Written by Ryan Campinho Valadas, Therapist, Educator & Trainer Ryan Campinho Valadas is a specialist psychotherapist, educator, and public speaker working in the areas of relational health, sexuality, identity, and organisational culture. He is based in the UK and works with a diverse range of individuals, community groups, and organisations. It was a February evening, and a client and I were having our final session after a year of working together. At the end of the session, they said, “I feel more human now,” as a summary of their therapy journey. I felt really moved, and the meaning and power of the sentiment resonated deeply with me. I mean, what a statement, right? In an age of technology and AI, here was this person telling me that they felt more human than before. I found it poetic, as well as a moment that spoke to the wider experience of those who decide to come to therapy. Finding meaning in small moments This experience reminded me of the small moments that amount to big moments in therapy and in life, and how easy it is nowadays to just keep going without stopping long enough to notice what is going on around us and inside us. One of my tutors during my second degree once shared that they had written a case study solely about the first few minutes of a therapy session, focusing on what happens when a client enters the room, says hello, and has the initial awkward chit-chat before delving into deeper topics. I always thought it was wonderful to focus on such a minute relational moment in the therapeutic journey in order to investigate wider human dynamics. To me, there is something equally insightful about a final session with someone. A final therapy session is a chance to reflect on progress and look hopefully towards the future by thinking about what has been and what might be possible moving forward. There is always a mix of feelings as we celebrate the work that has been done, think about maintaining motivation and sustainable action, and say goodbye to a meaningful connection. This mix can sometimes offer surprising moments, such as statements that are both simple and profound. “I feel more human now.” What can that mean in terms of therapeutic progress? Identifying progress in therapeutic journeys Whilst my training and career are somewhat unorthodox in their scope and variety, I trained in Dramatherapy and Psychosexual and Relationship Psychotherapy. I have worked in primary schools, sexual health clinics, community addiction centres, corporate settings, and private practice, using both long-term and brief therapy techniques and frameworks. However, there is something quintessentially psychodynamic about my approach. I like to explore the unconscious and identify the shadowy aspects of a person’s psyche as a way of making sense of their present actions. I’m fascinated by what is unsaid and unacknowledged, and I strive to help my clients make powerful connections between their reflexes and their needs. I don’t tend to measure my clients’ progress through numbers or quantitative data, but through reductions in their dysfunctional and destructive patterns, suffering, and shame, and increases in their contentment, openness, and vulnerability within their relationships. There are no overnight changes, lightbulb moments do not happen in every session, and life crises do not automatically disappear. However, there can still be progress if we look carefully and intentionally for it. I once believed that my purpose in this job was to save the world, but my first role in clinical practice quickly changed that. It showed me that humanity was both incredibly simple and complex, and there was no “saving” it. We tend to strive for and need similar things from life, but we all pursue them in widely different and individual ways. Importantly, people can be helped when they are ready, willing, and open to it, not when someone else decides they should be. So, I’ve always looked for the small ways in which I could make a difference rather than pursuing the lofty goal of saving the world. That is why I focus on the reductions and increases in certain human experiences when considering client progress. Sharing human moments in therapy When a client says they feel “more human,” what might they actually be saying? What might have shifted for them during the process? I find that the more human I am with clients, the more human they can be as well. This may show up when I admit that I’m not sure about something, that I don’t have an answer, or that I genuinely hadn’t thought of something before. It is there when I admit confusion, tension, or uncertainty; when I laugh at something funny they have shared; or when I feel deeply moved and close to tears and admit it. I feel that our shared humanity becomes more present whenever I tell clients that I understand how they feel or why they did something, and I genuinely mean it. When I normalise a response they had to something or someone, a spiralling thought, an emotional outburst, or a feeling of embarrassment, I fully believe that I’m helping clients reconnect with their humanity. Let’s face it and accept it, being human is not the same as being perfect. This is really important. Clients are often surprised when they are met with understanding and acceptance. “You get it?” Yes, yes, I do. I’m no better than my clients in that sense. I have my moments of messy humanity, and that is why I love Irvin Yalom’s approach of considering therapists and clients as “fellow travellers” (Yalom, 2002). I am interested in the relationship that develops between therapist and client, so I spend a lot of time exploring it in clinical supervision and with clients. I see this relationship as a mirror of the relationships clients have outside the therapy space and as a way of exploring how those relationships might be improved, using therapy as a rehearsal space for life. I’m also interested in the influence of social and cultural dynamics, beliefs, and values that clients have internalised, and how these, in turn, influence behavioural, cognitive, and emotional patterns. I’m passionate about deconstructing them and creating space to imagine and live out new perspectives. Finally, I’m also really interested in the existential dynamics of life and therapy, including the internal tensions and conflicts around purpose, meaning, love, life, death, freedom, and happiness. There is magic for me in holding all of this for a person and then supporting them as they explore the layers of conscious and unconscious awareness in which all of those components reside. Being human is something we can facilitate by modelling it ourselves and sharing our own process when relevant and useful. It is also something we can bear witness to by holding spaces filled with compassion, acceptance, and care. This supports someone in developing autonomy and agency, self-compassion, self-confidence, self-acceptance, tolerance for vulnerability, and emotional buoyancy. Feeling more human for everyone Additionally, because a lot of my work is with and within the LGBTQIA+ community, I also spend time thinking about who gets to feel human without consequence in our societies. There is a process of dehumanisation that is both psychological and structural, as people are told by those who are supposed to love them, as well as by society, culture, religion, and politics, that there is something wrong with them and that their lives carry less worth than other lives. To me, the process of LGBTQIA+ affirmative therapy is “simply” to affirm people’s humanity beyond any kind of identity politics. I write “simply” because this process is actually quite complex. Reducing shame, suffering, anxiety, dysfunction, and destructiveness requires hard, consistent, dedicated, and compassionate effort and perseverance. To be human is not only to connect with all the things that help us feel nurtured, nourished, or alive, but also to reduce the impact of all the things that get in the way. Relational dynamics, internal patterns, and existential feelings are always present within the individual, but they are also present within the structures surrounding the individual. Many of the challenges in contemporary therapy practice are structural and are not caused by an individual’s lack of resilience, skill, or capacity. Ultimately, that is what really surprised me about the statement of feeling more human. I had grown slightly cynical about what my work and skills could accomplish, given the onslaught of structural difficulties in today’s world, which can feel overwhelming and pervasive in people’s daily lives. These include cost-of-living crises, wars, extreme climate patterns, compulsive and impulsive use of technology and social media, and widespread human disconnection. Here lies the power and magic of therapy. Even with all of that going on, the experience of reconnecting with or deepening the feeling of one’s own humanity is still very much possible. What would it be like to consider this idea of feeling more human as a serious and essential outcome in therapeutic practice? What would it mean to hold “feeling more human” as a legitimate therapeutic goal in and of itself? What would this mean in our daily lives? P.S. This shared experience is included in the article with my client’s full permission and agreement. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Ryan Campinho Valadas Ryan Campinho Valadas, Therapist, Educator & Trainer Ryan Campinho Valadas is a specialist psychotherapist, educator, and organisational trainer based in the UK. With 10 years of experience in psychotherapy and almost 20 years in public speaking, community organizing, and advocacy, he is interested in the influence of social, cultural, and global dynamics in our daily lives. Ryan specialises in psychosexual and relationship therapy, LGBTQ+ wellbeing, male mental health, and relational health in organisations. Main intention is to facilitate people in building better connections to their identities, desires, relationships, and life journeys.

Written by Julie Zdravkovski, Spiritual Advisor & Medium Julie Zdravkovski is a spiritual advisor and thought leader redefining how we engage with intuition, transformation, and personal power. Known for her direct, no-bypass approach, she challenges spiritual narratives and guides people back to grounded, embodied truth. I want to start by saying that this piece is not a prescription, a recommendation, or a comparison. Every woman's journey through perimenopause and menopause is her own. If hormone replacement therapy has been life-changing for you, or if you have found relief through a path that looks nothing like mine, that is exactly as it should be. What I want to offer here is simply a different perspective. For a long time, the dominant conversation around this stage of life has been shaped by one particular narrative. I have quietly walked a different one, and enough women have asked me to share it that I think there is value in laying it out honestly. I began perimenopause when I was thirty-six, long before this stage of life was being widely spoken about the way it is today. I am now approaching forty-eight, and by August this year, it will have been two years since I entered postmenopause. This means I moved through the entire transition earlier than is often considered typical. When I look back on it now, what I see most clearly is not the symptoms, the phases, or the medical timeline of it all. What I see is the question I chose to ask my body during those years and the question I quietly refused to ask. I did not ask what was wrong with me. I asked what my nervous system needed. That single reframe changed everything about how I moved through this season of my life. The question that shapes everything else When perimenopause began at thirty-six, I did not know that was what was happening. What I knew was that my sleep was disrupted, I was having night sweats, and my body was quietly signalling that something in me was shifting. My grandmother on my mum's side went through menopause early. Since I began speaking about my own experience, other women in my family have shared that they did too. There is likely a family pattern there, although I would not put it all down to genetics alone. I could have interpreted every one of those signals through the lens of “What is wrong with me?” and traced everything back to the hormonal changes I now know were underway. But that was not the question that arrived for me. What arrived instead was a much quieter one: What does my body actually need right now to feel supported? Once that question became my anchor, the way I lived, moved, ate, worked, and thought began to organise itself around the answer. I look back now and recognise that this was the beginning of a decade-long practice of listening to my body rather than diagnosing it. I still went to doctors. I still had my blood tests checked every year. I still took my concerns seriously. But my primary orientation was not towards figuring out what was going wrong. It was towards figuring out what was going to help me feel well. Over ten years, the difference between those two orientations produced a very different experience of this life stage from the one I have heard many other women describe. Purpose as its own kind of medicine There is something I noticed only in hindsight: Both transitions in my hormonal life have coincided almost exactly with major periods of creative and professional growth in my work. When I entered perimenopause at thirty-six, I was leaving my corporate career and going all in on my spiritual business for the first time. I had had an Australian Business Number (ABN) since 2004 and had done phone line readings, in-person work, and work at a crystal shop. Around age thirty-six, I decided this was going to be a profession for me. While I was building the business, I worked four or five different jobs at once so I could still put food on the table, pay the mortgage, and cover the bills. I was completely immersed in what I was creating. A decade later, as I moved into menopause, the pattern repeated almost identically. I found myself in another creative surge, another elevation of my brand, another refinement of my offerings, and another wave of building the next chapter of my business. Ideas were arriving one after another. New classes were coming through. My teaching was deepening. I studied healing modalities, sacred geometry, remote viewing, trance work, and cosmic intelligence. I also built programs, circles, and offerings that my students are loving now and that I am genuinely proud of. I have come to see that this was not a coincidence. Purpose and creation became their own kind of medicine during both of those seasons. When you are actively building something meaningful and your energy is being channelled into something that matters to you, the hormonal transition happening in the background becomes one part of a much larger story about what is being asked of you, rather than the entire story. I am not suggesting that everyone who enters this stage of life needs to build a business. What I am suggesting is that having something that lights you up, pulls you forward, and gives your creative, intellectual, and spiritual energy somewhere to move changes the entire quality of how this transition lands in your body. It gives you a reason to keep showing up. It gives you a reason to look after yourself. It gives your soul a channel through which the aliveness that is still very much yours can continue to move. Spirituality as an anchor, not an escape Throughout both transitions, my spiritual practice was the ground I stood on. It was not because it made the physical experience easier, but because it kept me connected to myself rather than allowing me to become consumed by fear or uncertainty about what was happening in my body. I meditated. I worked with mentors. I studied deeply. I explored somatic practices, archetypal work, women's circles, and tantric meditation. I do want to name that this kind of tantric practice is not what most people assume it to be. It is about working with the energy of the body to regulate the nervous system and manifest what you are here to create. I moved through years of my own inner exploration during that time, including a relationship that started well and slowly became toxic, as well as the long, contained years of Melbourne's lockdowns. All of it deepened my relationship with myself in ways I could not have anticipated. The reason I mention all of that is that when a woman is going through this life stage, her nervous system can feel especially sensitive, and the hormonal shift can place it under significant pressure. The work I had already done to build a strong internal foundation meant that when the physical symptoms did arrive, my baseline was already grounded. I was not fragile going into perimenopause. I was not lost in menopause. My spirituality was not somewhere I went to escape what was happening. It was where I stayed connected to who I was underneath what was happening, which is a completely different relationship with the practice. I want to be clear that you do not need to be spiritual for this to be true. Whatever anchors you to yourself, whether that is creativity, nature, relationships, prayer, movement, art, or purpose, is what will hold you through this stage. What matters is that you have something, somewhere you can return to that reminds you who you are underneath the changes, so the changes never become bigger than you. Consistency over chasing One of the biggest lessons I took from this entire journey is that consistency is worth more than novelty. I did not chase every new trend, every miracle protocol, or every latest thing someone told me I had to try. I stayed with the foundations I knew worked for me. I cycled things in and out based on what my body intuitively told me, rather than on what an algorithm recommended that month. Movement became a foundation I stayed committed to. I started weight training at home during my menopause years. I built up gradually with a couple of dumbbells and short sessions of half an hour, three to five days a week, depending on my energy. I have not missed a training week in almost two years. That kind of consistency is what my body responded to, far more than any dramatic intervention. I would honestly say that I am now in the strongest and most defined shape of my life, more so than in my twenties or thirties, even though I have trained on and off my whole life. Something about consistent, functional strength work, at a pace my body could integrate, changed everything. Nutrition was equally steady. I focused on eating in a way that supported my body rather than following restrictive trends. My core supplements remained simple and consistent: a high-quality plant-based protein, creatine, vitamin D, and omega-3s. I cycled in other things for a few months at a time when they felt supportive, including medicinal mushrooms, nootropic greens, and similar supplements. I then paused before returning to my basics. The pattern was always the same. I stayed with what worked, cycled intentionally, and let my body tell me when something new was actually needed. I share this not as a template, but as an illustration of the principle beneath it. The boring, unglamorous foundations are what work. A life supported by consistent, honest care is far more powerful than one that keeps chasing the next thing. Trusting what you already know One of the most important moments in my whole journey came when I finally went to a doctor and said plainly, “I think I am in menopause.” More than once, I was told that I was too young, that it was probably stress, that I was probably fine, and that it was probably nothing. Interestingly, it was almost always the female general practitioners (GPs) who dismissed me, which was not what I expected. The male doctors tended to take me seriously. I want to say this clearly because I hear this story from so many other women: You know the patterns and changes in your body better than anyone else does. When you sense that something is happening, that sensing is information worth bringing to a qualified health professional. It may not always be right in the specifics, but it can be valuable in pointing towards a concern that deserves attention. There was also a moment early on when a doctor's immediate suggestion was to refer me to a gynaecologist to discuss HRT. That was not the path I wanted to take at the time. It may be right for someone else. I have friends and family members for whom it has been life-changing, and I am not against it in any way. But I am someone who has always been sensitive to medications. I had done my own research and believed that progesterone support might be more appropriate for me, which is what I asked to discuss. That was a moment when I had to advocate for myself calmly, with information, and ask to be heard. I want to name it because I know how many women are told what they need before anyone actually asks them what they know about themselves. I eventually went to a different doctor, someone who took me seriously, ran the tests I needed, and confirmed what I had been intuitively feeling for months. My uterine lining was thin. My oestrogen levels were where they would be expected to be for someone in postmenopause. The results aligned with what my body had already been telling me. At the end of that appointment, he said that the tests were confirming what I already knew. He told me that unless something changed, I should keep doing exactly what I had been doing because it was clearly working for me. That consultation felt different because he gave me control. He laid out the options. He respected what I had already learned about myself. He did not push anything on me. He did not dismiss what I was feeling, and he did not need me to fit a particular narrative before he was willing to acknowledge what was happening in my body. I want to name that experience because too many women are quietly dismissed at exactly the moment they need to be heard. If that is where you are right now, please know that the answer is not to stop trusting your knowing. The answer is to find a qualified health professional who will listen to you. The scare that sharpened my listening Somewhere in the middle of all of this, in August 2024, I had a breast cancer scare. It was actually the second one I had experienced. Everything turned out to be completely fine, but going through the ultrasounds, biopsies, mammograms, and contrast dye still messes with your head, no matter how connected you feel to your body. There were moments when I sat with the possibility that it might not be fine. I had to genuinely consider what my treatment options would be, what I would be willing to do, and how I would move forward. I share this because that experience, more than any other single event, sharpened my listening. It made me realise that being deeply in tune with my body is not a substitute for having things checked. Both matter. Trust what you feel, and also get the tests done. Shortly after that scare, my periods stopped completely. I later understood that this had been my final menstrual period and that I was moving towards postmenopause. My intuition about what was happening in my body only became more precise from that point on. The people around you matter more than you think The other thing I want to name, because I think it is often left out of these conversations, is that the people around you during this stage of life matter enormously. I was surrounded by family and close friends who lit me up, grounded me, made me laugh, were real with me, and never once treated me as though something was wrong with me because of the way my body was changing. That kind of support is not incidental. It is foundational. You are deeply influenced by the people around you. When those closest to you are steady, present, warm, and encouraging, you carry some of that steadiness into your own body. My mother is also part of this. She has always had an unshakeable constitution, hardly ever gets sick, and refuses to identify as unwell unless she genuinely has to. She would never put it in these words, but her attitude has always been that mindset affects how she experiences illness. She has little patience for identifying with being unwell. She knows when to stop and take care of herself, but her baseline is always mindset first. I grew up around that, and I am sure some of what I have carried through this transition may have come from her, both biologically and through the way she moves through her own body. If you are moving through this transition and the people around you are making you feel smaller, sicker, more fragile, or more limited than you are, that is worth paying attention to. The company you keep during this season shapes what you believe is possible for yourself on the other side of it. What this season actually asks of you When I look back at these ten years, what I understand now is that perimenopause and menopause did not ask me to fix anything. They asked me to listen. They asked me to soften my relationship with control. They asked me to trust the intelligence of my own body, the wisdom of my own intuition, and the guidance of my own spirit. They also asked me to build a life around what was actually supporting me, rather than what I thought I should be doing. This season is not the ending of anything. It is a doorway into another chapter. The chapter on the other side can be more grounded, more creative, more embodied, more purposeful, and more your own than any that came before it. But that only becomes true when you stop treating this stage of life as a problem to be solved and start treating it as a season that is asking you to come home to yourself in a deeper way than you ever have before. What you already know You already know what has been supporting you and what has been depleting you. You already know which relationships light you up and which ones are draining what little energy you have. You already know whether you are moving through this season with something to build, something to trust, and something to return to, or whether you are trying to push through it without any real support underneath you. Whatever your body has been telling you, however quietly, is worth listening to. It is worth listening to, however inconvenient, uncomfortable, or disruptive it may be to the version of your life you have been trying to keep going without adjustment. You do not need to know exactly what to do. You only need to ask a different question. Not, “What is wrong with me?” but, “What do I actually need right now to feel supported?” Once that becomes your anchor, the rest of it will begin to organise itself around the answer. A note from me, and an invitation If something in this piece raised a question you have been carrying about your own body, your own knowing, your own transition, or the version of yourself you are becoming through it, send it to me. Each month, I choose questions from readers and channel a response in this column. You will not be named. You will simply be heard, and through you, others sitting with the same thing will be heard too. Send your question here. If, at some point, you want to work with me more directly, you can find ways to do so here. Spiritual advisory sessions, classes, books, and more are available when you are ready, not before. I am Julie. I am a medium. And I am genuinely interested in what you already know but have not yet trusted. Follow me on Instagram for more info! Read more from Julie Zdravkovski Julie Zdravkovski, Spiritual Advisor & Medium Julie Zdravkovski is an international spiritual advisor, teacher, and thought leader known for challenging the norms of the spiritual and self-development space. With over 30 years of experience, she cuts through surface-level spirituality to deliver grounded, direct insight that prioritizes truth over comfort. Beginning as a child medium, Julie has spent decades refining her intuitive abilities while also building a corporate career in leadership and human behavior. This dual lens allowed her to bridge spirituality with real-world application in a way that is both practical and transformative, which propelled her in building a professional spiritually-led business, Modern Day Medium.

Written by Elisha May, Intuitive Energy Alchemist & Coach Elisha May is an intuitive energy alchemist and transformation specialist, and the founder of Freedom of Self®. She works with high-functioning and empathic individuals to remove the energetic and emotional blocks that strategy and hard work alone cannot reach. There is a particular kind of person who does not resemble the usual self-help audience, but they need it just as much. They just are not always aware of it. They have built extraordinary things, lived extraordinary lives, solved problems most people would not attempt, and operated in environments with real consequences. They are not lost in any conventional sense, yet something has quietly gone missing. They are now beginning to notice it. Not a breakdown. Not a crisis. Just a growing awareness that the self they have become was assembled around function, achievement, and forward motion, and that the person underneath all of that has been waiting patiently for a very long time. There is a quiet sense of exhaustion, despite their profound physical capabilities on a daily basis. There is a relentlessness accompanied by a desire to rest. This article is not about people who fell apart. It is about the ones who held themselves together so well, for so long, that they never had to look inward, until the external scaffolding ran out. It is about a sense of emptiness, even after incredible achievements. The adaptation nobody talks about When people talk about losing themselves, the conversation usually centres on trauma, toxic relationships, or burnout. But there is a quieter version of this, one that happens not through damage, but through exceptional functioning. High-achieving people adapt. It is part of what makes them effective. They learn early that certain qualities get results: drive, precision, money, self-sufficiency, and the ability to see everything as a problem worth solving. These traits are genuinely useful. They build careers, projects, and extraordinary lives. The adaptation is not wrong. It works. The difficulty is that an identity built entirely around function has no mechanism for stillness or inner peace. It does not know what to do when there is no deadline, no mountain to climb, no system to fix, and no next project waiting. When the projects run out, or when the person is finally old enough or honest enough to ask what all the doing has actually been for, the silence that follows can be disorienting in a way that is hard to name. It is not emptiness, exactly. It is more like meeting a stranger who has been living in your house. What high functioning actually costs The things that drive exceptional performance often have a shadow side that goes unexamined precisely because the performance is so good. A relentless drive to improve everything is an asset in engineering, business, organisations, and expeditions. It is exhausting in a relationship. An ability to compartmentalise means nothing leaks into the work. It also means the emotional life gets quietly filed away indefinitely. The inability to switch off is not a personality quirk. For many high-functioning people, it is a survival strategy that became the default. At some point in the past, staying busy, staying useful, and staying ahead of the next problem felt safer than stopping. The nervous system learned to associate stillness with threat and movement with safety. Decades later, the original threat is long gone, but the pattern is still running because no one ever told the body it was allowed to stop. Research into how chronic stress shapes the nervous system shows that prolonged activation, even in the absence of an acute crisis, rewires the body’s baseline. What begins as a response to pressure eventually becomes the resting state. This is why telling someone who operates this way to “just relax” produces nothing but frustration. The system is not broken. It is doing exactly what it learned to do. The clue to where you feel most like yourself People who have adapted this way often know instinctively the places and conditions where they feel most at peace. For some, it is nature, mountains, the sea, or vast open terrain, environments so large and indifferent that the drive to fix things simply has nothing to grip. For others, it is being with loved ones or at home. Nature and mountains do not need improving. The desert will not be optimised. In the face of something genuinely beyond the reach of human engineering, something inside finally exhales. Others feel it with their hands on a familiar problem they could solve in their sleep, a project, an engine, a circuit, or a physical task that requires skill but no anxiety. The mind settles not because it is empty, but because it is fully occupied with something that asks nothing of the self beneath the function. These moments matter, not as escapes, but as reference points. They show that the capacity for peace is already present. It has not been lost. It has simply been inaccessible in the contexts where most of life actually happens. This connects to something deeper than technique. As psychologist Carl Jung described in his work on individuation, the process of becoming a whole, integrated self, the qualities we develop to survive and succeed are not the full picture of who we are. They are part of the picture. The rest has been waiting. Why this rarely gets examined until something stops The reason highly capable people do not interrogate this pattern earlier is simple: it works. There is always another project, another expedition, another conquest, or another problem to solve. The forward motion is real, and it produces real results. There is no obvious reason to stop and ask what is underneath when what lies underneath has never caused a visible problem. What eventually creates the pause is usually one of three things: the external challenges genuinely run out or become less satisfying than they used to be, the cost to relationships becomes impossible to ignore, or a quiet awareness arrives that the relentlessness is not sustainable indefinitely and that something will have to give. None of these is a crisis. All of them are signals. The people who respond to them honestly are not the ones who could not handle the pressure. They are the ones who are finally willing to turn the same level of attention they have always given to external problems towards the one they have never looked at directly. What coming home to yourself actually looks like This is not about dismantling what has been built. The drive, the capability, and the ability to operate at a high level are not the problem. The question is whether those qualities are chosen or compelled, whether the person running the machine is actually present or whether the machine has been running itself, and what intention lies behind the actions, decisions, and drive. Coming home to yourself after a long time away tends to be quieter than people expect. It is less an awakening and more a gradual reacquaintance. It happens in moments when the doing pauses long enough for something else to surface. It happens through small experiments with stillness that do not produce disaster. It is the discovery that the version of you that exists in the mountains, in the workshop, or in rare moments of genuine rest is not a different person. It is the same person, with less armour on. The goal is not to become someone who no longer builds things, climbs things, or solves problems. It is to become someone who does those things from a place of genuine choice rather than compulsion. Someone for whom stopping is as available as starting. Someone who can sit still for twenty minutes without planning the next thing, not because they have to, but because they have found that the version of themselves in the stillness is someone worth spending time with. Someone who can take in their surroundings without thinking about what they need to do next. Just a peaceful state of being themselves again. Where to go from here If any of this has landed, not as criticism, but as recognition, that is worth paying attention to. The people who benefit most from this kind of work are not the ones who are falling apart. They are the ones who have held themselves together so well that they have never had to ask what they are holding together for. The work I do is not about adding something new. It is about removing what was layered on top, the conditioning, the performance, and the inherited patterns that quietly shaped how you think, lead, and operate, until what remains is the system you were always running on underneath. Most people who come to this work are not broken. They are capable people who have been running on someone else’s operating system for long enough that they have forgotten they had their own. If you are at a point where the life you have built is working, yet something is asking for more than that, it is usually a signal worth following. Book a conversation here. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Elisha May Elisha May, Intuitive Energy Alchemist & Coach Elisha May is an intuitive energy alchemist and transformation specialist, empowering high-functioning, driven, and empathic individuals to stop hitting the same wall and claim the level and life they know is theirs. She works at the energetic root, reading and alchemizing what others cannot see, creating rapid, permanent shifts that nothing else has. Her authority is not academic. It is lived. A natural-born gift for energetic transformation, consciously refined across decades of practice. When the internal shifts, the external follows. It always does.

Written by Anna Woolliscroft, Journalling Coach & Wellbeing Advocate 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. Think of a doorway left ajar, or a gate leading somewhere you haven't been. Most of us have stood at a threshold like that this year, even if we didn't call it that at the time. It is a metaphor for a decision half made or a conversation you keep rehearsing but haven't had. To counteract this state of limbo, journalling offers a self-care practice that could help you find the courage to cross that line. It starts with a simple idea: the edge you're standing at right now can tell you a great deal about yourself, if you're willing to look at it honestly. What does courage mean? Courage doesn't mean the absence of fear. It means doing the thing anyway, stomach in knots and all. Most of us are waiting to feel ready before we act, but that feeling rarely arrives on schedule. Boundaries work the same way. Holding one takes courage. So does dropping a boundary that's been holding you back long after it stopped serving you. Sometimes the brave thing is speaking up and holding your ground. Sometimes it's stepping away entirely. Neither is automatically the right answer, which is exactly why this is worth writing about rather than guessing at. Why the two are connected It's easy to think of courage as the big, visible stuff: changing careers, ending a relationship, or giving a speech. Boundaries, on the other hand, can seem smaller and more private: saying no to an extra task or protecting an evening. In practice, though, they rely on the same muscle. In her research interviews on boundaries and vulnerability, Brené Brown found that the most compassionate people she studied were also the most “boundaried,” not the most accommodating. That finding challenges the instinct many of us carry, particularly women socialised to keep the peace, that being kind and having limits are somehow in conflict. They're not. A boundary is often the most honest, respectful thing you can offer someone. Boundaries aren't only about other people, either. The most important ones are frequently the agreements you make with yourself: how you spend your time, what you tolerate, and what you're no longer willing to carry. Try the threshold technique You don't need a photograph or a physical object for this one, which makes it easy to return to whenever you need it. Picture a threshold: a wooden door left ajar, an open gate leading to a meadow, or a rickety fence at the edge of a dune. You can even choose some picture cards or search for images online if you need to see something. Let whichever image comes to mind first be the right one. There's no wrong choice. Sit with the image and your thoughts for a moment, then write freely. What did you notice first? What does it remind you of? A threshold represents choice: the edge between what's familiar and what comes next. How do you feel about standing there? Excited, daunted, or both? How you feel tells you something worth paying attention to. Four journalling techniques for courage and boundaries 1. The threshold prompt Use the threshold visual technique whenever you feel stuck between two options and can't name why. Write: “What threshold am I standing at right now, however small?” Or use a sentence stem, such as, “The threshold I am standing at right now is...” Pick a method that draws something from within. 2. The writing sprint Set a timer for five minutes. Choose either “courage” or “boundaries,” whichever pulls at you more, and write without stopping. What does this word mean in your life right now? When did you last feel it, or feel its absence? Close with the sentence stem, “To me, courage, or a boundary, means...” and complete it as many times as feels right. 3. Courage, past and future Think of a time you showed courage, however small it seemed at the time. What did that feel like in your body? Then turn to the present: where in your life right now is courage asking to show up? Finish with, “The brave thing I keep putting off is...” 4. The self boundary list Most boundary work focuses outward, on other people. This one turns inward. List the agreements you want to make with yourself this month: how you will use your time and energy, and what you will stop apologising for. Then write one sentence completing, “A boundary I need to honour is...” What gets in the way The biggest block isn't usually fear of the big, dramatic act of courage. It's the smaller, daily fear of disappointing someone by holding a limit. That fear is worth writing about directly rather than pushing past it, because naming it on the page can help loosen its grip more effectively than willpower alone. There's also a common misconception that boundaries are about shutting people out. They're not. A boundary is closer to a gate than a wall: something that lets in what serves you and keeps out what doesn't, on your terms. Reframing it that way, in your own words, often makes the whole exercise feel less like conflict and more like clarity. Begin your own threshold work Journalling for courage and boundaries doesn't require a dramatic life event to be worth doing. Start small. One threshold, one honest sentence about where you're standing. You don't need to have the answers before you begin. The writing is there to help you find them. If you'd like support working through where courage and boundaries show up in your own life, book a Journalling Audit consultation. Together, we'll find the techniques that help you hold your ground or recognise when it's time to step past it. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Anna Woolliscroft Anna Woolliscroft, Journalling Coach & Wellbeing Advocate 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 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. You already know that a walk helps you feel better. You come back with your shoulders lower, your breathing slower, and a little less knotted than when you left. Most of us have experienced that shift without ever stopping to question it. But what if you could make that shift more intentional? What if you could capture what surfaces during a walk and use it, rather than letting it dissolve before you reach the front door? This is the argument for combining walking, nature, and journalling as a deliberate pairing that compounds the well-being benefits of each. The evidence and experience point in the same direction. How walking impacts your brain and body Research for Living Streets' National Walking Month found that 54% of people who walk do so to improve their mental health and happiness, and 40% of respondents said they feel anxious, irritable, or lonely after staying at home the entire day. Surely these figures suggest that a walk counteracts feeling low. That instinct is well-founded. The Mental Health Foundation's research found that 82% of people in the UK believe regular physical activity is important for mental health and wellbeing. Walking lowers cortisol, the body's primary stress hormone, releases endorphins, and regulates the nervous system. Even a short walk shifts your physiological state in ways that are measurable and real. A 2023 study carried out by the University of Cambridge suggests that a daily walk can prevent one in ten early deaths. The physical case is well established. The mental health case is equally strong, and arguably less well understood. What journalling does beyond walking Walking clears our heads, whereas journalling makes sense of what is inside our heads. Dr. James Pennebaker's research at the University of Texas demonstrated that expressive writing for just 15 minutes, three times a week, produces measurable improvements in working memory and stress resilience. Walking moves you through the world, whereas writing helps you understand what that movement stirs up. There are positive outcomes for both, but together they compound. Without writing, the insights that surface during a walk often disappear. You return home, the kettle goes on, work continues, or the kids demand attention. Whatever clarity you found on the path dissolves into the afternoon. Journalling can create a container for those moments, helping to turn a feeling into something you can hold, examine, and return to. Why nature changes everything Not all walks are equal. A walk through a shopping centre and a walk in woodland both involve movement, but their effects on the brain are quite different. Psychologists Rachel and Stephen Kaplan developed Attention Restoration Theory in the 1980s, which proposed that exposure to natural environments promotes the recovery of directed attention, highlighting nature's role in replenishing attention resources and reducing mental fatigue. The Kaplans found that nature contains what they call ‘soft fascinations,’ for example, clouds moving across the sky or leaves rustling in the wind. These natural elements attract and hold attention effortlessly, allowing the attention system to recover from depletion. In plain language, nature is doing the restorative work, so your brain doesn’t have to. This matters for journalling because a depleted brain produces depleted writing. When you write after time in a natural setting, you are writing from a clearer, calmer cognitive state, and the quality of your reflection changes. The compound effect when you bring all three together If walking lowers your body's stress response and nature quietens the mental noise, then writing captures what surfaces when the noise settles. Each element amplifies the others. The movement of walking loosens thoughts that sitting keeps fixed. The natural environment holds your attention gently, without demand. The writing converts that loosened, quieted state into something tangible, such as an insight, a question, a memory, or a shift in perspective that you can use to take action. This is not a theoretical argument. Anyone who has written a few lines beside a river or paused on a hillside to note what they are feeling recognises the purity of that writing. It’s different from the writing that emerges at a desk. Nature, it turns out, is a co-facilitator. Using your senses as a doorway One of the most effective ways to begin writing in nature is by engaging your senses. Sensory attention pulls you out of your head and into your immediate environment. It interrupts rumination and creates presence, exactly the state that produces honest, useful writing. Using a simple framework to work with, sense by sense, is a great place to start the next time you venture outside for a walk. Walk at a slow pace and pause regularly. At each pause, close your eyes, take three slow breaths, then open your eyes and write. Journaling with sight Start by noticing what catches your eye first. Is it a bright color, a movement, or something subtle in the surroundings? Take the time to count how many shades of the same color you can spot around you. This exercise encourages a deeper connection with your environment. Additionally, challenge yourself to describe one small thing you might normally overlook. These small details often hold the most significance and can be the catalyst for deeper writing. Journaling with sound Pay attention to the sounds around you. What is the first sound you hear? Is it something immediate, or do you need to listen more closely to detect quieter, hidden noises? Try to distinguish between natural sounds, like birds or wind, and human-made ones, such as traffic or voices. Finally, describe a sound that you cannot immediately name. This could be the rustling of leaves or the hum of distant machinery, sounds that seem familiar yet resist easy identification. Journaling with smell and sensation Focus on the scents that fill the air. What does the atmosphere smell like, and how does it make you feel? Does it evoke a sense of calm or nostalgia? Similarly, take note of the ground beneath your feet. What does it feel like: soft grass, rough gravel, or something else? Pay attention to how your body responds to the walk. Has anything on this journey triggered a memory or an emotional response? These sensations offer a gateway to introspective writing. Journaling with taste Imagine that the landscape has a flavor. If it were to be described as a taste, what would it be? Is it fresh like rain, earthy like soil, or perhaps something more abstract? Pay attention to the air you breathe. What does it taste like as it enters your mouth and lungs? There is a certain quality in every place that can be experienced almost as a flavor, not literally, but in the way a mood or atmosphere leaves an imprint on your senses. Journaling with touch Find a texture nearby, whether it's the roughness of bark, the smoothness of a stone, or the softness of a leaf. Describe this texture in detail, capturing its essence. Next, notice the temperature of the air. How does it feel against your skin? Is it warm, cool, or a gentle breeze? Finally, take a moment to check in with your body. What is it telling you that you might not have noticed before? Perhaps your muscles are tense or relaxed, or maybe the walk is bringing awareness to something you've overlooked in your daily routine. Going deeper with John Muir Laws John Muir Laws, naturalist, artist, educator, and co-founder of the Wild Wonder Foundation, uses a three-part prompt at the heart of his nature journalling practice: I notice. I wonder. It reminds me of. These prompts, which he draws on to develop what he calls intentional curiosity, move you from passive observation to active engagement with what is around you, deceptively simple and very powerful. Use these prompts as an anchor when you are not sure where to start or when you want to move beyond description into something with more depth. Alongside that framework, these three questions can take you further inward: What do you notice around you? What is stirring within you? What feelings, memories, or longings does the natural world bring to the surface? The shift from the first question to the third is the change from observation to self-awareness. That transference is where the real work happens. How to start this week You do not need a guided walk, a special notebook, or an hour to spare. You can begin this practice with what you already have. Choose a walk you already do, to the park, around the block, or through a local green space. Take a small notebook or use the notes app on your phone. Pause three times during the walk, take three breaths and write for two minutes. Use one of the sensory prompts above, or ask yourself: what do I notice right now, inside and outside of myself? When you return, read back what you wrote and write a sentence of reflection. You may surprise yourself. The consistency of this practice, even once a week, begins to change how you move through the world. You start noticing more and trusting what you notice. Over time, that noticing becomes a form of self-knowledge. Begin your practice May is National Walking Month, which offers the perfect reason to start. The longer, lighter days that come with spring make it easier to get outside and stay there. Walking is good for you. Journalling is good for you. But if you want to understand what is going on inside you, and do something useful with that understanding, combining the two in a natural setting is one of the most accessible and effective tools available. If you would like to explore how journalling can work specifically for your life and circumstances, book a Journalling Audit consultation, and we can identify the approach that fits you best. 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 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. May is a month of change and busyness, with longer days and increasing demands. As stress builds, Mental Health Awareness Month and Mental Health Awareness Week are a timely reminder to check in on your mental well-being. Journalling for positive mental health is one of the most accessible, low-cost tools available because no special skills are required and there is no right or wrong way to do it. The practice of journalling is about you, your thoughts, and a page free from judgement. What is Mental Health Awareness Week? Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual campaign run by the Mental Health Foundation, taking place this year from 11-17 May. The 2026 theme, 'Take Action,' encourages people to do one thing, however small, to support their mental health or someone else's. And action does not have to mean overhauling your life. Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is pick up a pen. The statistics make a strong case for paying attention. According to the Mental Health Foundation, one in five people aged 16-64 in the UK is experiencing a mental health condition. Stress, anxiety, and low mood are among the most commonly reported difficulties. The good news is that small, consistent actions can make a measurable difference. Why journalling supports mental health Journalling has been used as a tool for self-expression and reflection for centuries, but much of the research behind it is more recent and compelling. Dr. James Pennebaker, a psychologist at the University of Texas, has spent decades studying expressive writing. His research demonstrates that writing about thoughts and emotions for as little as 15 minutes, three times a week, produces measurable improvements in both psychological and physical well-being. Journalling works because it gives your inner world somewhere to go. When stress builds up, thoughts tend to loop, which drains mental energy and makes it harder to think clearly. Writing interrupts that cycle. It moves thoughts from your head onto the page, where you can see them, process them, and, often, find perspective you did not have before. It is not therapy, nor a cure. But as a regular practice, journalling for positive mental health is a tool that genuinely supports the way you think, feel, and cope. Three journalling techniques for positive mental health 1. Gratitude journalling for stress Gratitude journalling is exactly what it sounds like: writing down the things you are thankful for. It does not need to be complicated or time-consuming. Sometimes, the most meaningful reflections come from the smallest moments in your day. You might ask yourself: What made you smile today? What small moment felt good? What do you have right now that, at some point, you deeply wished for? These simple prompts can help shift your focus toward appreciation, presence, and the positive experiences that are often easy to overlook. Research by Dr. Robert Emmons at the University of California demonstrates that a regular gratitude practice increases overall well-being, strengthens relationships, and even improves physical health. You do not need to write pages for it to be beneficial. Three to five specific things, written with intention, are enough. The keyword here is specific. ‘I am grateful for my health’ carries less weight than ‘I am grateful I could walk to the shops this morning without pain.’ Specificity anchors gratitude in real experience, which is where its power lies. Moving away from being thankful for things with commercial value to relationships, health, and experiences is far more fulfilling. If you are not sure where to begin, try this prompt: What is starting to bloom in your life right now, even if it is just a small bud? It might be a new habit, a shift in your thinking or a relationship that feels steadier. Notice what is already here, however small. This is a particularly good technique if you tend to focus on what is going wrong. Gratitude does not ignore difficulty, it simply trains your attention to hold the full picture. 2. Expressive writing for anxiety Expressive writing is the practice of writing freely about a stressful experience, without editing, without worrying about grammar, and without stopping to think too hard. The aim is not a polished piece of writing. The aim is release. Set a timer for 10-15 minutes. Write about something that has been weighing on you. It might be a difficult conversation, a situation at work or a worry you cannot shake. Write as honestly as you can. Remember, no one else will read your words, so be open and raw. Pennebaker's research shows that this kind of writing activates the brain's prefrontal cortex, the region responsible for regulating emotion and rational thinking. When you write about a stressful experience, you are not just venting. You are processing. The act of finding words for what you feel helps the brain make sense of it, which reduces its emotional charge over time. Many people find this technique uncomfortable at first. That is normal. If this happens, start with writing for five minutes if 15 feels too long. The discomfort usually eases once you begin, and what often follows is a sense of clarity, or at least a little more breathing room. One practical note: if what you write brings up something significant, please reach out for support. The Samaritans are available 24 hours a day on 116 123, and your GP is always a good first point of contact. 3. The 3-2-1 method for ease If free writing feels too open-ended, the 3-2-1 method offers a simple structure to hold onto. It takes around five minutes and works well at the end of the day or the end of the week. Start with three and work backward to one. 3 things you learned (from a conversation, an experience, something you read, or from paying close attention) 2 things you enjoyed (however small, even a good cup of tea counts) 1 thing to focus on (one intention, one priority, one small action for tomorrow) This is not a research-backed clinical technique in the way expressive writing is. Think of it as a practical framework. It works because it gives your mind a gentle structure at a time when everything else can feel formless. It also nudges you, consistently, towards noticing what went well rather than replaying what did not. For anyone new to journalling, or anyone who has tried and found it too unstructured before, this is an excellent starting point. How to get started today You do not need a special notebook or an hour of uninterrupted time. And you certainly do not need to know what to write. Pick one technique from this article and set your timer for five minutes. The only rule is to write the date at the top of the page. If you want wider support this Mental Health Awareness Week, the Mental Health Foundation has a full programme of resources and events. Mind also offers practical guidance on managing stress, anxiety, and low mood. Taking action does not require a grand gesture. It requires one small, consistent step. Journalling for positive mental health can be exactly that. Start your transformation today If you are ready to discover how journalling can support your mental health and overall well-being, book a Journalling Audit consultation today. Together, we will identify the techniques that suit your personality and your life, and build a practice that sticks. 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 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. April is Stress Awareness Month, and the numbers behind it are not easy reading. But what if the real antidote to stress is not about managing it more efficiently, or thinking about it less, but about actively writing your way towards joy? These five evidence-based journalling techniques for stress use playfulness, laughter, and self-permission to give stress less room in your life. What stress is costing us Stress is not a minor inconvenience. According to research by the Mental Health Foundation and YouGov, 74% of UK adults have felt overwhelmed or unable to cope due to stress in the past year. In 2023/24, stress, depression, and anxiety accounted for 54% of all working days lost due to ill health in the UK, according to the Health and Safety Executive. For women specifically, a 2024 survey by Forth With Life and Censuswide found that almost a quarter experience stress every day, with over two-thirds reporting it as a weekly experience. These statistics represent real people pushing through school runs, performance reviews, company demands, and ageing parents, while silently eroding their own needs. Why joy is medicine Joy is not the opposite of stress. But joy is one of stress’s most effective medicines. Research consistently shows that positive emotional experiences, including laughter, play, and genuine pleasure, reduce physiological markers of stress in the body. Cortisol levels drop, breathing slows, and the nervous system shifts. The problem is that many of us have packed joy away. We stopped playing when we started performing. And somewhere along the way, we lost permission to be a little bit silly. Journalling gives us a safe space to reach back and seek out fun and laughter. Writing in a journal or speaking into an app won’t fix the source of your stress, but it will actively build the emotional resources that help you carry it differently. What the science says Professor James Pennebaker at the University of Texas has spent over 40 years researching expressive writing. His findings show that writing about emotional experiences for just 15 to 20 minutes over three to four sessions measurably improves both psychological and physical health, including reductions in cortisol and improvements in immune function. A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of 27 studies, published in Family Medicine and Community Health (BMJ), found that journalling reduced anxiety symptoms by an average of 9%.[1] That may not sound dramatic at first, but stress is cumulative. A consistent reduction in anxiety across weeks and months adds up to something meaningful. You do not need a special notebook, and you do not need to be a writer. All you need is a pen, a few minutes, and the willingness to show up for yourself. For a broader exploration of how journalling benefits high-performing professionals, see 12 Journalling Techniques for High-Performing Professionals. What stops us from allowing joy Before we get to the journalling exercises for stress, it is worth mentioning something. Most of the women I work with are intelligent, capable, and deeply self-aware. They know stress is affecting them. They know they need rest. They even know, intellectually, that joy matters. And yet they do not allow it into their lives, at least not regularly. If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. There are usually three patterns that get in the way, so see if any of the following resonate with you. The productivity trap. When your worth has been tied to output for most of your adult life, rest and play can feel like failure. Taking time to do something silly or joyful triggers a voice that says you should be doing something more useful. That voice is not wisdom but a well-worn habit. Perfectionism about how joy should look. Some people dismiss their own small pleasures because they do not match a curated version of happiness. Ten minutes in the garden does not count as proper self-care, does it? A funny video your friend sent you is not exactly meaningful. But it is. The smallest, most specific moments of joy are often the most restorative precisely because they are ordinary and accessible. The belief that stress is the price of ambition. Many high-achieving individuals have absorbed a story that struggle is necessary, and that ease means you are not working hard enough. Stress becomes a badge. Unfortunately, joy becomes a reward to be earned later, and later never quite arrives. Journalling does not dissolve these patterns overnight. But it creates the one thing these patterns rely on you never having: a moment of honest, uninterrupted self-reflection. That is where change tends to begin. 5 journalling techniques for stress and joy 1. The double list Start here, especially if you are new to journalling or short on time. Create two separate lists: five things that made you laugh this week, and five things that brought you joy or happiness. These are not the same list because something can make you laugh without bringing deep joy. And something can bring subtle, meaningful joy without being funny at all. A cup of tea before the house wakes up. The first blossom on a tree. Ten minutes you had completely to yourself. The most useful entries tend not to be the big things, such as holidays or promotions. The small, specific details are where real awareness builds. What you notice, you begin to cultivate. Over time, these lists become a map of what genuinely nourishes you, so I encourage you to consider them at least weekly. They are also a natural entry point into gratitude journalling. Once you complete your lists, read back through them and write one sentence. Start your sentence with, ‘As I read this, what it tells me about myself is.’ That single sentence of reflection is often where the real insight lives. Research by Dr. Robert Emmons at the University of California demonstrates that regular gratitude practice increases well-being, strengthens relationships, and improves physical health, making this deceptively simple exercise more powerful than it first appears. 2. The captured moment Find a photograph from the past month or year that sparks something: warmth, delight, nostalgia, or even surprise. Set a timer for five minutes and write everything you remember about that moment. Where were you? Who was there? What was said? What did the atmosphere feel like? Capture every detail you can, including the ones that feel insignificant. Photographs act as memory anchors. A single image can unlock details you thought you had forgotten, such as conversations, the feeling in a room, or something someone said that made you laugh until you could not breathe. Writing these details preserves them and signals to your brain that this experience mattered. When we are chronically stressed, we retain negative experiences far more readily than positive ones. This is not a personal failing, it is how the human brain is wired for survival. The Captured Moment technique actively works against that pattern by training your attention back towards what has been good. After writing, add one reflection sentence, ‘What this moment reminds me of is.’ For a deeper look at how reflection and memory-based writing work together, see How to Reflect on Your Year Through Journalling. 3. Childhood joy writing Before you pick up your pen, take two minutes to close your eyes. Take in a few slow, deep breaths and feel your body relax. Let your mind travel back to a summer's day when you were around eight to ten years old. A long school holiday. A Sunday afternoon that seemed to stretch on forever. You are outside, laughing with family or friends, completely absorbed in what you are doing. Notice where you are. What is beneath your feet? Who is there? What are you playing? Then open your eyes and write using one of these prompts: What did that joy feel like in your body, and where did you feel it? What made that time feel so free? How could you bring even a small piece of that feeling into your life this week? This exercise is more powerful than it might first appear. When we reconnect with the qualities we had as children, such as full presence, silliness, curiosity, and the ability to rest without guilt, we are not being naive. We are reclaiming something we genuinely need. Many participants in my workshops are surprised by how much emotion this exercise surfaces, not sadness, but a kind of recognition that those emotions and abilities are still residing inside somewhere. 4. The permission slip Write yourself a permission slip for something frivolous, silly, or purely for your own pleasure. Not something productive or anything that earns you brownie points with anyone else. Something that is entirely yours. Begin with: I give myself permission to. You might give yourself permission to spend an entire Sunday afternoon watching absolute nonsense on television without once feeling like you should be doing something more useful. Or to buy the expensive coffee, just because it is Tuesday, and you want it with added syrup. Or to stop apologising for taking up space. Or to laugh loudly and not follow it with an apology for being too much. Write more than one if you like and read them back. Notice which ones feel genuinely freeing, and which ones still trigger that voice that says you haven't earned it yet. That gap is worth exploring in your next journalling session to see what you might uncover. The act of writing permission down tends to stick far better than a vague intention to rest more or worry less. This is because you have made a commitment to yourself on the page. 5. The dialogue technique Developed by psychologist Dr. Ira Progoff and built on by Kathleen Adams at the Center for Journal Therapy, the Dialogue technique involves having a written conversation with someone or something, writing both sides of the exchange yourself. This April, try having a Dialogue with Stress itself. Start by asking whether it is okay to talk, then let the conversation unfold. Write your words first, then Stress's response. It might look like this: Me: Stress, are you willing to talk with me? Stress: I have been waiting for you to ask. Me: Where are you coming from right now? Stress: From the place where you keep saying yes when you mean no. Do not think too hard about the responses. Write them as they come. The answers that surface in a Dialogue are often more honest than anything you would arrive at through thinking alone. You are letting something deeper speak because you are bypassing the part of your brain that edits and rationalises. Once the conversation feels complete, close by thanking Stress. Then read back what you have written and add one final sentence of reflection: ‘As I read this, I notice.’ That sentence is frequently where the real shift begins. Begin with five minutes The Stress Management Society's theme for this year's Stress Awareness Month is #BeTheChange. That change does not need to be sweeping or dramatic. It can begin with five minutes, a notebook, and a decision to bring a little more joy into your days. Spring is an apt moment to start journalling. Everything is returning after a long winter, so let some of it be you. If you would like support building a journalling practice, these journalling techniques for stress are a starting point that works for your life. Book a Journalling Audit consultation. Together, we can identify the techniques that suit your personality and create something genuinely sustainable. 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. Reference: [1] (Sohal et al., 2022)

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. Every January brings the same cycle. You set ambitious resolutions with genuine conviction, only to watch them crumble by February. The problem isn't really about willpower or commitment, it’s that traditional resolutions are structurally designed to fail. What if you could replace them with a sustainable approach that actually creates change? Intention-setting through journalling offers a research-backed alternative that transforms how you approach the year ahead. Why traditional resolutions fail According to YouGov research from December 2024, only 33% of people who made New Year's resolutions for 2024 kept all of them. Nearly half (45%) managed some but not all, whilst 19% failed to maintain any of their resolutions. Even more telling is that previous research found that just six days into the year, one in five people had already abandoned some of their resolutions. These statistics reveal fundamental problems with how resolutions are structured. Most resolutions focus on outcomes without addressing underlying systems or motivations. 'Lose two stone' tells you the destination but provides no map for getting there. Resolutions typically arise from external pressure rather than internal alignment. You set goals because you feel you should, not because they genuinely matter to you. When motivation is externally driven, it evaporates the moment circumstances become difficult. Traditional resolutions also ignore the reality of how change happens. Behavioural scientist BJ Fogg's research at Stanford University demonstrates that sustainable change requires tiny, consistent actions linked to existing habits. Grand resolutions that demand wholesale life transformations overwhelm your capacity for change. What is intention-setting? Intention-setting differs fundamentally from resolution-making. Whilst resolutions fixate on specific outcomes, intentions focus on the person you want to become and the values you want to embody. An intention provides direction without rigid demands. Instead of declaring 'I will exercise five times per week', an intention states, 'I want to become someone who moves my body regularly because it makes me feel strong and energised.' The first version creates a pass-fail dynamic. The second establishes a guiding principle that allows flexibility in execution. Research from psychologist Dr Gabriele Oettingen shows that effective intention-setting combines positive vision with realistic obstacle planning. Her WOOP method (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan) has demonstrated significant improvements in goal achievement across multiple studies. Intentions work because they acknowledge both aspiration and reality. Assessing balance with the 8 dimensions of wellness Before setting intentions, assess where you currently stand. Dr Margaret Swarbrick's 8 Dimensions of Wellness model provides a comprehensive framework for understanding wellbeing. These eight areas work together to create overall life satisfaction – Physical, Spiritual, Social, Intellectual, Emotional/Mental, Occupational, Environmental, and Financial. Take time to evaluate each dimension honestly. On a scale of 1 to 10, rate your current satisfaction in each area. Write about what contributes to your rating and what would need to shift for improvement. This assessment reveals imbalances you might not consciously recognise. Physical wellness encompasses exercise, sleep, nutrition, and medical care Spiritual wellness involves meaning, purpose, and connection to something beyond yourself Social wellness reflects the quality of your relationships and sense of belonging. Intellectual wellness means ongoing learning and mental stimulation Emotional and mental wellness covers your ability to process feelings and maintain psychological health Occupational wellness relates to satisfaction with your work and sense of contribution Environmental wellness involves feeling safe and comfortable in your surroundings Financial wellness reflects security and freedom from money-related stress. After rating each dimension, notice where gaps exist. These areas naturally suggest where to focus your intentions. You might discover that whilst your physical wellness scores high, your social connections have deteriorated. This awareness transforms vague discontent into actionable insight. Journalling prompts for each dimension Use these prompts to explore each wellness dimension more deeply. Spend 10 to 15 minutes writing about each one over the course of a week or two. Physical: How does my body feel right now? What activities make me feel energised? What prevents me from moving regularly? Spiritual: What gives my life meaning? When do I feel most connected to something larger than myself? What values guide my decisions? Social: Which relationships energise me? Which drains me? What would a deeper connection look like in my life? Intellectual: What am I curious about? What would I learn if I had unlimited time? How do I challenge my thinking? Emotional/mental: How do I process difficult emotions? What support do I need for my mental health? When do I feel most centred? Occupational: Does my work align with my values? What would make it more fulfilling? How do I balance professional demands with other areas of my life? Environmental: Do I feel safe in my surroundings? What changes would make my environment more nurturing? How does my physical space affect my wellbeing? Financial: Do I feel secure about money? What financial patterns cause stress? What would financial freedom look like for me? These responses become the foundation for setting meaningful intentions because you're listening to what your life is telling you. Future-self journalling technique Future-self journalling creates a bridge between your current reality and your aspirational identity. Research from UCLA psychologist Dr Hal Hershfield demonstrates that people who feel more connected to their future selves make better long-term decisions and exhibit greater self-control. Start by selecting a specific timeframe. One year works well for most people, though you might choose six months or three years depending on what feels manageable. Find a quiet space where you won't be interrupted for at least 30 minutes. Close your eyes and visualise yourself at this future point. Don't force specific images. Allow details to emerge naturally. Where do you live? What does a typical day look like? How do you spend your time? What relationships matter most? How do you feel in your body? Now write a letter from this future self to your current self. Use first person and present tense as if you're already living this life. Describe your days, your priorities, and how you spend your energy. Include sensory details. What do you see when you wake up? What sounds fill your environment? What brings you joy? Most importantly, have your future self explain what choices and changes made this life possible. What did you stop doing? What did you start prioritising? What support did you seek? What fears did you move through? This isn't fantasy planning. It's reverse engineering the path to your desired life. After writing this letter, read it back and notice what surprises you. What elements feel deeply true? What feels aspirational but achievable? What seems impossible? These reactions reveal both your authentic desires and your limiting beliefs. Creating a vision for the year Whilst future-self journalling focuses on identity, visioning creates a concrete picture of what you want to experience over the coming year. This practice combines imagination with practical planning. Begin by reviewing your 8 Dimensions assessment and your future-self letter. What themes emerge? What areas need attention? What excites you? Write these observations down before moving forward. Now imagine it's December of the coming year. You're reviewing the past twelve months with satisfaction and pride. What happened to create these feelings? Write about specific experiences, achievements, relationships, and changes. Be detailed and concrete. Include the full spectrum of life. What did you do for work? How did your relationships evolve? What adventures did you have? What challenges did you handle well? What brought unexpected joy? What risks did you take? Don't limit yourself to major accomplishments. A great life also lives in small moments, such as weekly coffee with a friend, regular morning walks, time spent reading, and creative projects pursued without pressure. These details matter as much as promotions or achievements. After creating this vision, distil it into three to five core intentions. These should capture the essence of what matters most. Instead of listing specific goals, identify the qualities or experiences you want to cultivate. For example, 'I intend to prioritise creative expression over constant productivity' or 'I intend to build deeper connections with the people who matter most.' Supporting your practice with guided meditation Complement your journalling practice with guided meditation to deepen your connection to your intentions. Meditation research from Massachusetts General Hospital shows that regular practice strengthens the brain regions associated with self-awareness, emotional regulation, and perspective-taking. Find a 10-20-minute guided meditation specifically designed for intention-setting. The meditation should include body awareness to ground you in the present moment, followed by visualisation of your future self or desired year, and closing with an affirmation of your core intentions. Practice this meditation weekly, ideally at the same time and place, to establish a ritual. Many people find Sunday evenings or Monday mornings particularly effective for reconnecting with intentions before the week begins. You might record your own guided meditation using the vision you've written. Hearing your own voice describing your intended year creates powerful neural connections between current action and future outcomes. Alternatively, apps like Insight Timer or Calm offer specific intention-setting meditations you can customise to your needs. Translating intentions into daily action Intentions without action remain wishful thinking. The key is identifying tiny, specific behaviours that align with your broader intentions. This is where BJ Fogg's Tiny Habits method proves invaluable. For each core intention, identify the smallest possible action that moves you towards it. If your intention involves creative expression, the tiny habit might be opening your notebook after breakfast. If it's a deeper connection, perhaps it's sending one genuine message to a friend each morning. Link these tiny habits to existing routines. After I pour my coffee, I will write three sentences in my journal. After I close my laptop at the end of the workday, I will text one person I care about. These anchored habits bypass the need for motivation and instead rely on automatic triggers. Track your habits through journalling rather than apps or spreadsheets. Each evening, write one sentence about how you lived your intentions that day. This reflection reinforces the connection between your daily actions and your broader vision. It also provides data about what works and what needs adjustment. Monthly intention review practice Set aside time on the final Sunday of each month for an intention review. This monthly rhythm keeps you connected to your vision without the overwhelming pressure of daily assessment. Read your original future-self letter and vision for the year. Then reflect on these questions: Which intentions felt most alive this month? Which faded into the background? What unexpected opportunities aligned with my vision? What obstacles appeared? How did I respond? Notice patterns without judgment. If you consistently struggle to act on a particular intention, that's information to pay attention to. Either the intention doesn't truly resonate, or you need different implementation strategies. Both insights are valuable. Use each monthly review to adjust your approach. Perhaps one intention needs to be broken into smaller pieces. Maybe another requires seeking support you've been reluctant to ask for. Flexibility will be your strength here. Planning for obstacles Dr Oettingen's research demonstrates that effective intention-setting includes planning for obstacles. Optimism alone doesn't create change because you need realistic strategies for handling inevitable difficulties. For each core intention, write about potential obstacles. What typically derails you? When do you abandon commitments? What circumstances make it difficult to act on your values? Be honest and specific. Then, using an 'if-then' format, create plans for handling these obstacles. If I feel too tired to journal in the evening, then I'll write three sentences while having my morning coffee instead. If work overwhelms me and I neglect relationships, then I'll schedule weekly calls with important people directly into my calendar. These if-then plans work because they remove decision-making from moments of stress or fatigue. You've already decided what to do when obstacles appear. You simply execute the plan. Practising self-compassion Dr Kristin Neff's research at the University of Texas shows that self-compassion predicts greater motivation and resilience than self-criticism. When you inevitably have days where intentions slip, how you respond matters more than the slip itself. Write yourself permission to be human. Create a self-compassion statement you can return to when you struggle. Something like, 'I'm doing my best with the resources and awareness I have right now. Tomorrow offers another opportunity to align with my intentions.' Journal about setbacks without judgement. What happened? What triggered the difficulty? What can you learn? What will you try differently? This curious exploration prevents shame spirals whilst preserving valuable information. Remember that intention-setting is a practice, not a performance. You're exploring what it means to live more consciously and deliberately. Some days will demonstrate clear alignment. Others will reveal how far you still need to go. Both types of days provide essential feedback. Begin your intention-setting practice This approach to the new year requires more initial effort than writing a list of resolutions. It also produces dramatically different results. You'll create a sustainable practice that supports ongoing growth rather than generating guilt when rigid goals prove unrealistic. Start with the 8 Dimensions assessment, then move to future-self journalling and visioning. Allow yourself several sessions to complete this work properly. Rushing defeats the purpose. If you'd like guidance in developing a sustainable journalling practice, book a Journalling Audit consultation or browse online workshops. Together, we'll identify techniques that match your learning style and create a fulfilling habit 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 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 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. Do you ever feel like you're constantly running but never reaching your destination? Like you're trapped in ‘output mode,’ where your brain's networks for self-awareness, introspection, and creativity actually shut down? You're not alone. The people who claim they don't have time for journalling are precisely the ones who need it most. It is a form of self-care. Whether you're doubting yourself at work, feeling overwhelmed by endless to-do lists, or struggling to make decisions with clarity, these 12 evidence-based journalling techniques will help you reclaim your cognitive capacity and transform your professional effectiveness. “For nearly 30 years, I have had the same therapist. This therapist is available to me 24 hours a day. My therapist is my journal.” Kay Adams, Journal to the Self author and director of the Therapeutic Writing Institute and the Center for Journal Therapy. What is journalling? Journalling is a powerful and reflective practise that has been around for centuries as a way of self-expression, self-discovery, and personal growth. At its core, journalling involves putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard or screen) to record your thoughts, emotions, experiences, and reflections. Some journallers even include doodles, material cutouts, or photographs. Journalling is a versatile and accessible tool, regardless of age, background, or ability. It offers many benefits beyond the mere act of cathartic ‘empty your head’ writing, fostering a deeper connection with yourself and the world around you. What is journalling for professionals? Journalling for professionals is the strategic use of reflective writing to enhance cognitive performance, emotional intelligence, and decision-making capabilities in work contexts. Unlike personal writing, professional journalling employs specific techniques designed to optimise your most valuable asset, your mental capacity. Research by Dr James Pennebaker at the University of Texas demonstrates that expressive writing for just 15 minutes, three times a week, produces measurable improvements in working memory, your brain's ability to hold and manipulate information while problem-solving. It is not therapy. It is neurotechnology for peak performance. What prevents effective journalling? Several barriers stop busy professionals from establishing effective journalling practices. The perfectionist mindset demands beautiful prose instead of functional, brain-clearing writing. Time scarcity creates the illusion that writing is a luxury rather than a necessity. Many believe that journalling requires lengthy sessions, but brief, consistent practice often yields better results. Confidentiality concerns about sensitive information are common, but this fear can be addressed with simple security measures, such as a bolted drawer or a lock-and-key journal. Most significantly, professionals often lack an understanding of how different personality types can optimise their journalling approach for maximum benefit. 12 journalling techniques for professional performance 1. The morning download (5 minutes) Before checking emails or reviewing your calendar, spend five minutes writing stream-of-consciousness thoughts. This morning practice is about clearing mental clutter so you can think strategically throughout your day rather than reactively. Keep a notebook by your bed, ready for when you wake, or next to the coffee machine or kettle, and fill one page while your morning brew prepares. This practice activates your brain's default mode network, the same neural circuitry that generates innovative thinking. 2. The decision journal (10 minutes weekly) At the end of each week, or on a set day, spend ten minutes writing about the week's key decisions. What factors influenced your choices? What would you do differently? This practice builds metacognitive awareness, thinking about your thinking, which research shows is the most valuable skill for senior leaders. Track patterns in your decision-making process and identify areas for improvement. 3. The strategic pause (3 minutes before important meetings) Before high-stakes meetings, negotiations, or difficult conversations, take three minutes to write about your objectives, concerns, and desired outcomes. This simple practice activates your prefrontal cortex, improving emotional regulation and strategic thinking when you need it most. Research indicates that this technique can enhance performance on complex tasks by 23 percent. 4. Energy and performance tracking Monitor correlations between your energy levels, decision quality, and external factors. For analytically minded professionals, this data-driven approach provides concrete insights into optimal performance patterns. Track sleep, nutrition, stress levels, and work output to identify peak performance windows and energy drains, then make informed tweaks to your lifestyle. 5. Weekly reflection and review Dedicate 15 minutes each week to reviewing accomplishments, challenges, and lessons learnt. This practice strengthens your ability to derive value from experiences and builds resilience. Research consistently shows that self-aware leaders outperform their peers across virtually every key metric, including team engagement, profitability, decision-making speed, and career advancement. Practice gratitude and appreciation in your pages. 6. Problem-solving through writing When facing complex challenges, write about the problem from multiple perspectives. Strategic thinkers excel at using writing to explore long-term implications and systematically work through complex issues. Neuroscience research reveals that writing about problems activates different brain regions than just thinking about them, often leading to breakthrough solutions. 7. Goal clarification and progress tracking Break down ambitious goals into specific, achievable steps and track progress through written reflection. Results-oriented professionals benefit from setting measurable outcomes for their journalling practice and monitoring improvements in decision speed and quality. This approach transforms abstract aspirations into concrete action plans. 8. Stress processing and emotional regulation Use writing to process workplace stress and develop emotional intelligence. When you write about stressful experiences, you activate the brain's prefrontal cortex, which regulates the emotional centres. This process can literally rewrite your stress response, building resilience over time. Pennebaker's research shows significant reductions in stress hormones and improvements in immune function. 9. Innovation and creativity capture Always keep a small notebook or another way of capturing thoughts with you to maintain a running record of ideas, insights, and creative solutions. The act of writing ideas down signals to your brain that these thoughts have value, making you more likely to generate additional creative connections. Many breakthrough innovations emerge from connecting seemingly unrelated concepts that have been documented over time. A journal offers a creative space for ideas to percolate. 10. Leadership development reflection Relationship-focused professionals can explore the human dynamics of their professional challenges and develop empathy and communication strategies through writing. Reflect on your interactions with team members, noting what worked well and what could be improved. Writing from different perspectives, such as those of colleagues and collaborators, helps you develop a better understanding of all points of view. This practice builds greater emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness. 11. Future visioning and strategic planning Use writing to clarify your long-term vision and develop strategic plans for achieving ambitious goals. Write about where you want to be in one, three, and five years, then work backwards to identify necessary steps. This forward-thinking approach helps align daily actions with long-term objectives. 12. Integration and learning synthesis At the end of each month, review your journalling entries and identify key themes, insights, and patterns. This reflection process transforms individual experiences into systemic learning. Write about how insights from different areas of your life can inform each other, creating a holistic approach to personal and professional development. “The diary is the only form of writing that encourages total freedom of expression.” Tristine Rainer, The New Diary author, teacher, and lecturer. Start your transformation today Journalling is not the only path to enhanced performance and self-awareness, but it is one of the most effective, albeit underrated. While your competitors burn through mental resources in constant reactive mode, journalling professionals operate with enhanced emotional intelligence, clearer strategic thinking, and better stress resilience. They are not working harder, they are working with a more optimised cognitive system. The question is not whether you have time to journal. The question is whether you can afford not to optimise the cognitive capacity that could determine greater professional success. Start with just one technique, three times a week, for two weeks. Then evaluate the results. If you are ready to discover how journalling can transform your professional effectiveness and personal wellbeing, book a Journalling Audit consultation today. Let's work together to identify the techniques based on your learning preferences and personality that will unlock your peak performance potential. 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 Crystal Kearney, Health & Wellness Coach Crystal Kearney is a health and wellness coach, founder of Life's Journey Fitness, and creator of The Journey Method. Through her coaching and writing, she helps people rebuild self-trust, create sustainable habits, and stop starting over with their health. Most people don't lose confidence because they miss a workout or eat an unhealthy meal. They lose confidence because every broken promise quietly chips away at the trust they have in themselves. If you've ever noticed yourself restarting your health journey over and over again, the problem may not be your discipline. It may be your relationship with yourself. The good news? Self-trust can be rebuilt, and it begins with reconsidering what consistency really means. What does it mean to “start over” with your health? For many people, “starting over” feels like the responsible thing to do. After an indulgent weekend, a missed workout, or a stressful week, we tell ourselves we'll get back on track on Monday. We'll start fresh after a vacation. We'll wait until life settles down before trying again. At first, those promises feel hopeful. A fresh start allows us to believe that this next attempt will finally be the one that sticks. We convince ourselves that next week we'll be more motivated, more disciplined, or somehow more prepared than we are today. But what if starting over isn't helping us move forward? What if it's quietly keeping us stuck? The reality is that every health journey will be interrupted. Work gets busy. Kids get sick. Vacations happen. Energy levels fluctuate. None of those moments determine your success. The problem begins when a single imperfect choice turns into an abandoned goal. Instead of making the next healthy decision, we convince ourselves we've failed and wait for another opportunity to begin again. Without realizing it, starting over becomes part of the pattern rather than the solution. The truth is, lasting health has never required perfect weeks. It has always required the ability to continue. The people who create lasting change aren't the ones who never fall off track. They're the ones who stop treating every setback as a reason to start over. Why do we keep starting over? If you've ever noticed yourself trapped in this cycle, you're not alone. Most people don't keep starting over because they're lazy or lack willpower. They keep starting over because they've been taught to believe that consistency means never falling off track. Think about the messages we're surrounded by. We celebrate streaks, perfect attendance, and “never miss a Monday” mentalities. While those ideas are often well-intentioned, they can leave us believing that one mistake erases all of our progress. It doesn't. A missed workout doesn't make you inconsistent. An unplanned meal doesn't undo weeks of healthy choices. One difficult day doesn't erase months of progress. The healthiest people I know aren't successful because they avoid setbacks. They're successful because they don't let setbacks become stopping points. They understand that life will interrupt even the best intentions, and they've learned to respond with flexibility instead of guilt. Interestingly, research on habit formation suggests that lasting habits are developed through repeated practice over time, not flawless execution. In other words, sustainable change is less about being perfect and more about returning to the behaviors that matter after life inevitably gets in the way. That's a very different definition of consistency from the one most of us were taught. Consistency isn't about never falling off track. Consistency is choosing to come back. Once you begin to see consistency this way, you stop waiting for the perfect Monday to begin again. Instead, you start looking for the very next opportunity to move forward. What is the Self-Trust Gap? If consistency is about choosing to come back, why is that so difficult? I believe the answer lies in what I call the Self-Trust Gap. The Self-Trust Gap is the space between knowing what to do and believing you'll actually follow through. Most people already know the fundamentals of good health. They know they should move their bodies, eat nourishing foods, prioritize sleep, and manage stress. Information isn't what's missing. Trust is. Every time you make a promise to yourself, you create an opportunity to strengthen or weaken that trust. When you follow through, you reinforce the belief that your word matters. When you repeatedly break those promises, you begin collecting evidence that it doesn't. Over time, that evidence shapes the story you tell yourself. “I never stick with anything.” “I've tried before, and it never lasts.” “Maybe I'm just not disciplined enough.” Those thoughts don't appear overnight. They develop gradually through repeated experiences that teach us what to expect from ourselves. Psychologist Albert Bandura described a similar principle through the concept of self-efficacy, our belief in our ability to carry out a behavior successfully. Studies have consistently found that these beliefs influence whether we begin, persist, and recover when facing challenges. In many ways, the promises we keep or don't keep help shape what we believe we're capable of doing next. The encouraging news is that self-trust is built the same way it's lost, one promise at a time. Every time you choose to follow through, no matter how small the action, you create new evidence. Over time, that new evidence begins to replace the old story with a better one, “I'm becoming someone I can count on.” Why motivation isn't enough For years, we've been told that the key to lasting change is finding more motivation. But motivation was never meant to support the weight we've placed on it. Motivation is emotional. It rises when we're inspired and fades when life becomes stressful, inconvenient, or exhausting. If our healthy habits depend on feeling motivated, they'll often disappear the moment motivation does. That's why so many people feel frustrated with themselves. They mistake the loss of motivation for a lack of discipline, when in reality, they've reached the point where something more dependable is needed. Self-trust is that foundation. When you trust yourself, you don't need to wonder whether you'll make the next healthy choice. You've built enough evidence through your actions to believe you'll follow through, even on the days when you don't feel inspired. This idea is consistent with Self-Determination Theory, formulated by psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan. Their work suggests that lasting behavior change is more likely when our actions feel autonomous and align with personally meaningful values, rather than being driven mainly by external pressure. That's why I believe, "Motivation starts action. Self-trust sustains it." The goal isn't to feel motivated every day. The goal is to grow into someone who follows through, even when motivation never shows up. Five ways to rebuild self-trust starting today Rebuilding self-trust doesn't require a complete life overhaul. It starts with small decisions that you repeat often enough to believe in yourself again. Here are five places to start. 1. Keep smaller promises If you've spent years breaking big promises to yourself, stop making bigger ones. Instead of committing to working out for an hour every day, commit to a walk lasting 10 minutes. Instead of promising a perfect week of eating, promise yourself one nourishing meal. Small promises are easier to keep, and every promise you keep becomes evidence that your word matters. 2. Measure your recoveries, not your streaks Many people measure success by how long they've stayed on track. A better question is: How quickly did I come back? Missing one workout isn't what damages self-trust. Believing you've failed and waiting until Monday does. Recovery is a skill, and every time you return, you're strengthening it. 3. Expect life to happen Life will interrupt your routine. That's not a sign you're doing something wrong. It's part of being human. The goal isn't to build a plan that never gets disrupted. It's to build one that's flexible enough to survive the disruptions. Sustainable habits aren't fragile. They adapt. 4. Celebrate every return Most people celebrate perfection. Celebrate the comeback instead. Celebrate the workout you almost skipped. Celebrate choosing the healthier meal after an indulgent one. Celebrate the decision to begin again in the next moment instead of waiting for the next Monday. Those moments are where self-trust is built. 5. Become someone you can count on At the end of the day, your health journey isn't just changing your body. It's changing your relationship with yourself. Every healthy choice is another vote for the person you're becoming. This is not because one choice changes everything, but because every choice reinforces the belief that you'll be there for yourself again tomorrow. Ready to stop starting over? If you recognized yourself in this article, know this: you don't have to figure it out alone. The Journey Method is my coaching program, designed to help you stop relying on motivation, rebuild self-trust, and create consistency that lasts over 90 days. Together, we'll focus on small, sustainable actions that help you become someone who follows through, not just for a week or a month, but for life. If you're curious whether it's the right fit for you, I'd love to meet you. Schedule a free consultation call, and we'll talk about where you are today, where you want to be, and whether The Journey Method can help you close that gap. No pressure. No obligation. Just an honest conversation about your goals and the next step in your journey. Lasting change doesn't begin with another perfect Monday. It begins with one decision to move forward. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Crystal Kearney Crystal Kearney, Health & Wellness Coach Crystal Kearney is the founder of Life's Journey Fitness and creator of The Journey Method, a coaching framework designed to help people stop starting over with their health. Inspired by her own journey of breaking free from the all-or-nothing mindset, she now helps others rebuild self-trust through sustainable habits, accountability, and intentional action. Crystal believes lasting transformation isn't built through perfection or motivation, it's built one kept promise at a time.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – August 4, 2026 – Forsa Talent Hub, a new UAE-based venture focused on graduate readiness and the transition from education into professional life, has launched its initial employer research phase across the UAE. Co-founded by Dr. Soha Chahine alongside a wider founding team, Forsa Talent Hub has been established to investigate a recurring gap within the regional talent continuum, the space between how individuals are prepared academically and how they are expected to think, contribute and operate once they enter the workplace. Dr. Soha Chahine is an organizational psychologist, multi-venture entrepreneur and the Founder and Managing Director of Forward Training & Consulting. She serves as Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Forsa Talent Hub, leading its strategic direction as the venture begins engaging organizations across the UAE. As the UAE continues to prioritize education, national talent, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and future industries, the question of how graduates transition into professional environments is becoming increasingly important. Students are largely evaluated through academic achievement. Once they enter the workplace, however, their contribution is assessed through a broader set of expectations, including judgment, accountability, communication, adaptability, initiative and professional behavior. Forsa Talent Hub has been created to examine what happens between those two environments. “A degree can open the door to an opportunity, but it does not automatically reveal how someone will operate once expectations become professional, ambiguous and consequential,” said Dr. Soha Chahine, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Forsa Talent Hub. “Before introducing another graduate-readiness framework or assuming that we already understand the problem, we need to listen to the organizations recruiting, onboarding, managing and developing emerging talent. Forsa is beginning with evidence.” Beginning with the employer perspective Forsa Talent Hub is currently engaging organizations across the UAE through an employer survey designed to understand how graduate readiness is experienced in the workplace. The research explores what employers expect graduates to demonstrate when entering professional environments, which capabilities matter most during the early stages of employment and where organizations observe differences between academic preparation and workplace expectations. It also examines how employers distinguish between academic potential and professional readiness, how graduates are currently supported during onboarding and which expectations are communicated clearly, or remain largely assumed. The initial research considers questions including: What does it mean for a graduate to be genuinely ready to contribute? Which capabilities matter most during the transition from university into work? Where do employers observe the most significant readiness gaps? Which professional behaviors influence early-career contribution? How are graduates supported as they enter organizational environments? Where do education and employment expectations align, and where do they differ? This first phase places the employer voice at the center of the research. Forsa’s future direction will be informed by evidence gathered from organizations rather than by introducing a predetermined model and asking the market to validate it. “We are not starting with a completed answer and asking organizations to fit inside it,” Dr. Soha Chahine said. “We are starting with the market. The language, direction and future work of Forsa must follow the evidence, not the other way around.” Connecting two ends of the talent continuum Dr. Soha Chahine’s decision to co-found Forsa follows more than 15 years of experience across human resources, talent management, organizational culture, behavioral science and leadership development. Through Forward Training & Consulting, she works with leaders, teams and organizations on the behavioral and organizational conditions influencing decision-making, accountability, culture, leadership and performance. Her work as an adjunct faculty/instructor at a leading university in the UAE also gives her direct insight into how students think about their future careers, interpret workplace expectations and prepare for the transition from academic life into professional environments. These two perspectives revealed a recurring disconnect. Through Forward Training & Consulting, Dr. Soha Chahine sees what organizations expect from people once responsibility becomes real. Through higher education, she sees how students understand the workplace before fully experiencing its expectations. Forsa Talent Hub emerged at the intersection of those two realities. “Organizations invest significantly in developing people after they enter the workforce, particularly when they move into management and leadership,” Dr. Soha Chahine said. “But professional capability does not suddenly begin at promotion. The graduate learning to exercise judgment today may become the manager expected to make difficult decisions tomorrow. The talent journey is one continuum, even when the systems surrounding it remain disconnected.” Forward Training & Consulting and Forsa Talent Hub are distinct ventures operating at different stages of that continuum. Forward works within organizations, supporting leadership capability, team effectiveness, behavioral change and organizational performance. Forsa enters at an earlier stage, examining how emerging talent is prepared for the professional realities it will encounter. The connection between the ventures reflects a wider belief that human capability should be understood across the full professional journey rather than addressed only when a gap becomes visible. Looking beyond academic achievement Forsa’s research explores graduate readiness beyond academic credentials and technical knowledge alone. It examines how employers experience the transition from education into professional life, including the expectations, behaviors and capabilities that influence how graduates adapt, contribute and grow within the workplace. At this stage, Forsa is not publishing a predefined readiness framework. The venture is allowing evidence gathered from organizations across the UAE to shape its language, strategic direction and future work. “Our responsibility is to listen carefully, examine what organizations are experiencing and allow the findings to reveal what genuinely matters,” Dr. Soha Chahine said. The venture does not position graduate readiness as the responsibility of one party alone. Universities prepare students through curricula and learning outcomes. Employers recruit, onboard and develop emerging professionals. Students enter the workplace with their own expectations and understanding of what professional contribution requires. Forsa views graduate readiness as a shared ecosystem conversation involving employers, educational institutions, students and the wider systems through which talent is prepared and developed. Its current employer research represents the first stage of that conversation. “The objective is not to blame universities, employers or graduates,” Dr. Soha Chahine said. “It is to make the expectations surrounding professional readiness more visible, so that the different parts of the system can respond more deliberately.” Supporting a future-ready UAE workforce Technological disruption and artificial intelligence are continuing to reshape how work is structured, how decisions are made and which capabilities remain distinctly human. While technical knowledge will remain important, organizations also require people who can adapt, communicate, exercise judgment, take responsibility and contribute effectively within increasingly complex environments. Forsa aims to support this agenda by generating evidence that can strengthen the conversation between the institutions preparing talent and the organizations receiving it. The venture is currently inviting UAE-based employers to participate in its graduate-readiness survey and contribute their experience of recruiting, onboarding, managing and developing emerging professionals. “Forsa means opportunity,” Dr. Chahine concluded. “But an opportunity becomes meaningful only when people are prepared to step into it, understand what it requires and contribute with confidence. That is the gap we are setting out to understand.” About Forsa Talent Hub Forsa Talent Hub is a UAE-based, research-led venture focused on graduate readiness and the transition between education and employment. Beginning with employer research across the UAE, Forsa examines how workplace readiness is understood and experienced across the talent continuum. Its work aims to support a more evidence-led conversation between employers, universities and emerging talent. About Dr. Soha Chahine Dr. Soha Chahine is an organizational psychologist, multi-venture entrepreneur and organizational leadership advisor with more than 15 years of experience across human resources, talent management, organizational culture and leadership development. She is the Founder and Managing Director of Forward Training & Consulting and the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Forsa Talent Hub. Dr. Soha Chahine is also a TEDx speaker, ICF Professional Certified Coach, adjunct faculty/instructor, global awards jury member and contributor to leading regional business publications. Media and partnership enquiries Contact: Raghda Ibraheem Title: Chief Communications & Media Officer Email: forsa@forsatalenthub.com Website: www.forsatalenthub.com