed before you're worthy of love. Let me share something I've witnessed with my clients, like Tracy, who came to me convinced she needed to resolve every issue from her past relationships before she could date again. She'd spent years in therapy, reading self-help books, and doing inner work. Yet somehow, she never felt "healed enough" to open her heart again. Here's what Tracy, and maybe you too, didn't realise. Love isn't meant to come only after you've perfectly healed all your wounds. In fact, the right relationship can be one of your greatest catalysts for deeper healing. Think about it, our deepest wounds often come from relationships, so why do we believe we must heal them in isolation? Sometimes, it's within the safety of a loving partnership that we find the courage to face our most buried fears and insecurities. In fact, here’s something that might surprise you, a quality relationship is actually designed to trigger you. Not to cause more pain, but to bring hidden wounds to the surface where they can finally be healed. The challenge is that many people mistake these triggers for problems with their partner or the relationship itself. They think, "If this person were right for me, it wouldn't feel this hard." Except what's hard has nothing to do with the other person, and everything to do with what's coming up inside of themselves, the emotions and vulnerabilities they weren't ready to face until now. Maybe it's about learning to speak up and say when they're uncomfortable, so they can honour their boundaries. Or perhaps it's about sharing how they truly feel, their sadness, their hurt, and discovering it's finally safe to be seen. In this case, the triggers aren't warning signs, they’re invitations for growth. When your partner's actions or words stir up old insecurities or fears, it may not be because they're wrong for you. It might very well be their presence that’s creating the safe space needed for the wounds to finally surface and heal. Of course, this doesn't mean you should jump into dating without any self-reflection or healing. There's still important inner work to do, work that I always support my clients with, like: Grieving past relationships and letting go of old attachments Understanding your patterns and triggers Building a foundation of self-love and worth Learning to trust your intuition again Remember, the right relationship will challenge you to grow, but it should also feel safe and supportive. It's about finding that balance between comfort and growth, between being triggered and feeling secure enough to work through those triggers together. I've seen this transformative journey with another client, Emma, who was surprised to discover that her new relationship actually accelerated her healing in ways years of solo work hadn't. Why? Because her partner's presence triggered old wounds she didn’t even know existed. And instead of projecting them onto him, thinking he was the problem, she realised that it was his loving presence and support that created the safe space required for her to face and release the wounds she couldn't access on her own. The beauty of love is that it doesn't demand perfection, it creates opportunities for transformation. The right person won't expect you to have it all figured out. Instead, they'll understand that each trigger, each moment of vulnerability, is a chance to grow closer and heal deeper. They'll stand with you as you learn to trust, to open up and be truly seen, not because you're broken, but because you're ready to evolve into an even more authentic version of yourself. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Yalini Nirmalarajah Yalini Nirmalarajah, Self-Love & Relationship Coach Yalini Nirmalarajah, a global self-love and relationship coach, empowers women to reclaim the source of their light, their feminine essence, and intuition. In societies where women are taught to be more like men, her guidance helps women overcome this false conditioning so they can heal from the trauma it’s created, reconnect with their emotional bodies, and live authentically from their hearts. Inspired by this mission, she launched the Lead From Love podcast. Founder of The Yalini Experience, Yalini has qualifications in psychology and a master's degree in social and political science. She is a certified Master Practitioner in hypnotherapy, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and timeline therapy. Her expertise extends to postgraduate training in rebirthing breathwork, iridology, sclerology, health, and wellness. Yalini is dedicated to continuous development to provide the highest quality care for all her clients.

Here's what emotional fitness actually is: building resilience through small daily moves. With the Wisey app, you track what happens, spot what messes with your mood or lifts it, and slowly figure out your real patterns instead of just guessing randomly. Gyms work through repetition – show up, lift weights, get stronger. Pretty straightforward. Here, it's the same logic, except you're building capacity for handling stress and figuring out what's actually happening in your mind instead of just operating on automatic reactions. Wisey  emotional fitness removes the complicated stuff – no degree in psychology needed, no years meditating on mountaintops, just small, consistent moves that stick. The approach stays simple: check in with how you're feeling, notice what keeps showing up, and build habits that survive past the first burst of motivation. Simple and consistent beats elaborate systems you'll ditch within two weeks every time. Works whether this is completely new territory or you've already been doing some version of emotional tracking. What are the benefits of emotional fitness? Regular emotional fitness practice offers several mental health benefits: better understanding of what genuinely affects your mood improved emotional regulation when stress hits stronger resilience for daily challenges increased endurance for handling difficult situations clearer decision-making based on your actual patterns instead of assumptions less decision fatigue from understanding your triggers How to get started with emotional fitness – a simple approach used by Wisey Getting into emotional fitness doesn't need an elaborate setup. Here's what genuinely helps: Start ridiculously simple. The Wisey app literally just asks you to tap low, medium, or high after stuff you do during the day. That's the whole thing. No complex emotion wheels, no writing paragraphs about your feelings. This basic data collection gradually builds toward deeper awareness without burying you in complexity right at the start. Understand your actual limits. Jumping into tracking absolutely everything or expecting instant clarity – yeah, that usually crashes and burns. Building emotional awareness through small, steady actions creates habits you can actually maintain, not burnout from analyzing yourself to death. Start from wherever you currently are. You don't need emotional clarity before beginning emotional fitness. That's backwards. The practice itself creates clarity over time. Important note: Wisey is an emotional fitness tool, not a medical device or mental health treatment. It doesn't diagnose, treat, or cure any mental health conditions. If you're experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues that interfere with daily life, consult a licensed mental health professional. The app may complement professional care but never replaces it. What tools do you need for emotional fitness? Wisey explained Wisey needs just your phone and a few seconds after activities to log your mood. The platform includes: Three-tier mood tracking for quick logging Habit Builder that asks "What interfered?" instead of guilting you Focus Timer for maintaining concentration App Blocker to reduce digital distractions AI Coach for immediate guidance when stuck Why emotional fitness is replacing wellness trends right now Wellness trends just keep rotating. This year, it's green juice cleanses. Last year, cold plunges. Before that, the biohacking supplements and intermittent fasting protocols. Emotional fitness actually sticks because it addresses what's really blocking people. Most already know the basics – exercise helps, sleep matters, endless scrolling doesn't. That information's everywhere. Wisey gained traction during a specific moment. Remote work blurred life boundaries. Social media created constant comparison anxiety. Economic uncertainty made traditional milestones feel unattainable. People needed tools for navigating emotional complexity, not another productivity hack. The shift reflects changing attitudes. Previous generations viewed emotional struggles as weakness requiring fixing. Current generations view emotional capacity as a skill requiring development. This reframe makes emotional fitness feel productive rather than remedial. You're not broken seeking repair – you're functional seeking optimization. Wisey practices: Emotional fitness and how to implement them Here are core emotional fitness practices with implementation instructions: Mood tracking after activities Finish an activity–work meeting, social time, exercise, or meal. Immediately note your energy: low, medium, or high. Don't analyze. Just collect data. Repeat consistently for a minimum of two weeks before pattern hunting. Review weekly to spot which activities consistently drain or energize you. Habit building without perfection pressure Pick one small habit – morning planning, evening reflection, midday walk. When you skip a day, Wisey, the emotional wellness tool, asks, "What interfered?" not "Why did you fail?" Answer honestly – tired, forgot, chose differently, external circumstances. Use interference patterns to identify real obstacles instead of blaming willpower. Adjust habits based on what actually blocks you, not what theoretically should work. Focus session practice Set a specific time for concentrated work – start with 25 minutes. Remove distractions before starting (phone away, apps blocked, notifications off). Work until the timer ends, then actually break. Note mood after – did focused work energize or drain you? Track patterns to find your optimal focus duration and timing. Pattern review Weekly, review mood data for consistent trends. Notice correlations: which days, times, activities, people align with high or low moods. Identify one actionable change from patterns – adjust scheduling, modify social plans, change work approach. Test changes for two weeks before evaluating effectiveness. Listen to yourself Starting emotional fitness means following what actually works for you, not what some article says should work. Slow awareness building? That's what creates habits that survive. Not just the first motivated week, months later, when excitement fades and everything feels chaotic. Real resilience comes from this, not temporary fixes that work great for three days, then vanish completely. Your tracking needs match your life. Different methods suit different personalities and schedules. What you'll actually keep doing versus what sounds good theoretically – huge difference. Wisey App maintains structure without forcing identical approaches on everyone. Working with a therapist? They can interpret the patterns your tracking shows. Adds a professional perspective to the data you're gathering alone. Takeaway: Emotional fitness is the new gym – powered by Wisey App Building resilience? It happens through tracking patterns and sticking with habits. Self-awareness doesn't show up overnight – it develops gradually as you keep at it. Regular emotional check-ins work at any level. Wisey app keeps things simple : mood logs, habit tracking, and focus sessions. Builds capacity for understanding and managing how you feel. You know how physical fitness works – showing up regularly beats occasional hardcore sessions every time. Emotional fitness follows that same logic. Small stuff you do daily adds up way more than you'd think.

Written by Anna Woolliscroft, Writing for Wellbeing Specialist Anna is a journalling coach and wellbeing advocate on a mission to share the transformative power of writing with 100,000 people. Through her company, Writing with Purpose, she helps women navigate life’s challenges and rediscover their joy through creative expression and nature connection, alongside hosting the Writing with Purpose podcast. Scrolling through your phone at the year’s end reveals a story you didn't know you were writing. Between work deadlines and daily routines, meaningful moments can blur into background noise. What if you could reclaim those experiences, understand what they reveal, and use that insight to shape the year ahead? This is the powerful practice of reflection, because looking back creates clarity for what comes next. What is reflection? Reflection is the conscious practice of reviewing experiences to extract meaning and learning. Unlike passive reminiscing, structured reflection involves examining what happened, how you responded, and what patterns emerge. Psychologist John Dewey described reflection as active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it. Through reflection, experiences transform from isolated events into connected insights that inform future decisions. When you reflect on journal entries, you're not simply re-reading words. You're observing your past self from a new vantage point, noticing patterns you couldn't see while living through the experience. This metacognitive process, which is thinking about your thinking, builds self-awareness and emotional intelligence over time. Why reflection matters Research from Harvard Business School found that employees who spent 15 minutes at the end of the day reflecting on lessons learnt performed 23 percent better on assessments than those who didn't reflect. The study, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, demonstrates that reflection isn't a luxury but a performance tool. Neuroscientist Dr Mary Helen Immordino-Yang's research at the University of Southern California reveals that reflection activates the brain's default mode network, the same neural system responsible for creativity, problem-solving, and meaning-making. Without regular reflection, you risk operating on autopilot, responding to life rather than consciously shaping it. Learn more about journalling and the brain . For women experiencing life transitions, whether perimenopause, career shifts, or relationship changes, reflection provides a stabilising anchor. It offers proof that you've successfully handled challenges before, building confidence for what lies ahead. The reflection sentence technique After writing a journal entry, add one reflection sentence before closing your notebook. This simple habit transforms writing from documentation into insight. Start your reflection with one of these prompts: When I read this back, I notice... I wonder... What makes me curious is... This technique works because it creates cognitive distance. You step outside the immediate emotion and observe your experience as data. What patterns appear? What assumptions influenced your response? What would you do differently next time? At the end of the year, these reflection sentences become especially valuable because they're concentrated wisdom about what mattered throughout the past twelve months of living. How to review your year Gather three sources of evidence about your year, your phone's photo roll, your diary or calendar, and any journals you've kept. Set aside an hour when you won't be interrupted. Start with your photos. Scroll through the entire year, pausing when an image triggers a memory. Don't judge whether moments are important enough. Notice what catches your attention. Your photos reveal what mattered to you, even when you weren't consciously paying attention. Next, review your diary or calendar. What patterns emerge? When were you busiest? What commitments took most of your energy? What did you prioritise? Calendars show where you allocated time, which often differs from where you wanted to spend it. Finally, if you've kept a journal, read through your entries. Notice recurring themes. What problems appeared multiple times? What brought consistent joy? What relationships deepened or changed? Your journal captures the emotional data that photos and calendars can't. As you review, write notes about what you observe. Use coloured pens, circle words, and underline sentences. These become the foundation for deeper reflection techniques. The captured moment technique Select five to ten photographs from your year. Choose images that spark something, such as joy, pride, surprise, or even discomfort. For each photo, write for five minutes without stopping. Describe what you remember, who was there, what was said, how you felt, and what happened next. Capture all the details and nuances. The captured moment technique works because photographs act as memory anchors. A single image can unlock details you thought you'd forgotten, conversations, weather, and the feeling in a room. Writing these details preserves them and reveals their significance. After writing about each photograph, add a reflection sentence. What does this moment reveal about what matters to you? What would you like to experience more of next year? Gratitude journalling for year-end Research by Dr Robert Emmons at the University of California demonstrates that regular gratitude practice increases well-being, strengthens relationships, and improves physical health. Year-end is ideal for gratitude reflection because you're reviewing accumulated experiences rather than forcing daily appreciation when nothing feels noteworthy. See this article on gratitude journalling to learn more about the benefits. Create three lists: people you're grateful for, experiences you're grateful for, challenges you're thankful to have handled. For each item, write one specific sentence explaining why. Specificity matters. I'm grateful for my partner carries less impact than I'm grateful James brought me tea every morning when I was struggling with the project deadline. Don't limit gratitude to positive experiences. What difficult situations taught you something valuable? Which challenges revealed your resilience? Acknowledging hard-won growth builds confidence for facing future obstacles. Using the clustering technique Clustering, thought to have been developed by Gabriele Rico, is a non-linear brainstorming technique that reveals unexpected connections. Start with My Year in the centre of a blank page. Around it, write words or short phrases that capture significant moments, feelings, achievements, challenges, and relationships. Don't organise thoughts. Let them flow naturally. Connect related items with lines. Circle clusters that form. This visual mapping engages your brain's spatial reasoning, often surfacing insights that linear writing misses. After creating your cluster, write for ten minutes about the patterns you notice. What connections surprise you? What receives more space on the page than you expected? What's missing that you assumed would be prominent? Celebrating your successes List every achievement from the past year, regardless of size. Include the big ones, such as promotions, completed projects, and health milestones, alongside the small victories, which might be difficult conversations you handled well, habits you maintained, or moments you chose rest over pushing through. We're conditioned to dismiss our accomplishments, particularly women who often downplay their capabilities. Writing a comprehensive list of successes counters this tendency. Each item is evidence of your competence and growth. For each success, note what skills or qualities made it possible. Did you demonstrate persistence? Creativity? The ability to ask for help? Recognising these patterns shows you precisely what resources you bring to future challenges. Acknowledging challenges Honest reflection includes difficulties. What did not go as planned? What relationships struggled? What goals remain unmet? Write these down without self-criticism. You are gathering data, not passing judgment. For each challenge, ask: What was within my control? What was not? What would I do differently with today's knowledge? What support did I need that was not available? These questions separate regret from learning. Some challenges remain unresolved, and that is okay. Note what you have learnt about managing ongoing difficulties. Has your approach evolved? What coping strategies proved effective? How have you grown in your capacity to handle uncertainty? Making reflection a family practice Year-end reflection works beautifully as a family activity. Gather everyone who shares your household, partners, children, and even extended family if they are visiting, and give them paper and pens. Ask everyone to draw or write about their favourite moment from the year. Young children can draw pictures. Teenagers might write a few sentences. Adults can write more extensively. Spend ten to fifteen minutes on individual reflection, then share what you have created. This practice serves multiple purposes. Children develop emotional literacy by naming and processing experiences. Teenagers practise articulating what matters to them. Adults gain insight into what family members value and remember. You might discover that your teenager's favourite moment was an ordinary Saturday morning, not the expensive holiday you planned. Create a family reflection tradition. Some families keep a shared journal where everyone adds their favourite moment each month, whereas others create an annual photo book with written memories. These become treasured records of how your family grows and changes. Reflection beyond year-end While year-end creates a natural pause for reflection, you do not need to wait twelve months. Apply these techniques quarterly, monthly, or weekly. The timeframe changes, but the process remains valuable. Quarterly reflection helps you adjust course before an entire year passes. Take time to review what worked and what did not, what patterns emerge, and what needs to change. This is particularly effective for high-performing professionals . Monthly reflection takes fifteen minutes. Flip through your calendar and photos. Write about your most significant moment and one thing you learnt. This regular practice prevents year-end overwhelm by helping you remember the past twelve months at once. Weekly, write one reflection sentence and note one intention for the week ahead. This rhythm keeps you connected to your experiences rather than letting them blur together. The more frequently you reflect, the more skilled you become at noticing patterns and extracting insight. Reflection becomes a habit rather than an annual chore. Begin your reflection practice Year-end reflection does not require elaborate preparation. You need a notebook, an hour of uninterrupted time, and a willingness to look honestly at your year. Start with whichever technique resonates most or try new ones. The insights you gain will inform how you approach the year ahead. You will understand what energises you, what drains you, and what patterns you want to change. This clarity is the foundation for intentional living. If you would like guidance in developing a reflection practice that works for your life, book a Journalling Audit consultation . Together, we will identify techniques that match your learning style and create a sustainable practice for the year ahead. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Anna Woolliscroft Anna Woolliscroft, Writing for Wellbeing Specialist As a certified Journal to the Self Instructor and holder of a Master's in Creative Writing and Wellbeing, Anna guides women in reclaiming their purpose through proven journalling techniques and creative writing strategies. From climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to transitioning her marketing business into meaningful work, Anna has learned that transformation begins with honest self-reflection. Whether through live workshops, on-demand training, self-learning resources, or her podcast featuring therapeutic writing experts, Anna's mission remains clear: to share the life-changing power of intentional writing with 100,000 people over the next decade, helping women move from feeling stuck to living with clarity and confidence.

Written by Shahrzad Jalali, PsyD, Psychologist, Author, Founder & Executive Coach Dr. Shahrzad Jalali is a clinical psychologist and executive coach. She’s the founder of Align Remedy, author of The Fire That Makes Us, and creator of Regulate to Rise, a course that helps people heal trauma and reclaim resilience. Her work equips people to break old patterns and step boldly into who they’re meant to be. Do you ever find your heart racing in a calm moment, or notice yourself shutting down when nothing is wrong? When your internal reactions do not match your external reality, you may be experiencing nervous system dysregulation. In this article, you will learn what dysregulation is, why it happens, and seven evidence-based ways to restore balance. What is nervous system dysregulation? Nervous system dysregulation occurs when the body’s stress response system becomes “stuck” in a mode that does not fit the moment. Instead of transitioning smoothly between activation and calm, internal signals become jammed, similar to a traffic system where lights stop changing. Your autonomic nervous system includes: Parasympathetic (green light): rest, safety, digestion Sympathetic (yellow light): fight or flight, energy surge Dorsal vagal shutdown (red light): freeze, collapse, numbness When regulated, these states shift appropriately. When dysregulated, people may experience: Chronic activation: anxiety, hypervigilance, irritability Shutdown: numbness, exhaustion, brain fog Rapid cycling: overwhelm, reactivity, emotional volatility Trauma, chronic stress, early attachment experiences, burnout, and unresolved emotional pain are common contributors. Research shows that prolonged dysregulation elevates cortisol, increases inflammation, and affects immune function.[1] Why nervous system dysregulation matters Dysregulation affects nearly every area of functioning: Emotional control Concentration and decision-making Relationship dynamics Physical health and sleep Stress recovery and resilience These patterns are not personal failings, they are physiological responses. 1. Use your breath as a reset button Slowing your breathing, especially the exhale, calms the vagus nerve and signals safety. Try: inhale for 4, exhale for 6. Extended exhalations have been shown to reduce sympathetic activation.[2] 2. Ground yourself through the senses Sensory grounding interrupts spiraling thoughts and brings you back into the present moment. Try: 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste. 3. Use cold water to interrupt overactivation Cold exposure activates the dive reflex, naturally slowing heart rate and reducing anxiety. Try: hold ice or splash your face with cold water for 10 to 15 seconds. 4. Move stuck energy through the body Movement helps metabolize excess adrenaline and release sympathetic charge. Try: stretching, shaking out the limbs, gentle walking, or mobility exercises. 5. Seek safe connection for co-regulation Humans regulate best through other humans. Warm facial expressions, tone of voice, and presence signal safety to the nervous system.[3] Try: talking with a supportive friend or sitting with someone whose presence calms you. 6. Use sound and scent to shift state Humming or chanting stimulates vagal tone through vibration. Calming scents activate emotional processing centers in the brain. Try: a soothing playlist or a familiar scent associated with safety. 7. Build rhythms and rituals that restore predictability Routine reduces internal noise and increases feelings of safety. Try: structured meal times, consistent sleep patterns, and simple morning or evening rituals. The road back to balance Nervous system dysregulation often feels like your body is reacting to alarms that no longer exist. With consistent practice, your system can relearn how to transition between states more flexibly. Regulation is not about perfection, it is about restoring ease, safety, and connection within your body. Call to action To deepen your healing, explore The Fire That Makes Us or begin your journey with Dr. Jalali’s flagship program, Regulate to Rise, designed to help you restore regulation and emotional resilience. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Shahrzad Jalali, PsyD Shahrzad Jalali, PsyD, Psychologist, Author, Founder & Executive Coach Dr. Shahrzad Jalali is a clinical psychologist, trauma expert, and thought leader in emotional transformation. She is the founder of Align Remedy and Dr. Jalali & Associates, where she’s helped thousands individuate and reclaim their inner truth. Bridging science, soul, and psychology, her work guides high-functioning individuals through nervous system healing and self-reinvention. As the author of The Fire That Makes Us and creator of Regulate to Rise, she helps people turn their most painful beliefs into their greatest source of power, alchemizing wounds into wisdom and survival into strength. References: [1] (McEwen, 1998) [2] (Breit et al., 2018) [3] (Porges, 2011) [4] (Breit et al., 2018)

Written by   Sam Mishra, The Medical Massage Lady Sam Mishra (The Medical Massage Lady) is a multi-award winning massage therapist, aromatherapist, accredited course tutor, oncology and lymphatic practitioner, trauma practitioner, breathwork facilitator, reiki and intuitive energy healer, transformational and spiritual coach, and hypnotherapist. Memory is one of the most defining features of human experience. It allows people to connect their past to their present, to learn from experience, and to envision their future. Yet, for millions of individuals, memory can become unreliable, fragmented, dulled, or even lost, particularly in the wake of trauma or depression. These memory changes can feel frightening and isolating, compounding emotional distress and further clouding one’s sense of self. Memory loss related to trauma and depression is not simply a matter of forgetfulness. It is a profound reflection of how the brain protects itself under stress. In psychological terms, memory issues are among the most reported cognitive symptoms associated with both depressive disorders and post-traumatic stress.[12] Comprehending the functionality of these mechanisms can reduce stigma, foster empathy, and guide people toward treatment and recovery. The brain and memory: A fragile network The human brain is remarkably capable of adapting to adversity, but it is also vulnerable to the effects of stress and trauma. Central to the process of memory formation is the hippocampus, which lies in the medial temporal lobe, converting short-term information into long-term memory. Surrounding regions such as the amygdala and prefrontal cortex help regulate emotional responses and decision-making, functions that are tightly intertwined with memory processes.[10] When these areas are functioning properly, they maintain a balanced flow of neurotransmitters, chemical messengers such as serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate, that enable neurons to communicate efficiently. However, prolonged exposure to cortisol and other stress hormones can weaken hippocampal neurons and reduce the volume of this brain region over time.[14] This neurological change helps explain why both trauma survivors and people with chronic depression often experience lapses in recall, difficulty focusing, or a pervasive sensation of brain fog. In other words, when the brain is under prolonged distress, the system that encodes, stores, and retrieves memories becomes compromised. This is not a moral failing, nor is it simply a bad memory. It is a physiological response to emotional pain. Depression and its effects on memory Depression is often described primarily as an emotional disorder, marked by sadness, hopelessness, and disinterest in daily life, but its cognitive effects are equally noteworthy. A significant number of people diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) report difficulty concentrating, learning new information, or remembering daily tasks. This constellation of cognitive symptoms is sometimes referred to as pseudodementia, a temporary decline in cognitive functioning that can mimic neurological disorders.[2] Structural and functional changes Neuroimaging studies have consistently shown that depression can alter the structure of the brain. Chronic depressive episodes are associated with reduced hippocampal volume, disrupted connectivity in the prefrontal cortex, and abnormalities in the limbic system, which governs emotional regulation.[5] These changes weaken the pathways responsible for forming and retrieving memories, explaining why many individuals lose track of experiences or struggle to recall positive events from the past. The amygdala, responsible for processing emotional memory, also becomes hyperactive during depression, biasing the brain toward negative recall. This means that even when memories are intact, people may disproportionately focus on distressing images or interpretations, reinforcing the depressive cycle.[9] Cognitive consequences Subjectively, these neurological changes feel like fogginess or confusion. Tasks such as conversations or reading, which previously seemed effortless, can suddenly require immense concentration. Depression most commonly affects declarative and autobiographical memory, both of which concern knowledge of facts and personal experiences. Research indicates that people in depressive episodes tend to recall generalised memories, summaries such as “my childhood was bad,” rather than specific, detailed recollections.[18] This overgeneralisation may protect against painful emotions but inadvertently blunts the richness of self-identity. Severity and course The degree of cognitive impairment correlates with the duration and severity of depression. Each recurrent episode increases the likelihood of lasting hippocampal changes.[15] However, early intervention through therapy, medication, or stress reduction can improve neuroplasticity and reverse some structural damage. Treatments like antidepressant medication and exercise have been shown to stimulate hippocampal neurogenesis, helping restore memory capacity.[6] Trauma, dissociation, and the brain’s protective mechanisms While depression erodes memory gradually through chronic stress, trauma can disrupt memory abruptly and selectively. Survivors of accidents, assaults, or other extreme experiences often find themselves unable to recall the incident or certain aspects surrounding it. This is not necessarily a failure of the brain. It is an unconscious defence. The neurobiology of trauma During a traumatic event, the brain’s fight or flight response floods the body with adrenaline and cortisol. These chemicals sharpen immediate survival reflexes while suppressing non-essential functions like detailed memory encoding.[17] The amygdala becomes highly active, storing emotional salience, while the hippocampus, the part that gives memories a coherent timeline, can shut down. Fragmentation or even absence of memories may consequently occur. When trauma is chronic, such as repeated abuse or combat exposure, the brain adapts to a constant state of alert. This leads to lasting changes in connectivity between the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex.[4] This can lead to flashbacks, dissociative amnesia, or make it extremely challenging to tell the difference between past dangers and those in the present time. Dissociation and memory gaps Dissociation is the mind’s way of creating distance from intolerable experiences. For some, it manifests as feeling detached from reality, for others, it appears as missing pieces in the narrative of one’s life, like watching a movie with missing scenes. You recognize yourself, but do not remember being there. According to the American Psychiatric Association (2022), dissociative amnesia may involve the loss of specific events (localized amnesia), broader life periods (generalized amnesia), or aspects of personal identity.[1] These symptoms are common in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), where intrusive recollections coexist with profound memory gaps. PTSD and the re-emergence of memory In PTSD, the boundaries between past and present blur. Triggers such as sounds, smells, or images can reactivate traumatic memories with intense emotional and sensory detail, even while other parts remain inaccessible. This paradox illustrates how trauma fragments memory, the emotional charge is preserved, but the coherent story is lost. Therapies such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF CBT) help integrate these fragments by linking memory recall with feelings of safety and control.[13] The double burden, trauma and depression combined For many people, trauma and depression do not occur in isolation. Childhood abuse, violent loss, or chronic neglect can predispose the brain to later depressive episodes.[7] Conversely, depression can make individuals more vulnerable to re-experiencing or misinterpreting past trauma. When both conditions coexist, their effects on memory amplify. In Complex PTSD (C PTSD), commonly associated with long-term trauma, the mind may weave between intrusive recollections and emotional numbness. People with C PTSD often describe losing time or feeling detached from their memories, as though their life were written in disjointed chapters. Depression further compounds this by dampening concentration and motivation, making it harder to organize or retrieve stored information. These intertwined experiences can also influence working memory, the short-term information system for reasoning and decision making. Impaired working memory can make daily tasks, such as following instructions or recalling appointments, significantly more challenging. Identifying this correlation is essential for implementing treatment that works, as therapy must address both emotional regulation and cognitive recovery. Physical and medical trauma Not all trauma is psychological. Physical injuries can also impact memory when they affect the brain’s structure directly. Traumatic brain injury (TBI), strokes, or oxygen deprivation can impair memory networks by damaging neural tissue. Even mild concussions can cause temporary forgetfulness or difficulties forming new memories. These neurological injuries often coexist with psychological trauma, especially in contexts like car accidents, assaults, or military combat. This dual trauma, physical and emotional, can lead to a complex presentation where medical treatment must be paired with psychological rehabilitation. Neuropsychological testing and brain imaging help distinguish between structural and stress-related memory loss, ensuring appropriate intervention. Childhood trauma and long-term memory effects Childhood represents a critical developmental window for both learning and brain maturation. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including neglect, abuse, and household dysfunction, have been shown to alter brain architecture and stress reactivity for decades afterward.[16] Early trauma disrupts the integration of autobiographical memory, leading some adults to struggle to recall specific childhood events or to remember them as disconnected imagery or sensations. In some cases, these memories resurface later in life through therapy or significant life events, a process known as recovered memories. While controversy surrounds aspects of this phenomenon, research supports that trauma can create memory barriers as a self-protective mechanism, not necessarily as repression in the Freudian sense, but as a neurobiological adaptation. Healing and recovery: Restoring the narrative The encouraging truth is that memory loss from trauma and depression is often reversible or manageable with treatment. The brain’s neuroplasticity, the ability to reorganize and form new connections, allows recovery even after significant stress. Psychotherapy and memory integration Evidence-based treatments such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), EMDR, and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) help rebuild coherence between thoughts, emotions, and recollections.[11] Through therapy, fragmented memories can be processed in a safe environment, mitigating their emotional impact and enabling people to incorporate them into their daily narrative. Mindfulness and grounding exercises also strengthen the prefrontal cortex’s regulatory functions, enabling better control over intrusive thoughts and attention lapses. Over time, this fosters a greater sense of continuity and agency. Biological treatments Antidepressant medications, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), can normalize neurotransmitter activity and reduce cognitive symptoms in depression and PTSD. Studies show that combination treatment, medication plus therapy, yields the greatest improvements in memory and concentration.[3] Therapies promoting stress reduction, such as yoga, meditation, and consistent sleep hygiene, also lower cortisol levels, slowing hippocampal atrophy and enhancing focus.[8] Cognitive rehabilitation For individuals with severe impairment, cognitive rehabilitation programs can provide structured exercises to improve memory, attention, and problem-solving. Simple habits such as writing reminders, keeping to routines, and mental exercises can facilitate the reinforcement of neural circuits through repetition. Coping and support Living with memory loss after trauma or depression requires patience and compassion toward oneself. Shame or frustration often accompany forgetfulness, but understanding the biological roots reframes it as a sign of resilience rather than weakness. Support from therapists, loved ones, and peer groups can make a tremendous difference. Speaking openly about memory struggles reduces isolation and helps normalize mental health challenges, through recognition of the fact that memory loss is the brain’s way of protecting us rather than evidence of us being broken. Community organizations, support hotlines, and online therapy platforms can help individuals find appropriate care. In emergency situations, such as severe depressive episodes or self-harm thoughts, immediate contact with healthcare providers or emergency services is essential. Conclusion Memory loss after trauma or depression embodies the delicate interplay between mind, body, and emotional experience. Far from being a mere cognitive malfunction, it is often a biological form of self-preservation, a pause that allows the psyche to survive overwhelming pain. However, with time, care, and professional support, those memories need not remain fractured. Understanding the science behind trauma and depression demystifies their cognitive effects and affirms that healing is possible. Treatments that combine psychotherapy, medical interventions, and lifestyle changes can reawaken dormant memory networks and restore a sense of wholeness. Ultimately, acknowledging memory loss as a facet of mental health opens the door to deeper compassion for oneself and for others navigating the invisible aftermath of psychological wounds. Healing begins when we see memory not only as a record of what has been, but also as a testament to the mind’s enduring capacity to protect, adapt, and rebuild. Follow me on  Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Sam Mishra Sam Mishra, The Medical Massage Lady Sam Mishra (The Medical Massage Lady), is a multi-award winning massage therapist, aromatherapist, accredited course tutor, oncology and lymphatic practitioner, trauma practitioner, breathwork facilitator, reiki and intuitive energy healer, transformational and spiritual coach and hypnotherapist. Her medical background as a nurse and a midwife, combined with her own experiences of childhood disability and abuse, have resulted in a diverse and specialised service, but she is mostly known for her trauma work. She is motivated by the adversity she has faced, using it as a driving force in her charity work and in offering the vulnerable a means of support. Her aim is to educate about medical conditions using easily understood language, to avoid inappropriate treatments being carried out, and for health promotion purposes in the general public. She is also becoming known for challenging the stigmas in our society and pushing through the boundaries that have been set by such stigmas within the massage industry. References [1] American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). American Psychiatric Publishing. [2] Austin, M. P., Mitchell, P., & Goodwin, G. M. (2001). Cognitive deficits in depression: Possible implications for functional neuropathology. British Journal of Psychiatry, 178(3), 200-206. [3] Benedetti, F., Kemali, D., Colombo, C., Pirovano, A., & Smeraldi, E. (2011). Serotonin transporter gene functional polymorphism and antidepressant efficacy: A meta-analysis. Molecular Psychiatry, 16(5), 448-458. [4] Bremner, J. D. (2006). Traumatic stress: Effects on the brain. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 8(4), 445-461. [5] Campbell, S., Marriott, M., Nahmias, C., & MacQueen, G. M. (2004). Lower hippocampal volume in patients suffering from depression: A meta-analysis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 161(4), 598-607. [6] Erickson, K. I., et al. (2011). Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(7), 3017-3022. [7] Heim, C., Shugart, M., Craighead, W. E., & Nemeroff, C. B. (2008). Neurobiological and psychiatric consequences of child abuse and neglect. Developmental Psychobiology, 52(7), 671-690. [8] Hölzel, B. K., et al. (2011). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 191(1), 36-43. [9] LeMoult, J., & Gotlib, I. H. (2019). Depression: A cognitive perspective. Clinical Psychology Review, 69, 51-66. [10] McEwen, B. S. (2017). Neurobiological and systemic effects of chronic stress. Chronic Stress, 1, 1-11. [11] Resick, P. A., Monson, C. M., & Chard, K. M. (2017). Cognitive processing therapy for PTSD: A comprehensive manual. Guilford Press. [12] Rock, P. L., Roiser, J. P., Riedel, W. J., & Blackwell, A. D. (2014). Cognitive impairment in depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 44(10), 2029-2040. [13] Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press. [14] Sheline, Y. I., Sanghavi, M., Mintun, M. A., & Gado, M. H. (1999). Depression duration but not age predicts hippocampal volume loss in medically healthy women with recurrent major depression. Journal of Neuroscience, 19(12), 5034-5043. [15] Sheline, Y. I., Gado, M. H., & Kraemer, H. C. (2003). Untreated depression and hippocampal volume loss. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160(8), 1516-1518. [16] Teicher, M. H., & Samson, J. A. (2016). Annual Research Review: Enduring neurobiological effects of childhood abuse and neglect. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 57(3), 241-266. [17] van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking Press. [18] Williams, J. M. G., Barnhofer, T., Crane, C., Herman, D., Raes, F., Watkins, E., & Dalgleish, T. (2007). Autobiographical memory specificity and emotional disorder. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 122-48.

Written by Dr. Nadia and Dr. Debora D'Iuso, Psychologists, Founders Of Crosstown Psychology & Wellness Clinic Dr. Nadia D'Iuso and Dr. Debora D'Iuso are the co-founders and psychologists at Crosstown Psychology and Wellness Clinic. Their combined 25 years of experience as licensed psychologists and helping hundreds of clients have taught them one central truth-meaningful change starts with strong and trusting relationships. Fall is definitely here, and winter is around the corner. As the days get shorter and often darker, we may experience changes in our energy levels, changes in our mood, and changes in our focus and concentration. Many of us go through periods of feeling low, but knowing the difference between temporary blues and something more serious like depression can be empowering. Depression can appear as an overwhelming sense of despair and sadness. Individuals who struggle with depression often feel sad most or all of the time and often find it difficult to cope with everyday tasks and expectations. Taking care of yourself is essential to help improve your emotional resilience and get through even the most powerful of emotions. It can be helpful to practice strategies before you need them. Be consistent and mindful of what helps you feel good, that is the key to wellness.  Here are 4 helpful starting points It has been clinically proven that regular exercise can be helpful in treating mild to moderate depression (even 5 minutes each day can help give us a feeling of relief). Engaging in any movement or activity that helps you feel good works! Reconnect with your supports: Reach out to trusted friends, family members, or mentors. Being emotionally vulnerable and genuine to those close to you can help in leaps and bounds. Start your day with intention and gratitude, and end your day with balance. It’s a new day. “What can you try that is different?” Also, at the end of the day, can you give yourself permission to wind down and reflect on “Any wins today?”  Most importantly, no matter how hard or challenging it might feel, talking to the right people and taking the right steps can help you feel better. If you are feeling stuck or at a loss as to where to begin, we suggest starting small. Try setting five minutes aside for an activity that brings a sense of accomplishment, pleasure, or peace. Sometimes we may need more support and a space to better understand where we are getting stuck. Therapy isn’t just for people in crisis or who are experiencing a severe mental health concern, it’s for anyone who has realized that the current ‘tools in their toolbox’ for dealing with life stressors are just not working, and they’re feeling ready and motivated to try something different. Here are five signs to consider Feeling overwhelmed by distressing emotions: Therapy can be a place where you discuss your feelings, receive validation and support, as well as develop new strategies to cope. Dealing with stressful life events: When difficult life experiences occur, they can leave you feeling unsettled and stuck. Therapy can provide a space to process your experiences and help you problem-solve the best ways to navigate stressful life events. Struggling in your relationships: If you’re experiencing tension/conflict in your relationship and/or feeling emotionally and physically disconnected, it might be time to reach out for support. Therapy can provide a space to reflect on your relationship, develop the skills and strategies to strengthen your communication, and rebuild trust and connection. Replaying past trauma: Whether it’s the experience of a single event or many event s, the experience of trauma can feel devastating and can impact your mood. Therapy can offer you a supportive space to heal from upsetting thoughts you are having because of the trauma and help you reclaim your life. Feeling curious about therapy: Therapy isn’t just reserved for individuals in crisis or with a severe mental health concern. It’s also beneficial for individuals wanting to learn more about themselves and build on their current strengths. Therapy could afford you an opportunity for growth and self-discovery. Whether it’s about navigating relationships, regulating yo ur emotions, processing trauma, or simply checking in with yourself, therapy is one of the most effective ways to care for your emotional health. Reach out fo r support. In it together! Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Dr. Nadia and Dr. Debora D'Iuso Dr. Nadia and Dr. Debora D'Iuso, Psychologists, Founders Of Crosstown Psychology & Wellness Clinic Meet Dr. Nadia and Dr. Debora D'Iuso, sisters, psychologists, and founders of Crosstown Psychology and Wellness Clinic. As a sister team, we bring both professional expertise and a deep sense of empathy to our work. We believe effective therapy starts with genuine connection, care, and actionable strategies. Our mission? To offer compassionate, evidence-informed care that is deeply rooted in the therapeutic relationship. We know how important it is for clients to feel safe, seen, and supported in their journey.

Oliver Dolby, "The Soul Doctor," invites you to experience profound healing through energy work and trauma release. His unique approach blends practical transformation with deep spiritual guidance, empowering individuals to break free from emotional pain and reclaim their inner strength. Learn more about his transformative methods, how they shift clients from stuckness to clarity, and how you can begin your own healing journey. Oliver Dolby, The Soul Doctor Who is Oliver Dolby? Introduce yourself, your hobbies, your favourites, you at home and in business, tell us something interesting about yourself. Hi, I’m Oliver Dolby, also known as “The Soul Doctor.” I love helping people let go of what’s holding them back and reconnect with their inner selves. I’m a big fan of the outdoors. Mountain walking and rock climbing are two of my favourite ways to unwind. Travel feeds my soul, and I’m always on the lookout for new destinations and new perspectives. At home, I’m all about simplicity, reflection, my family, and appreciating life’s small joys. I’m always on a journey of expansion, ready to embody whatever next level of growth is available to me. As I grow and integrate what I learn, I create meditations and courses to share with others. My teachings come from real, lived experience, which I believe makes them practical, relatable, and deeply transformative. What inspired you to become “The Soul Doctor” and focus on energy healing and trauma release? The inspiration actually came in a very real and personal way. I was hosting a live event, and afterwards, a close friend came up to me and said, “Oliver, this work you’re doing is amazing, you need a name for your brand.” Without thinking too much, he said, “You’re the Soul Doctor,” and the name just stuck. Beyond the name, my focus on energy healing and trauma release comes from seeing how much people carry around that quietly weighs them down. I wanted to create a way to help people release those blocks, gain clarity, and step into empowerment. It’s about meeting people where they are, guiding them gently, and giving them tools to reclaim their energy and their lives. Who is your ideal client, and what are the biggest challenges they’re facing when they come to you? My ideal client is someone who feels stuck, stressed, or just “off” in some way, but is ready for a real shift. They might be dealing with anxiety, emotional pain, loss or grief, or simply a sense that they’re not moving forward in life. They come seeking clarity, freedom and grounded guidance, and they’re open to healing that goes deeper than surface-level solutions. I work best with those who are ready to take ownership of their lives and patterns, and who are willing to embrace what their soul has brought forward to release in this lifetime. They’re ready to see all aspects of themselves, the light, the shadow, and everything in between. How do your methods, like the Etheric Trauma Release Method, help clients shift from pain, stress, or stuckness into clarity and empowerment? My work goes straight to the root, not just the symptoms. One of the core parts of my process is doing a deep body scan with my team* to tune in to where a pattern is actually lodged. Every emotional or mental block has an energetic “home,” and I look at the layers that have formed around it. The beliefs, the coping mechanisms, the emotional residue and everything that creates distortion on the mental, emotional, physical and soul levels. We all have old programs, inherited beliefs and survival habits that create confusion or chaos. My niche is that I can see through all of it, the light, the dark, and the grey. Instead of getting lost in the surface story, I move straight to the point of origin where the imbalance first began. From there, we clear it in a multidimensional way, releasing what the body, mind, and soul have been holding onto. That’s when people start to feel clarity again, like they’ve finally taken a deep breath after years of holding it in. And once the root cause is gone, the shift isn’t temporary, it becomes a new foundation they can build a stronger, lighter life on. Can you walk us through a typical session or process you take someone through when they book with you? A session with me is gentle but deeply precise. We start with a conversation to understand what you’re feeling, but very quickly we move beyond the surface story. From there, I check in to the person’s auric field to clear the energetic weight they’re often carrying. This is usually made up of other people’s emotions, fears, and worries that the client has inadvertently taken on. I then do a full body scan with my team, tuning in to where the pattern is sitting and what layers have built up around it. The emotional imprints, the old beliefs, the survival behaviours, and even the hidden programming people often don’t realise they’re carrying. This gives us a clear picture of what’s creating distortion on the mental, emotional, physical, or soul levels. And then there’s the pink book. Over the years, this little book has become a kind of living map for my work. An energetic archive filled with insights, patterns and truths gathered from hundreds of sessions and my own journey of transformation. Every page holds something I’ve witnessed in real time: the belief structures people carry, the emotional signatures beneath their stories and the repeating patterns that quietly shape how they feel and how they live. When someone senses that something is “there” but can’t quite see it clearly, the pink book helps bring that truth into focus. It gives shape to the invisible. It helps us name the pattern, understand its texture, and trace it back to its point of origin. It’s a practical, grounded guide for the inner world and a light that shines exactly where clarity is needed. Once we’ve identified the root, we begin the clearing. It’s calm, multidimensional, and respectful of every version of you that had to cope, survive or hide. We honour what comes up, we recognise the soul’s journey and we seal the healing with forgiveness, because forgiveness is what completes the release, locks the shift into place and restores the integrity of the field. By the end of a session, people often feel lighter, clearer and more grounded, like fog has lifted and the path forward finally makes sense. What results have your clients achieved after working with you, and what story stands out most to you? Clients often describe a profound shift; it’s like being lifted out of the mud and into a new layer of clarity. As healing unfolds, life naturally becomes easier. There will always be more layers to explore, but when someone steps fully into their light and power, the journey ahead feels lighter, more manageable and even joyful. One story that stands out is of a client who came carrying years of unresolved trauma, chaotic patterns, and an inability to love (themselves or others). Through our sessions, we identified the root causes, cleared the blocks, and worked through the layers that had been hiding under confusion and overwhelm. In a short time, they healed old family dynamics and discovered new love in many areas of life. They reported feeling lighter, freer and more aligned with their true self. Watching someone reclaim their energy and step into empowerment is always deeply rewarding. What makes your approach different from other healers or therapists in the spiritual / energy healing space? I want to bring energy healing fully into the 21st century. I focus on practical, speedy transformation, not just theory or meditation. I combine energy work, trauma release and actionable guidance so clients see real change quickly. I weave this together with ritual and magick, which helps the transformation truly last. I also like to meet people where they are, keeping things grounded and intuitive rather than overwhelming them with techniques or jargon. What key belief or mindset shift do you ask clients to adopt to make the healing “stick” long term? I encourage clients to take full responsibility for their healing and trust themselves in the process. When you integrate small shifts into everyday life, they add up and that’s what creates lasting change. Think of it as nurturing a garden: a little care every day leads to lasting growth. How can someone get started with you? What’s your simplest entry point, and how do you support them beyond the first session? The easiest way to begin is with a one-on-one consultation or introductory session, where we get clear on where you are and what’s ready to be released or transformed. From there, the journey unfolds naturally when you’re ready. Typically, after around four sessions, the “door to adept” opens. That's when deeper transformation begins. This introduces simple ritual into your life that supports protection, clarity, and deeper spiritual connection. For those who feel called, there is the Magick 1–3 series (by invitation only), each step designed to bring you more fully into your own light and strengthen your connection with your soul. Throughout the process, I offer support, tools, and guidance to help the shifts anchor in your daily life so you continue to grow long after the sessions end. Looking ahead, what are you most excited about in your future work, and how will that benefit new clients? Looking ahead, I’m incredibly excited about the next chapter of my work. I’ll be part of the Portal to Ascension Conference in Glastonbury, a powerful gathering that brings together teachers, healers and wayshowers from around the world. It’s an honour to share this work on such an expansive platform, and it opens up new possibilities for connection and transformation. I’m also adding new layers to my course offerings so clients can go deeper, integrate more and continue growing long after their initial sessions. Alongside this, I’m creating special ceremonies for my Soul Doctor Heartbeat community, as well as monthly healing sessions and full moon meditations. All of this is designed to strengthen your connection with your own light, keep you aligned with your soul, and support your evolution in a grounded, ongoing way. Whether you’re just beginning or ready for your next level, there will be more pathways to healing, more support, and more opportunities to step into empowerment. *Beings of Light that I work with in the higher planes. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Oliver Dolby

Written by Agnes Chau, Transformational Life Coach & Brain Health Trainer Agnes Chau is an award-winning transformational life coach, PSYCH-K® facilitator, brain health trainer, writer, and speaker. With her training in various life-transforming modalities and her prior experience as an aerospace engineering executive, Agnes helps clients succeed in all aspects of life. If you’ve ever doubted yourself or experienced uncertainty about your role in life, it may have affected your sense of self-worth, your self-esteem, or your self-confidence. Instead of letting these fear-based emotions control you and hold you back from realizing your potential, it may be time to discover and align with your authentic gifts. This means moving beyond the imposter syndrome . View these feelings of inadequacy as signposts pointing you toward your greatest potential. Here are five transformative steps to move beyond self-doubt and step into your authentic power. Step 1: Deepen your intuition The journey begins with awareness. When you are filled with self-doubt and uncertainty, consider where those feelings have come from. Get really curious. Do those feelings belong to you, or did you pick them up from others? Are those feelings truly valid, or is it conditioning from an unhealthy mental diet ? Honest examination of the negative messaging you’ve absorbed, whether actively or passively, is needed. These drama storylines often run so deep that you may have mistaken them for truth. Where did these beliefs originate? Often, they stem from outdated belief systems, fearful projections from yourself or others, or societal limitations that have nothing to do with your actual potential. This requires practicing excellent discernment. When negative self-talk dominates your inner dialogue, it is a sign of imbalance. This is a call to replace criticism with compassion. Transform the automatic negative thoughts into automatic nurturing thoughts. Step 2: Believe you are capable Building this self-awareness naturally leads to believing in your capability to grow. When learning something new or facing a challenge, adopt a growth mindset. Be comfortable with uncertainty and the unknown. Congratulations, you have moved beyond unconscious incompetence (you don’t know what you don’t know) to conscious incompetence (awareness of the gap). Here is the paradox, the more you know, the more you know what you don’t know. Now enjoy the journey as you move toward conscious competence. Think of the last time you learned something new. Did you expect to master it the first time? In teaching women’s self-defense , we tell people that it takes seeing a technique multiple times with lots of practice to develop the muscle memory needed before you can execute the technique with skill. Often, we see someone perform a technique or a task with skill, and we start comparing ourselves to them. What you see is a snapshot in time, not the journey it took them to get there. Stop doing yourself the disservice of comparing yourself to others. Compare yourself to who you were yesterday or a year ago. Step 3: Know thyself Know yourself at all levels of your being to claim your authentic power. Know what works for you and what doesn’t, and why. Observe your energy levels and moods. Connect the dots with your mental diet, your nutrition, your activities, your exercise, and your sleep routine. It is also important to understand what outdated subconscious programs are running your life. You may get a glimpse into them when too many automatic negative thoughts arise. One method to communicate with your subconscious is through muscle testing . When you are ready for subconscious upgrades, a PSYCH-K® balance is one of the fastest, most effective, safe, and sustainable ways to proceed. Through postures, movements, or energy work, you tap into your divine heart, mind, and body intelligence to upgrade your subconscious . Knowing thyself also means connecting with your Superconscious . This is the source of those moments of genius intuition. When you deepen your intuition, you develop sacred awareness, divine clarity, and excellent discernment . This is your divine intelligence at work. This is your Superconscious engaging with you. Step 4: Apply systems thinking When you understand yourself better, it is helpful to have frameworks to navigate situations. In complex technical challenges, systems thinking is applied to get to the root cause. Systems thinking means considering all the interconnected elements and viewing a situation or condition from multiple perspectives. This approach can also be applied to every aspect of your life to expand your thinking and make better decisions. The simple 5 W’s and 1 H approach works in all types of situations. The 5 W’s are Who, What, Where, When, and Why. The 1 H is the How. Use this as a starting point to ask better questions. When you ask better questions, you adopt a growth mindset. Your curiosity will expand your worldview and lead you to more enriching experiences. Consciously practicing excellent discernment means being able to look at things from different perspectives. This is where root cause analysis tools like the “5 Why’s” or the Ishikawa (fishbone or cause and effect) diagram may be useful to understand the underlying issues. If you have applied these tools in a technical setting, then why not apply them to the rest of your life too? Step 5: Do it until you become it Give yourself grace on the journey to becoming your authentic self. When facing a challenge, adopt a beginner’s mindset. Approach the situation with the 5 W’s and 1 H. There may be missteps along the way. There may be times you want to give up. Then there is an “ah-ha” moment. The focus, time, and energy pay off. The powerful mindset shift is squashing those automatic negative thoughts or reframing them into automatic nurturing thoughts to use as fuel for your inner fire. Reflect on the times when you succeeded, and consider what contributed to your success. Apply those same principles. Claim your authentic power You are more powerful than you realize. Remember who you truly are at the core of your being when all the masks have been removed. Really understand yourself at all levels of your being, conscious, subconscious, and Superconscious. Recognize that you are here for a reason beyond your current conscious comprehension. Enjoy the moments of uncertainty and not knowing. Embrace the journey of stretching beyond your comfort zone. Deepen your intuition. Believe that you are capable. Know thyself. Apply systems thinking to life’s challenges. Do it until you become it because focus and consistency lead to mastery. You will then embody your authentic power. Enjoy the journey. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website to learn more. Read more from Agnes Chau Agnes Chau, Transformational Life Coach & Brain Health Trainer Agnes Chau is an award-winning transformational life coach, brain health trainer, writer, and professional speaker. After retiring as an aerospace engineering executive, she transitioned into guiding individuals to be the CEOs of their own lives, upgrade their human operating systems, and become even better versions of themselves. Agnes is celebrated for her expertise in guiding individuals to upgrade their lives by tapping into the heart, mind, and body intelligence that she calls the human operating system. She teaches her clients to tap into their Divine Intelligence and align their conscious and subconscious minds, restoring balance and clarity. Agnes helps her clients eliminate outdated subconscious programming, overcome limiting beliefs, transform stress and trauma, optimize brain health, and gain a competitive edge in life. Her deep transformational work has earned her recognition as the Top Transformational Life Coach of the Decade, awarded by The International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP). For more resources, visit here or Empowered-Heart.org .

Written by Silvana Avram, Inspirational Life Coach and Author Silvana Avram is a successful, Inspirational Life Coach, philosopher, author, teacher, and founder of Life Coaching with Silvana, whose mission is to empower us to embrace our uniqueness, fall in love with life, fulfill our potential, and create a beautiful legacy. This December, as Comet 3I/ATLAS drifts through our solar system, it offers a timely reminder of the beauty and magic that surrounds us. A gift from beyond the stars, this rare interstellar visitor invites us to rediscover the wonder of being alive, to appreciate the vastness of the cosmos, and to embrace the extraordinary gift of life itself. Here are three simple ways to reconnect with the awe that life offers every day. Every December, the world wraps itself in lights, music, and meaning. But this year, the Universe decided to add its own ornament to the sky: Comet 3I/ATLAS is a visitor from another solar system An interstellar gift, billions of years old, drifting through our solar system just in time for Christmas. A visitor from beyond the sun Discovered only a few months ago, Comet 3I/ATLAS is no ordinary comet. It comes from outside our solar system, only the third interstellar object humans have ever observed. Scientists believe it may be much older than our Sun, perhaps even older than our entire solar system, having formed in an ancient region of the galaxy long before our Sun existed. Its strangeness lies not only in its origins, but in its composition, unusual levels of nickel and iron, a plume that seems to “pulse,” a behaviour that has puzzled astronomers. It is fully natural, yet intriguingly different. A tiny cosmic mystery passing through our neighbourhood. It reminded me of Einstein’s beautiful reflection: “Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe, a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in front of which we, with our modest powers, must feel humble.” – Albert Einstein You don’t need to be a scientist to feel this. The breathtaking beauty, intelligence, and perfection of the Universe, the home we all share, is for all of us. And this beauty, this intelligence, this perfection lives in us too. We should remind ourselves of this truth every single day. On 19 December 2025, 3I/ATLAS will sweep past Earth at roughly 170 million miles away — a cosmic wave hello before disappearing back into deep space. A visitor like this is rare. What a gift. What a reminder. What a moment. And that is why I wanted to write this article, to offer you a timely reminder, an early Christmas gift: the gift of wonder. Wonder: The most powerful, most forgotten human capacity We live in a world that keeps us looking down at our phones, our problems, our fears, our to-do lists. We take our worries very seriously. And in the process, we forget who we are. We forget that we belong to an ever-expanding universe filled with magic, abundance, and beauty. We forget that life is wonderful. That being alive is a privilege, a miraculous opportunity. Comet 3I/ATLAS arrives at the perfect moment to bring a little cosmic sparkle into our world. Its mysterious, luminous presence invites us to look up again. To remember that we live inside a vast, breathing cosmos. To remember that we are made of stardust. To remember that life, your life, is a miracle. As the year draws to a close and this interstellar visitor approaches, let’s open our hearts to the infinite beauty available to us. Let’s relearn to live with wonder. Let’s relearn to see magic in every encounter. Let’s allow this cosmic visitor to help us see our lives in perspective. As another year on planet Earth ends, let’s make a promise to embrace life as the precious gift it is. Here are three simple ways each of us can welcome more wonder into our hearts and daily lives. 1. Remember that life is a miracle Your body is a miracle, a symphony of trillions of cells working effortlessly so you can breathe, move, feel, and create. Pause for a moment. Place your hand on your chest. Feel your heartbeat steady, loyal, ancient. Feel the breath moving in and out – your silent companion since the day you were born. Do you know you can smile? Do you know you can speak words that uplift? Do you know you can sing, dance, touch, hold, and love? Do you know you can feel grateful? Every day, take just five minutes to step outside to notice a leaf, a flower, a bird, a breeze, a cloud. Nature whispers the same truth again and again: You are alive. And that is already extraordinary. 2. Expand your horizon Comet 3I has been travelling for billions of years. Billions! Just holding that thought in your mind is expanding, humbling, and strangely comforting. This ancient traveller has crossed unimaginable distances, and it has arrived at us, now, in this exact moment of our collective story. When you place your own worries inside that vast cosmic timeline, something shifts. Something softens. The pressure eases. A wider perspective opens quietly, reminding you that life is bigger, gentler, and more spacious than your fears allow. Ask yourself: Will this matter a year from now? Is this worth losing my peace for? What might this look like from 170 million miles away? When you zoom out, the impossible becomes manageable. The heavy becomes lighter. The future becomes spacious. Perspective is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves. 3. Deepen your relationship with life You are not separate from life, you are life. A unique expression of the same creative force that forms galaxies, oceans, forests, and stars. You have access to expansion, intuition, renewal, and infinite possibility. Take time to nurture this relationship: Speak to life as if it hears you because it does. Affirm your place in the universe. Ask for guidance and listen for the subtle response. Treat your existence as the precious, unrepeatable opportunity it is. When you remember that you are an expression of infinity, you naturally walk through the world with more curiosity, appreciation, and trust. A season of wonder As Comet 3I passes by, let it be a reminder: There is more magic in this universe than we can comprehend. More beauty than we can behold. More support, more intelligence, more mystery than we dare to believe. This season, give yourself permission to feel awe again. To look up. To breathe deeper. To let your heart expand. Reclaim the wonder that is your birthright. And if you’d like to keep exploring life through a lens of meaning, beauty, and cosmic perspective, you’re warmly invited to connect with me for inspiration, guidance, and deeper conversations about the miracle of being alive. Because wonder is not a luxury, it is nourishment. It is the elixir that keeps our inner light alive. And it is always available. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram ,  LinkedIn ,  and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Silvana Avram Silvana Avram, Inspirational Life Coach and Author Silvana Avram is a successful, Inspirational Life Coach, philosopher, author, teacher, and founder of Life Coaching with Silvana, whose mission is to empower us to embrace our uniqueness, fall in love with life, fulfill our potential, and create a beautiful legacy. Fascinated from a young age by the mystery of life and our place in the universe, Silvana has been on a quest to find her own answers to the big existential questions facing humanity. Now an acclaimed Coach and Author, she draws on her extensive study of Philosophy, Psychology, Meditation, Holistic Healing, and Spirituality to create a uniquely inspirational and empowering style of Coaching, also reflected in her Book “Being You and Loving You,” in which she guides us through an unforgettable, transformative journey of self-discovery and self-love.

Written by DDL Smith, Author DDL Smith is a British novelist known for ‘Detective Dion’ and the eco-horror novel ‘Decay’. His independently published novels have attained global reach with his ‘think like a publisher’ mentality. With the release of Decay, an eco-horror about the legacy of nuclear orphan sources, it is worth reflecting on why fear still surrounds nuclear energy. Fear has shaped public opinion for decades, yet fear itself can be a dangerous force. It can stall progress, distort our views, and obscure the facts. Nuclear power holds a singular place in the imagination. It is seen as one of the most feared, most scrutinized, and least understood technologies of our time. To scientists and engineers, the process is simple, split uranium atoms, release heat, turn water into steam, and spin a turbine. Outside technical circles, the picture is different. The public view is shaped by accidents, headlines, and long shadows of disaster, fueled by disasters and fallout maps. Nuclear today: Building for the future Across the United Kingdom, a new generation of nuclear projects is taking shape. Sites like Hinkley Point C in Somerset and the Sizewell development on the Suffolk coast mark the country’s largest investment in nuclear power for decades. Together, these stations are designed to provide stable, low-carbon electricity for millions of homes and form a backbone for Britain’s transition away from fossil fuels. For policymakers, nuclear offers what renewables like wind and solar alone cannot. A constant supply of low-emission energy that supports the peaks and troughs of wind and solar. Each project promises jobs, infrastructure investment, and long-term security. Yet progress relies on more than engineering excellence. It also depends on public confidence. Engineering builds the station. Trust builds consent. Yet, the public won’t always understand the science and the safety mechanisms taught. As humans, we rely on stories. The stories people remember, Chernobyl and Fukushima. Changing the narrative behind nuclear is key to building a future that relies on nuclear energy. It’s why outreach and providing a better narrative are vital. Yet, recent outreach to several major UK nuclear projects, including Hinkley Point and Sizewell, revealed another challenge, silence. Both declined to provide comment, citing workload and the volume of media requests. Their reluctance is understandable, but it highlights an industry still uneasy about public dialogue. If communication remains gated behind press lines and corporate statements, confidence can only grow so far. Why fear persists Let’s take a look at how fear persists in many of us regarding nuclear. A few years ago, I was flying into Leipzig, Germany. Through the window, I spotted a colossal cooling tower. In that moment, I wondered, "How much radiation did I just absorb?" Later, I remembered that Germany was already in the process of shutting down its reactors after the 2011 Fukushima incident. The tower I saw might not have been active at all, or even part of a conventional plant. But the shape, the classic hyperboloid of cooling towers, was all I needed. That flight over Germany showed me how powerful symbols are. My mind locked on the tower as though it were radioactive, ignoring the radiation exposure I had just received from the sun on that same flight. It’s a small, fragile example of how perception works, we seize on fears, even when they’re disconnected from reality. Despite decades of safe reactor operation worldwide, nuclear power carries a persistent shadow. Chernobyl, Fukushima, and Three Mile Island remain embedded in public memory. For many, they function as shorthand for catastrophe. These events, though rare, loom larger than the billions of reactor-hours where nothing dramatic occurred. The media reinforces this imbalance. Headlines almost never read “nuclear plant operates safely for another year.” In contrast, stories about “nuclear accidents” draw attention, drama, and repeat viewings. That asymmetry shapes what people believe. Risk perception is rarely decided by numbers, it’s shaped by what people see, hear, and imagine. Psychologists call this the availability heuristic, we estimate how dangerous something is by how easily examples come to mind. Vivid images of reactors in crisis outweigh simpler narratives of steady operation. Scientists have noted that nuclear risks are prime candidates for this bias because so much of the public discourse involves dramatic coverage and vivid associations. Facts vs stories Fukushima offers a striking example of how fear and narrative distort reality. The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami killed nearly 19,000 people. The media images of waves crashing into nuclear reactors fused disaster and nuclear danger in the public mind. Yet official figures show no deaths from acute radiation sickness, and only one death recognized by a government review as possibly linked to radiation (a worker’s lung cancer) under compensation rules. Still, more than 2,300 “disaster-related” deaths have been attributed to the evacuation itself. Because the public remembers images more than numbers, many link “nuclear disaster” with “death tolls,” even when the primary causes were natural hazards or evacuation harm. That link has proven dangerous for nuclear rollout, fears compound faster than facts. By contrast, more than one million people globally die each year from air pollution tied to fossil fuel use. But because the story of air pollution isn’t as dramatic as a reactor explosion, people see it as less of a threat. Nuclear design is built on redundancy upon redundancy, multiple safety systems, thick containment structures, layers of regulatory oversight, international treaties, and inspections. On paper, nuclear is one of the most tightly regulated and secure industries on Earth. Yet stories often have more power than spreadsheets. Popular culture imagines worlds permanently scarred by radiation. In the Fallout games, civilization crumbles for centuries after nuclear war. In reality, radiation fades more quickly, visitors walk across the Trinity test site in New Mexico today without the fatal exposure those games would suggest. Fiction plays with worst-case scenarios, fact shows how science contains and controls risk. The danger comes when the two are blurred. Fear in this context is not irrational. It is how humans process threats. We notice danger more readily than reassurance. But fear can become mismatched to evidence. Towards a balanced narrative The challenge is not to dismiss fear but to meet it. Anxiety cannot be erased by statistics. It requires conversation. A discussion that is open and honest. Industry voices must learn to speak in more than technical terms. They must speak in human ones. Projects like Sizewell C face a cultural as well as an engineering test. Building confidence may demand as much work as pouring concrete or wiring turbines. Because trust is not engineered, it is earned, slowly, through presence and participation. When I was writing Decay, I wanted its portrayal of radiation and acute radiation sickness to be as accurately horrific as facts would allow. But finding detailed, scientific information about ARS was surprisingly difficult. Not because it’s hidden, but because it’s so rare. The rarity itself is a testament to the progress made in nuclear safety. Not everyone has the time or patience to deep-dive into nuclear science, that’s why the narrative around fear needs to change. The nuclear industry cannot stay locked behind acronyms and press offices. It needs to open its doors, invite curiosity, and work with the public rather than around them. Engineers need to think like storytellers to show nuclear energy not as a horror of the past, but as a tool for the future. A balanced narrative begins when expertise meets empathy. We should understand people’s fear and change the narrative because we remember stories of a bright or dull future, not press releases on double containment units and core-catchers. Reflection Nuclear energy is not free of risk. No technology is. But its risks are known, measured, and outweighed by what it can deliver, stable, low-carbon power in a time that desperately needs it. What endures most stubbornly is not danger, but story. And stories matter. They shape how we see, how we fear, and how we trust. Fiction has long cast nuclear energy in shadow, from wastelands and glowing ruins to apocalyptic decay. Yet those imagined worlds have value. They remind us of responsibility, of humility before our own creations. In Decay, an orphan source haunts the forest floor, a reflection of how carelessness, not the science, breeds danger. It’s fiction, but it mirrors a truth. Fear grows in silence. We already trust radiation in medicine, electricity in every device we touch. Nuclear energy belongs in the same company, a technology once feared, now proven, and ready to serve. The difference will not be written in spreadsheets alone. It will be written in stories, outreach, and transparency. Explore the fiction novel Decay, available online at all large book retailers. Follow me on Instagram , and visit my website for more info! Read more from DDL Smith DDL Smith, Author DDL Smith is a London-based novelist whose cross-genre, contemporary fiction reflects issues and fears in modern society. His creative roots started from a young age with theatre and scriptwriting for online content. When transitioning to novels, his goal was to use marketing techniques to ‘think like a publisher’ while staying independent. A tactic that has his books available in book chains across the globe.

Written by Shery Saeed, Executive Coach & CEO Advisor Shery Saeed is a transformational executive coach and trusted advisor to bold CEOs, visionary founders, and culture-shaping leaders. With over 25 years of experience navigating high-stakes leadership moments, she blends strategic rigor with deep psychological insight to help clients lead with clarity, scale with conviction, and evolve with purpose. There’s a moment every leader knows. Your chest tightens. Your mind races. And you watch yourself become someone you don’t want to be. You say the thing you promised you wouldn’t say. You make the decision you know isn’t right. You lead in a way that contradicts everything you believe about leadership. Afterward, you sit there thinking I knew better. Why couldn’t I be different in that moment? If you’ve ever felt that gap between who you know you need to be and who shows up under pressure, this story will show you why it happens and what to do about it. When everything falls apart The morning of the San Francisco earthquake, I woke up in my apartment, as I did every day. By afternoon, my building had shifted into the middle of the street, and a deep fracture had split through the neighborhood. Everything I owned, everything familiar, was gone. Standing there in the wreckage, a strange clarity hit me. I can’t go back to who I was before this. Not because I didn’t want to. But because that version of me no longer had a world to live in. The apartment was gone. The routines were gone. The certainty was gone. I chose New York. I chose business school. I chose to start over completely. I didn’t know it then, but that moment became my blueprint for understanding transformation not as an idea or a strategy, but as a lived reality. The moment when you can’t be who you were anymore and must become someone new. Brilliant leaders, stuck in old patterns under pressure Years later, I was leading major organizational transformations at American Express, Bear Stearns, large-scale change with real money, real people, real stakes. The strategies were sound. The numbers worked. Boards were satisfied. But something kept nagging at me. I watched brilliant executives credentialed, committed, intelligent, understand exactly what the future required. Then, under pressure, revert to old patterns. Control. Avoidance. Over-functioning. Anxiety masked as intensity. They weren’t failing to understand the change. They were failing to be the leaders the change required. We were asking people to execute a future strategy while still living in a past identity. We changed everything around them, but not them. That’s why it was such a struggle. The call I’ll never forget After I started my own practice, a CEO I’ll call Marcus reached out. Smart. Trusted by his board. Clear vision. He was also unraveling. “I know what I should do,” he told me. “Collaborative leadership. Emotional intelligence. Trust. I’ve read all the books. I get it intellectually. But when the pressure’s on, it’s like another version of me takes over. I just watch myself do the exact things I know don’t work.” This wasn’t a strategy problem. It was an operating system problem. Marcus wasn’t lacking insight. He couldn’t access a different version of himself in the moments that mattered most. The gap wasn’t knowledge, it was his nervous system. And suddenly, I recognized something familiar, the same truth the earthquake had taught me years earlier. You can’t create your future from your past self. What actually changes a leader I became obsessed with one question: How do you help someone become different? Not learn new tools. Not manage their behavior better. But become the version of themselves who naturally respond the way the moment requires without effort, without force. Over years of study and coaching hundreds of leaders, I started to see the pattern beneath the pattern. Every leader operates from an internal architecture, an identity-level operating system shaped by survival, emotional conditioning, and meaning-making. Most of us run software written for earlier life stages: The version that learned to control everything because chaos felt dangerous. The version that avoided conflict because confrontation felt threatening. The version that confused worth with productivity because stillness was never safe. That software worked. It got you here. But it isn’t designed for where you need to go. This is the core of my message: leadership transformation comes from upgrading your Identity Operating System™, the internal architecture that makes the leader you need to be your default, not just a performance. Transformation is not trying harder Here’s the truth I learned from the earthquake, from decades of transformation work, from sitting with leaders at their most exposed, "Transformation isn’t about trying harder. It’s about becoming different." Not new skills. A new operating system. Not managing your old self better. Becoming your future self now. When Marcus and I worked together, we didn’t focus on collaboration tactics. We focused on identity on becoming the leader for whom collaboration was no longer effortful, but natural. As his nervous system changed, so did his leadership. Three months in, his team said, “Something’s different.” Six months later, his board noticed. A year later, his company transformed not because he learned more, but because he changed. I have seen this repeatedly. The founder who couldn’t scale herself didn’t need more CEO training, she needed an identity shift from scrappy creator to strategic executive. The healthcare leader hijacked by anxiety didn’t need better stress tools, she needed to experience challenge as a puzzle, not a threat. When the internal system changes, everything else accelerates. The moment you’re in right now Every leader I work with is standing in their own version of that earthquake moment, not because disaster struck, but because they’ve outgrown themselves. Who they are cannot take them where they need to go. And some part of them knows it. The gap you feel between knowing and being isn’t a flaw. It’s not a lack of discipline or effort. It signals you’re ready to evolve. The question isn’t whether transformation is possible. The question is whether you’re willing to stop being who you’ve been. Because this much I know for sure. You already know what kind of leader you need to be. The work isn’t learning more about that person. The work is becoming that person now. Your future self isn’t waiting for you to achieve something or fix something. Your future self is waiting to become the future you. And that can start today. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Shery Saeed Shery Saeed, Executive Coach & CEO Advisor Shery Saeed is a transformational executive coach and trusted advisor to high-performing CEOs, founders, and cultural change-makers. With over 25 years of experience across industries and economic cycles, she helps bold leaders navigate uncertainty, scale with precision, and evolve their leadership identity to meet the moment. Her work fuses strategic rigor with deep psychological insight, unlocking the internal shifts required to lead powerfully in a world defined by constant change.

Taxi Maxim is a technology that independent local businesses in more than 20 countries use as the backbone of their ride-hailing, delivery, and everyday service operations. For passengers, it is primarily associated with the Taxi Maxim app, where they book trips and orders. Drivers and couriers work through the Taxsee Driver application, which aggregates requests and helps them plan their day. The Taxi Maxim platform provides routing, mapping, pricing logic, and technical support, while commercial decisions and customer interactions are managed on a local level. Urban transport and on-demand delivery have become essential infrastructure in many markets. Instead of calling dispatchers or stopping cars on the street, people are increasingly relying on apps to get from point A to point B, send documents, or have food and groceries brought to their door. Taxi Maxim is the platform that makes this possible. The Taxi Maxim technology was first applied to transportation tasks in the early 2000s and has gone through several development cycles since then. What started as tools for handling phone calls and basic dispatching has evolved into a comprehensive technology with mobile apps, GPS tracking, automated billing, and analytics. Today, Taxi Maxim is used in over 1,000 locations across the world. Tariffs and service line‑ups are defined locally. Within Maxim app, users can сhoose a variety of services, from booking a car or bike trip, to ordering small everyday services.  Maxim Taxi is designed to stay affordable for a wide audience. Beyond large urban hubs, the Taxi Maxim technology is active in regional centres, where people often lack stable public transport and rely on a mix of informal options.  For drivers and couriers, this creates an opportunity to earn on their own schedule, whether they work a few hours a week or treat Maxim Taxi as a full‑time activity. The Taxi Maxim technology includes tools for digital oversight, trip data, feedback, safety functions, and local operators use this data to improve their services. Maxim app for customers For customers, interaction with Taxi Maxim begins and ends in the passenger app. After installation, the user selects their city and sees a list of categories that reflect local demand. In one country, this might mean economy and comfort cars, motorbikes, and basic deliveries. In another, moving services with vans and light commercial vehicles, “purchase and deliver” services, household help, or even massage. The scope depends on what the local Maxim provider includes in the offer. The order process within the Taxi Maxim app is straightforward: the user specifies pickup and drop‑off points or delivery addresses, and selects the required service category. The application displays when a driver or courier is expected to arrive, enabling trip or delivery tracking on the map. Once the order is completed, the customer can rate the service and leave a short comment.  How people pay inside the Taxi Maxim app varies by country. Some markets remain heavily cash‑based: drivers collect fares directly and then transfer the platform's share to the operator at agreed intervals. Other regions have moved to digital payments, cards, e‑wallets, and similar tools. The ability to mix different methods within the same Taxi Maxim framework used by independent local operators allows them to function seamlessly in countries with varying levels of financial digitalization. Several safety-related functions are consistently implemented across most markets in services built on Taxi Maxim technology. An emergency button allows a passenger to send an alert to a pre‑selected contact or support team, and a trip-sharing feature, to forward their journey details to trusted contacts for real-time monitoring.  The contact between the Maxim customer and the driver is usually routed via masked numbers or in‑app chat: personal contact details are not exposed. Order history is retained in the system, allowing support managers to reconstruct events in the event of disputes. Taxsee driver: Application for drivers and couriers Vehicle owners and couriers use a specialized tool within the Taxi Maxim framework: the Taxsee Driver app. It serves at once as their workplace, planner, and accounting system. Taxsee Driver shows nearby orders, offers route suggestions based on integrated maps, records completed trips and deliveries, and summarizes income over any chosen period. Drivers themselves decide when to start and stop accepting orders. They log in to Taxsee Driver when they are ready to work and go offline when they need a break. There are no fixed shifts built into the platform logic, making it suitable for people with changing schedules. Many use it as an additional source of income alongside full‑time employment or studies; others treat it as their main activity but still value the ability to adjust workload week by week. There is no universal profile of a Maxim partner; the platform is built to accommodate a wide range of backgrounds. While orders are being completed, the partner app records key trip parameters: route, duration, speed. In many markets, Maxim partners work in their own vehicles, which encourages thorough maintenance and safe driving. Taxi Maxim’s driver app, Taxsee Driver, supports several types of work within a single account. A motorbike owner can switch between passenger rides and urgent deliveries during the day. Drivers of larger vehicles can alternate between airport transfers, cargo tasks, and “helper” jobs that involve moving heavy items or assisting with relocation. The application interface is designed to make such switching simple, without requiring separate logins or additional software installation. Taxi Maxim: How the technology is used across countries Taxi Maxim  technology is currently used in dozens of countries, and the exact scope of services varies depending on the location. In Southeast Asia, Taxi Maxim is often associated with motorbike transportation and affordable delivery. In Latin America, demand for cargo transport and helper services is stronger. In Central Asia, early launches of Maxim Taxi helped users avoid hailing taxis on the roadside or at traditional taxi stands in several cities. In Indonesia, Maxim is present in over 200 urban locations, from major centres to regional hubs. Motorbikes dominate, accounting for a large share of completed trips. The domestic operation has also built a food and goods marketplace inside the app and supports a charity fund that helps partners and passengers affected by accidents. In Malaysia, transportation, delivery, and household assistance services run across all states, with a notable presence in Sabah and Sarawak. Operators actively cooperate with driving schools to help partners obtain the professional licenses required by law and have introduced discounted tariffs for passengers with disabilities. In Thailand, Maxim was launched as a delivery solution, with passenger transportation added later. The headquarters is located in Chiang Mai, emphasizing work beyond the capital. The app is available in 18 provinces, offering a mix of car, motorbike, and electric vehicle tariffs. Thai teams work with local authorities on tourism projects and support environmental and social initiatives. In Brazil, Maxim appeared in 2021 and concentrated on towns with up to half a million residents, where large international platforms were less active. It was one of the first to offer structured motorbike rides there. Phone‑based ordering remains an important channel alongside the app, serving users who are not comfortable with smartphones. In Laos, Maxim started in Savannakhet. Later launches included Vientiane and other locations. Early stages were marked by zero‑commission periods for drivers and rapid user growth, especially after restrictions on a major competitor created a gap in the market. Other countries where Taxi Maxim technology operates include the Philippines, Vietnam, Colombia, Peru, Bangladesh, South Africa, and a number of Central Asian states. Legal descriptions differ, from the traditional “Taxi Maxim” to “Digital intermediation service”, but in all cases, local businesses remain separate entities that use the same technology and brand model. There is no global body that manages daily operations. Service and positioning The set of services offered by local operators using the Taxi Maxim technology is not identical in every country, but a typical portfolio includes the following directions: Car rides in basic, comfort, and sometimes, premium categories Motorbike rides in dense urban areas, where two‑wheelers are the fastest and most affordable option Courier services for small parcels, documents, and online orders Cargo moves with minibuses, vans, or light trucks, often with optional loading assistance Ordering food and goods from partner outlets inside the app Additional services such as laundry pickup, cleaning, engine start, or towing, where local operators see sufficient demand. The Maxim platform allows providers to keep operating costs low, therefore, passengers get better-priced offers too.  Inside the Taxi Maxim technology layer After the Taxi Maxim customer presses “confirm” in the app, the platform looks for a suitable partner nearby, taking into account location, road conditions, and current workload. Matching has to be both fast and efficient; otherwise, waiting times increase on the client side, and drivers or couriers spend more time without paid orders. On the back end, these functions are handled within each market by the local operator’s infrastructure built on the Taxi Maxim framework: user authorization, trip records, and analytical dashboards. Personal data and payment flows are handled locally by the domestic operator in accordance with local requirements. Local Maxim operators monitor demand and supply fluctuations by hour, district, and service category, and adjust operations accordingly.  The level of digitalization allows the Taxi Maxim platform to be used in regions with uneven connectivity: requests are buffered, and the system is tolerant to short‑term network issues on the partner side. Over the years, Taxi Maxim technology has been steadily adding more analytical and automation tools that allow operators to provide better services. Usage data helps to predict where and when cars or motorbikes will be needed, which in turn allows for reducing dead mileage. The same logic supports the Taxi Maxim expansion into new cities: once a local business decides to start operations, much of the technical setup is already in place, and the provider can concentrate on the quality of their offer. Safety and service standards Safety and high service standards are ensured through a combination of in‑app instruments and processes on the operator side. The Taxi Maxim platform provides tools; local teams define thresholds and work with cases. Digital control starts with partner onboarding. Depending on country regulations, this includes verifying identity documents, checking driving licenses, collecting proof of vehicle ownership, and sometimes conducting criminal background checks.  During trips and deliveries, Taxi Maxim–based algorithms monitor events: sharp accelerations and braking, deviations from optimal routes, and unusually long stops. Passenger feedback is equally important. Complaints about rude behaviour, unsafe driving, or poor service are tracked and can lead to training, warnings, or blocking, depending on severity and frequency. In Indonesia, Malaysia, and some other countries, local companies created mechanisms to support drivers and passengers who suffered in accidents during Maxim trips. In some cases, these funds provide compensation even beyond what mandatory insurance typically covers. Cooperation with insurers is also common: operators in certain markets purchase additional policies that extend coverage to all trips made via the app. From the customer experience side, metrics such as average waiting time, share of cancelled orders, and response speed of support are watched closely. If a city or district shows systematic problems, operators may adjust tariffs, invest in partner recruitment, or change promotion strategies. The Taxi Maxim platform offers tools for such analysis; how to use them is up to each local operator. Accessibility and inclusive design An important part of the platform development agenda is accessibility. Maxim apps support screen-reading functions, which allow visually impaired users to navigate the interface and place orders using the built‑in accessibility features of their smartphones. For people with hearing impairments, in‑app chat provides a way to communicate with drivers without relying on voice calls. Drivers can mark that they are ready to assist users with limited mobility, for example, by helping with wheelchairs or other devices. In several countries, local operators have launched specific initiatives for vulnerable groups. In Malaysia and Indonesia, local operators using Taxi Maxim technology regularly provide free or discounted trips for members of associations representing blind people, and later, this experience was formalized into special tariffs. In Thailand, during major sporting events for athletes with disabilities, a local company using Taxi Maxim technology supported the events by providing transport at its own expense. Some markets have also introduced “women for women” categories, allowing female passengers to request a female driver. Social engagement Beyond commercial services, many local Taxi Maxim operators invest in social and environmental projects. The specific activities differ, but several recurring themes can be seen across markets. Road safety education: joint sessions with police in schools and driving centres, where children and new drivers learn about correct behaviour on the road. Support for vulnerable groups: deliveries of food packages to low‑income families, assistance to orphanages, organizing children’s events, and seasonal campaigns. Environmental initiatives: tree planting, beach and public space clean‑ups, support for animal shelters and reserves, including elephant sanctuaries in Thailand. Disaster response: free rides and help with transportation during floods and fires, including for volunteers and humanitarian cargo, rebuilding efforts in affected regions, etc. Health‑focused drives: free medical check‑ups for drivers, vaccination campaigns for stray animals supported by local shelters, and cooperation with charities focused on public health. Taxi Maxim: Summary Taxi Maxim model combines three core elements: app-based access to mobility and delivery, a network of independent local operators, and a focus on services that remain affordable for mass users. In practice, this approach translates into a set of operational features. As noted in Business Review’s profile of Taxi Maxim , key characteristics include: A configurable service framework covering rides, deliveries, and helper tasks, which can be adapted to local demand and regulation. A flexible work model for drivers and couriers with no fixed shifts and the ability to handle several service types from one Taxsee Driver account. Built‑in instruments for risk management and control: onboarding procedures, trip data, rating systems, emergency functions, and operator‑side case handling. Coverage that extends beyond capital regions into mid‑sized and regional cities, where digital mobility and delivery services are often underrepresented. For urban markets, Taxi Maxim technology brings organised ride-hailing and delivery to the areas where people used to rely on street taxis and informal couriers, and helps spread app-based services in countries where this kind of infrastructure is still new.  The platform is designed to be flexible and closely aligned with the needs and habits of local customers. As more local operators adopt the Maxim technology, transport and delivery services become accessible to more people across different backgrounds and income levels.