Written by   Sam Mishra, The Medical Massage Lady Sam Mishra (The Medical Massage Lady) is a multi-award-winning massage therapist, aromatherapist, accredited course tutor, oncology and lymphatic practitioner, trauma practitioner, breathwork facilitator, reiki and intuitive energy healer, transformational and spiritual coach, and hypnotherapist. Professional jealousy is one of those experiences we rarely admit to but almost universally feel. That sharp pang when a colleague receives recognition we coveted, the bitter taste when someone else's success seems to diminish our own, the compulsive comparison that leaves us feeling inadequate, these aren't merely character flaws or signs of insufficient gratitude. Increasingly, psychological research suggests that intense professional jealousy often has roots that extend far deeper than the workplace itself, reaching back into unresolved trauma and the fundamental wounds that shape how we perceive ourselves and our worth. Understanding professional jealousy through a trauma-informed lens doesn't excuse the behavior or make it less problematic when it manifests destructively. Rather, it offers a pathway toward healing and transformation. When we recognize that our disproportionate reactions to others' successes may be echoes of earlier pain, we can begin to address the real source of our suffering rather than simply trying to suppress uncomfortable feelings or, worse, acting on them in ways that damage our relationships and careers. The architecture of early wounds Trauma, in its psychological definition, extends beyond the dramatic events we typically associate with the word. While major traumas, abuse, neglect, significant loss, certainly play a role in shaping our adult responses, developmental psychologists increasingly recognize that more subtle but persistent experiences in childhood create lasting imprints on how we relate to achievement, recognition, and competition. Children who grew up in environments where love and approval were conditional on performance often develop what's known as an anxious attachment to achievement. If a parent's warmth was noticeably greater when you brought home good grades or won competitions, your young mind learned a dangerous equation: my worth equals my accomplishments. This isn't conscious learning but deep, neurological patterning. The brain's reward systems become wired to seek validation through external markers of success, and any threat to that success, including someone else's superior performance, triggers the same fear response as the original threat of losing parental love. Similarly, children who experienced scarcity, whether material or emotional, often develop what psychologists call a "scarcity mindset" that persists into adulthood. If resources in your family were limited, whether that meant money, attention, praise, or opportunity, you learned to compete for what was available. Success became a zero-sum game. In this framework, someone else's win necessarily means less for you because the pie was always too small in your formative years. Professional jealousy, then, becomes a reactivation of that childhood survival strategy, even when, objectively, your colleague's promotion doesn't actually take anything away from your own potential. Shame as the hidden engine Beneath most intense professional jealousy lies a deep reservoir of shame. This is perhaps the most crucial connection between trauma and workplace envy. Shame, as researcher Brené Brown has extensively documented, is the intensely painful feeling that we are fundamentally flawed and unworthy of love and belonging. Unlike guilt, which says "I did something bad," shame says "I am bad." Traumatic experiences, particularly in childhood, are the primary source of internalized shame. A child who was criticized harshly, compared unfavorably to siblings, emotionally neglected, or made to feel they were too much or not enough absorbs these messages into their core sense of self. The shame becomes part of their internal narrative, often operating below conscious awareness. When we carry unhealed shame, other people's success becomes intolerable because it seems to confirm our worst fears about ourselves. If you fundamentally believe you're not good enough, then someone else being good becomes evidence of your inadequacy. The jealousy isn't really about them, it's about the shame they inadvertently activate in you. Their light seems to make your darkness more visible. Their achievement appears to validate the critical voice that has always told you that you don't measure up. This shame-based jealousy often comes with a particular cognitive distortion: the belief that recognition and worth are finite resources. If someone else is receiving praise, there must be less available for you. If someone else is talented, it somehow diminishes your own gifts. This zero-sum thinking is characteristic of a shame-based worldview where there isn't enough goodness to go around, and you're perpetually at risk of being left without. The trauma of comparison Many people who struggle with professional jealousy grew up in environments where comparison was a constant feature of life. Perhaps they had siblings who were held up as examples, or parents who explicitly compared them to other children. Maybe their school environment was intensely competitive, or their cultural context placed enormous emphasis on relative achievement rather than individual growth. When comparison becomes the primary lens through which your worth is evaluated during your formative years, it creates a kind of relational trauma. You learn that you don't have inherent value, your value is always relative and conditional. This sets up a lifelong pattern where you can't simply enjoy your own accomplishments or exist in your own lane. Everything becomes about where you stand in relation to others. This comparison trauma often manifests in professional settings with particular intensity because workplaces naturally involve evaluation, ranking, and competition for limited resources like promotions, raises, and high-profile assignments. For someone whose early experiences taught them that comparison equals threat, these everyday workplace realities can feel like constant retraumatization. Each time a colleague is recognized or advances, it doesn't just feel like missing out on an opportunity, it feels like a fundamental threat to their sense of self. Attachment wounds and professional relationships Attachment theory, which describes the patterns of bonding formed in early childhood, provides another crucial lens for understanding professional jealousy rooted in trauma. People who developed insecure attachment patterns, particularly anxious attachment, often bring those patterns into their professional relationships. Anxious attachment typically develops when caregiving is inconsistent. Sometimes the parent is available and responsive, sometimes not, creating uncertainty about whether needs will be met. Children in these situations become hypervigilant to signs of rejection or abandonment and often develop people-pleasing behaviors to secure the love they need. In professional contexts, people with unresolved anxious attachment wounds may develop intense relationships with mentors, supervisors, or even peers, investing these relationships with more emotional weight than they can healthily bear. When someone else appears to be gaining favor with an important figure in the professional context, it can trigger the same panic that the anxiously attached child felt when they feared losing their caregiver's attention. The jealousy that emerges isn't really about the promotion or the project assignment, it's about the activation of that primal fear of being left, abandoned, or replaced. Avoidant attachment, which typically develops when emotional needs are consistently dismissed or minimized, can also contribute to professional jealousy, though it often looks different. People with avoidant patterns may outwardly dismiss recognition and claim not to care about external validation, while internally struggling with intense feelings of inadequacy. When they experience jealousy, they may intellectualize it, deny it, or withdraw rather than addressing the underlying wound, the early experience of learning that vulnerability and need are dangerous and won't be met with care. The perfectionism connection Many individuals who experience intense professional jealousy also struggle with perfectionism, and both often trace back to similar traumatic roots. Perfectionism isn't really about high standards or attention to detail, at its core, it's a defense mechanism against shame and a strategy for securing love, belonging, or safety that felt conditional or uncertain. Children who grew up in environments where mistakes were harshly criticized, where they felt they had to be perfect to be loved, or where they sensed that their achievements were their main source of value often develop perfectionist patterns. The underlying belief is: if I can just be perfect enough, I'll be safe, loved, and worthy. But perfectionism is an impossible standard, and the perfectionist is always vulnerable to feeling like a failure. When someone else succeeds or is recognized, it can trigger the perfectionistic person's deepest fear, that they're not good enough, that they've failed at being perfect, that their worth is now in question. The jealousy becomes intense because the other person's success represents not just missed opportunity but a failure at the very thing (being the best) that was supposed to keep them safe from the pain of unworthiness. This creates a particularly vicious cycle. The jealousy itself becomes another source of shame (because feeling jealous conflicts with the perfectionistic person's self-image as generous, evolved, or above such petty emotions), which intensifies the underlying wound, making future triggers even more painful. Trauma and the inner critic Most people who struggle with professional jealousy have a particularly harsh inner critic, that voice that constantly judges, compares, and finds them wanting. This inner critic often develops as an internalization of early critical voices: parents, teachers, peers, or cultural messages that communicated "you're not good enough." From a trauma perspective, the inner critic actually begins as a protective mechanism. If you can criticize yourself first and harshly enough, maybe you can avoid the pain of external criticism. If you constantly monitor your performance against others and identify your shortcomings, maybe you can fix them before others notice. The inner critic is trying to keep you safe from the shame and pain of not measuring up. But this strategy backfires. The inner critic becomes so strong that it colors everything, making neutral events feel like judgments and other people's successes feel like indictments of your own inadequacy. When a colleague succeeds, your inner critic immediately launches into a comparison: "See, they're better than you. You should have achieved that. What's wrong with you that you didn't?" This internalized critical voice is essentially a trauma response, a continuation of early wounding that now operates on autopilot. The professional jealousy that emerges isn't really about the external situation; it's about the internal torture of the critic that other people's success activates. Unmet needs and professional envy Another trauma-based root of professional jealousy involves unmet developmental needs. Every child needs to feel seen, valued, celebrated, and special in some way. When these needs go chronically unmet, perhaps due to parental preoccupation, emotional unavailability, or a family system where one child's needs were consistently prioritized over others, the adult continues to carry a deep hunger for recognition. This hunger for recognition can become desperate and consuming. When recognition goes to someone else, it doesn't just feel disappointing, it feels like being passed over and invisible all over again, reactivating that childhood wound of not being seen or valued. The intensity of the jealousy often reflects the intensity of the unmet need. People with this particular wound may find themselves constantly tracking who gets recognized, who gets praise, who gets the spotlight. They're not being petty or narcissistic, they're hungry for something essential that they never received enough of. Their professional jealousy is a symptom of developmental hunger, not character deficiency. The imposter syndrome link Professional jealousy and imposter syndrome, the persistent belief that you're a fraud who doesn't deserve your success, frequently coexist, and both often stem from traumatic experiences that created a fractured sense of self-worth. When you believe deep down that you're an imposter, other people's success becomes threatening in a particular way. Their achievements seem to prove that they're "real" in ways you're not. They appear to possess some essential quality or legitimacy that you lack. When they're recognized or rewarded, it seems to confirm your worst fear: that eventually, everyone will discover you don't really belong. This imposter feeling often originates in experiences where a child's authentic self wasn't welcomed or accepted. Perhaps they had to develop a "false self" to gain approval, performing a version of themselves that met family or cultural expectations while their true self remained hidden and unvalidated. The adult then continues this pattern, achieving professionally but never feeling genuine or deserving because they're still operating from that false self, waiting for exposure. When jealousy arises from this place, it's mixed with fear. The other person's success not only triggers envy but also anxiety that you'll be revealed as less capable, less genuine, less deserving. The jealousy is actually a symptom of the deeper trauma of having learned that your authentic self wasn't acceptable enough. Healing: From understanding to transformation Recognizing the traumatic roots of professional jealousy is the first step toward healing, but it's only the beginning. The actual work of transformation requires acknowledging these patterns with compassion rather than judgment, then slowly rebuilding the core sense of self-worth that was damaged. This healing often involves grieving, acknowledging what you didn't receive in childhood or early life, the security and unconditional acceptance that would have allowed you to develop a stable sense of worth independent of achievement or comparison. It means recognizing that your jealousy, while painful and sometimes destructive, makes sense given what you experienced and learned. The path forward involves gradually developing what psychologists call "secure attachment" to yourself, learning to be your own source of validation and worth rather than depending entirely on external recognition. It means challenging the cognitive distortions that make you see others' success as your failure, and recognizing that worth and opportunity are not finite resources. It also requires practicing vulnerability, sharing your struggles with trusted others, including the uncomfortable truth that you sometimes feel jealous. Bringing these feelings into the light reduces their power and their shame. When we hide our jealousy, it grows stronger. When we acknowledge it with self-compassion and in safe relationships, it begins to lose its grip. For many people, professional work with a therapist trained in trauma-informed approaches can be transformative. Modalities like EMDR, internal family systems, somatic experiencing, or psychodynamic therapy can help process the underlying wounds that fuel the jealousy. The goal isn't to eliminate all feelings of envy, that's a normal human emotion, but to reduce the intensity and reactivity so that these feelings become manageable rather than overwhelming. Professional jealousy rooted in trauma is ultimately a call to healing. It's an invitation to turn inward and address the old wounds that continue to shape your present experience. When you do this work, something remarkable often happens: not only does the jealousy diminish, but your capacity for genuine celebration of others expands. You become more generous, more secure, and more connected, both to yourself and to the people around you. The energy that was consumed by envy and comparison becomes available for creativity, growth, and meaningful contribution. This is the promise of trauma-informed understanding: that our deepest struggles can become gateways to profound healing and transformation. Follow me on  Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Sam Mishra Sam Mishra, The Medical Massage Lady Sam Mishra (The Medical Massage Lady), is a multi-award winning massage therapist, aromatherapist, accredited course tutor, oncology and lymphatic practitioner, trauma practitioner, breathwork facilitator, reiki and intuitive energy healer, transformational and spiritual coach and hypnotherapist. Her medical background as a nurse and a midwife, combined with her own experiences of childhood disability and abuse, have resulted in a diverse and specialised service, but she is mostly known for her trauma work. She is motivated by the adversity she has faced, using it as a driving force in her charity work and in offering the vulnerable a means of support. Her aim is to educate about medical conditions using easily understood language, to avoid inappropriate treatments being carried out, and for health promotion purposes in the general public. She is also becoming known for challenging the stigmas in our society and pushing through the boundaries that have been set by such stigmas within the massage industry.

Written by Elizabeth Huang, Life Coach & Death Doula Elizabeth Huang is a certified life coach, grief educator, and death doula. Her work emphasizes enhancing emotional literacy, fostering social and emotional learning, and supporting affective development in a world that is becoming increasingly reliant on technology. Grief doesn’t wait until after work to show up. It comes up in the middle of meetings, during deadlines, and in the quiet moments in between. For many people, returning to work after a loss can feel disorienting, like you’re expected to perform as if nothing has changed, even though everything has. Conflict and tension may arise more frequently. If this is your reality right now, here are five practical tips for navigating grief in the workplace: 1. Do not use work to repress, suppress, or avoid Grief is complex; it touches every part of us, from our emotions and thoughts to how we feel in our bodies. It’s absolutely normal to want to dive into work as a way to distract or distance yourself from the pain. But when we try to bury grief, it often resurfaces in other ways: through exhaustion, irritability, trouble sleeping, intrusive thoughts, or withdrawing from others. Rather than pushing through, consider honoring what you’re carrying by asking for support at work or taking time off when possible. If you find yourself avoiding work because of grief, that’s normal, too. Focus on small, manageable steps, like breaking tasks into bite-sized pieces or jotting down a simple to-do list. And if that feels like too much, ask for help. If going into work feels especially heavy, try adding something gentle to your day, a lunch with a supportive coworker, a short walk, or anything that offers a bit of ease or grounding in the middle of it all. 2. Communicate with your team or manager(s) Grief can feel isolating, but letting your team or manager(s) know what you’re going through can be a powerful step toward support. You don’t need to share every detail or open up emotionally if that feels like too much. Simply informing them about your loss allows others to meet you with more understanding, and gives you space to acknowledge your grief out loud, which can be healing in itself. 3. Set boundaries at work Boundaries are essential when you're grieving, and even more so in a work environment. Here are two key types of boundaries to consider: Boundaries that protect your energy: For example, “I won’t be available to take on extra shifts this week.” Boundaries that guide communication: For example, “I’d like to keep you updated, but I may not be ready to talk in detail yet.” Both will help protect your emotional well-being while maintaining healthy, respectful dynamics with coworkers. 4. Create a plan for support Grief doesn’t follow a schedule, but work usually does. It can help to think ahead: Could carrying a small object of remembrance help you feel more grounded or connected during the day? If grief shows up suddenly (like a wave of emotion or a panic response), how will you care for yourself in the moment? Is there someone you trust at work you can go to or text if needed? Even having one supportive person and a few simple grounding tools can make a big difference. 5. Compartmentalize when needed, and circle back Sometimes, putting grief on pause during work hours is necessary. It’s okay to “shelve” emotions temporarily in order to get through meetings or complete tasks. Just be sure to circle back later, in a safe space and at a pace that feels manageable. Grief doesn’t disappear when ignored; it simply waits. Give yourself time and permission to feel once you’re out of performance mode. For managers and coworkers: How to offer support Grief doesn’t follow deadlines, even if work does. Supporting a grieving coworker means balancing compassion with accountability. You don’t need to absorb their workload or have all the answers; just stay open, curious (without prying), and willing to co-create a plan that supports both their healing and the team’s needs. If you are not in a position to offer support, for any reason, the most respectful thing you can do is let the person know with care and honesty. Bonus tip: Consider workplace culture before you need it As all of this depends on the culture of your workplace, it’s important to ask about how a company supports employees' mental health, bereavement, and flexibility before accepting a job. The way a workplace treats grief is often a reflection of how they value humanity. When to seek additional support Grief is rattling. It often stirs up past pain, heightens existing struggles with anxiety or depression, and can lead to burnout. You might feel lost, emotionally flooded, or disconnected from your sense of purpose. Relationships may feel harder to navigate, and the coping tools that once helped might no longer feel effective. These are all signs that you may benefit from additional support. Seeking help doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re tending to something tender and important. Support can take many forms: A therapist or coach who specializes in grief or trauma A grief support group Creative outlets like writing, movement, or art Wherever you are in your grief, you don’t have to carry it alone. Connect with me for a free 1:1 session to see how I can support you. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Elizabeth Huang Elizabeth Huang, Life Coach & Death Doula Elizabeth Huang is a certified life coach, grief educator, and death doula dedicated to helping individuals navigate life’s transitions with greater emotional awareness and resilience. Born and raised in California, she was deeply influenced by the American culture’s discomfort with grief and avoidance of death. This inspired her to explore a more intentional and holistic approach to life, loss, and the emotions that shape our experiences. Through her work, Elizabeth guides individuals in processing grief - whether it stems from death, identity shifts, career changes, or other major life transitions.

Written by AnneMarie Smellie, Neurodevelopmental Practitioner, Kinesiologist, and Hypnotherapist AnneMarie Smellie is a UK-based neurodevelopmental practitioner, kinesiologist, and hypnotherapist with over 20 years’ experience helping children and adults build resilience, regulate anxiety, and strengthen brain–body foundations for learning and life. There is a conversation happening beneath your conscious awareness, one that quietly influences your decisions, your reactions, your relationships, and the way you see yourself. Most people never realize it’s there. Yet, it shapes everything. That unseen dialogue is what my new book Hidden Thoughts explores. We are often taught to focus on behavior: what we do, what we say, how we perform. But behavior is the final chapter of a much longer story. Long before action, there is perception. Before perception, there is emotion. And beneath emotion, there are thoughts, not the obvious ones we can easily name, but the subtle, automatic beliefs formed through experience, survival, and repetition. These hidden thoughts are not loud. They don’t announce themselves. They whisper. And because they whisper, they are rarely questioned. The stories we live by, without realizing it Many of the struggles people carry, anxiety, shame, self-sabotage, emotional overwhelm, a persistent sense of “not enough”, are not random or irrational. They are logical responses to internal narratives that were formed long ago. A child who learned that love was conditional may grow into an adult who constantly over-functions to earn approval. Someone who experienced unpredictability may live in a state of hyper-vigilance, mistaking anxiety for responsibility. Another may carry anger or withdrawal, not because they are difficult, but because their nervous system learned that it was safer not to feel. These patterns are not character flaws. They are adaptations. Hidden Thoughts does not ask readers to suppress emotions, think positively, or bypass discomfort. In fact, it does the opposite. It invites an honest reckoning with the emotional and neurological foundations that shape who we are, and why we respond the way we do. Why awareness changes everything You cannot change what you are not aware of. And awareness is not the same as insight. Many people intellectually understand why they struggle, yet still feel stuck. That is because true change does not happen at the level of explanation, it happens when the body, the nervous system, and the emotional brain are brought into the conversation. This book bridges that gap. Through reflection, real-world examples, and practical exercises, Hidden Thoughts helps readers recognize the internal patterns running in the background of their lives, the ones driving fear, people-pleasing, anger, avoidance, or emotional shutdown. Once those patterns are seen clearly, they lose their grip. What was once automatic becomes optional. And that is where real resilience begins. This is not self-help, it is self-understanding There is no quick fix in these pages. No ten-step formula for happiness. No promise that life will suddenly become easy. What Hidden Thoughts offers instead is something far more powerful: the ability to meet yourself honestly, without judgment. When people understand the "why" behind their reactions, they stop fighting themselves. They stop seeing their emotions as weaknesses. They begin to respond rather than react. And from that place, change becomes sustainable. A quieter, deeper kind of strength In a world that encourages constant optimization and surface-level solutions, this book asks readers to slow down and listen, to the thoughts beneath the thoughts, and the emotions beneath the emotions. Because when those whispers are finally heard, they no longer control the narrative. And that is where clarity, agency, and resilience truly begin. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from AnneMarie Smellie AnneMarie Smellie, Neurodevelopmental Practitioner, Kinesiologist, and Hypnotherapist AnneMarie Smellie is a UK-based neurodevelopmental practitioner, kinesiologist, and hypnotherapist with over 20 years of clinical experience. She specialises in anxiety, neurodiversity and learning differences, working at the intersection of brain development, nervous-system regulation and emotional resilience. Through her work at Quester Therapies, AnneMarie helps children and adults uncover and address the root causes behind behavioural, emotional, and cognitive challenges. Her writing focuses on practical, compassionate insights that make complex brain-body concepts accessible and empowering.

In a world that often rushes past pain and silences emotion, Elizabeth is creating space for something deeper. As a life coach, grief educator, and death doula, she walks alongside people as they navigate life’s rougher terrains, feeling stuck, overwhelmed, dissociated, etc, and continues that support all the way through end-of-life. Having supported over a thousand individuals through their grief, major life transitions, and emotional stress, Elizabeth has cultivated a unique ability to hold space for deep endings while nurturing new beginnings with presence and care. Today, we dive into her journey, her mission, and the powerful ways she’s helping others live a life they love. Elizabeth Huang, Life Coach & Death Doula For those who may not be familiar, what is a death doula, and what personally drew you to this work? Death doulas are non-medical professionals who support individuals and their loved ones through the dying process and beyond, providing emotional, practical, and spiritual care. I started out as a life coach when my mental health took a major dip while working over 120 hours every week for about 2 years. During that time, I worked with a coach whose approach resonated with me in a way I hadn’t experienced before. That connection reignited a long-standing desire to support others in their emotional and mental well-being. In the midst of going through my first certification in coaching, I began thinking about the relationship our world has with death and dying. We often hear about the importance of living fully and showing up for others, but when death approaches, many people find themselves unsure, uncomfortable, or absent. The irony is striking: we celebrate life, yet struggle to stay present at its end. It made me realize how much we lose by avoiding conversations around death, dying, and difficult emotions. Our discomfort with these topics doesn’t protect us; it disconnects us. How can we truly live well if we’re not prepared to die well? And how can we die well without ever talking about it? When approached with care, these conversations can actually deepen intimacy with the people we love. Coaching offers a supportive space to navigate them and build that kind of meaningful connection. People spend most of their waking hours at work. Can emotions be a strength in the workplace? Absolutely, emotions are our body’s information and motivation system. When we suppress, ignore, or bypass them, we don’t just create inner tension; we ripple that conflict  into our relationships, teams, and work environments. Emotional suppression can lead to miscommunication, chronic stress, and burnout. It also affects decision-making and collaboration, eroding trust over time. Recent reports  confirm that emotional disconnection in the workplace is not only harmful to individual well-being but costly as well. Of course, managers and business owners everywhere would benefit from doing their own introspection work, but it would also help them to learn how to navigate emotions within their teams. Putting our emotions to the side in favor of corporate numbers and rapid tech growth has made our world less connected, more alexithymic  (especially in men ), and ultimately, less human. What inspired your work in emotional intelligence? Before working with my own coach, I was living life on autopilot. Raised in Silicon Valley by Asian immigrant parents, I grew up in a culture where academic achievement was everything. The pressure was intense, and in places like Palo Alto, it has tragically contributed to cycles  of youth suicide over the years. That environment shaped my understanding of stress, emotional suppression, and the urgent need for safe spaces to feel and heal. I soon realized that being a life coach and death doula allowed me to use my skills and experience from one role to support clients in the other. And recognizing how much of the difficulty people experience in grief is contributed by our discomfort and growing unfamiliarity with emotions made me realize that grief isn’t just one emotion; it is a collection and journey of emotions. Now more than ever, as AI advances and attempts to replicate human connection, it’s crucial that we address the emotional skills and lived experiences we risk losing in the process. Speaking of AI & tech, what are your thoughts around their involvement in the mental health space? As with anything, there are benefits and challenges. While AI & tech can provide accessibility to mental health with more affordable options, flexible scheduling, and fewer errors, much of the work in therapy or coaching is relational. AI may be able to work with CBT, IFS, Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, ACT, and psychedelics in any given session, but without a genuine connection, you aren’t healing on a human level. You’re missing out on the opportunity to repair and grow with a human when there are scheduling mistakes, miscommunication leading to misunderstandings, or simply one of you having a bad day. How can people know if you are a good fit for them? I typically offer complimentary 30-minute consultations , but as a special thank you to Brainz Magazine readers, I'm extending that to a full 60-minute session. Just reach out through my website , mention that you found me through Brainz, and we’ll set up a time to connect. Follow me on Instagram , and LinkedIn  for more info! Read more from Elizabeth Huang

Colorado – Unbound today announced the launch of its virtual coaching platform, designed to help individuals and teams resolve emotional friction, limiting beliefs, and internal barriers much faster than traditional methods. Created for people who feel like they’ve tried everything without experiencing lasting change, Unbound offers an alternative focused on resolution rather than ongoing management. Most clients notice significant shifts after their first session, and many achieve breakthroughs within one to three sessions. Unbound™ matches clients seeking emotional breakthroughs with independently certified Rapid Rewire Method™ practitioners. Structured, experiential sessions provide subconscious and emotional support to create sustainable internal change. Unbound practitioners are trained in the Rapid Rewire Method™, which helps individuals dissolve emotional charge, transform limiting beliefs, shift identity patterns, and process unresolved experiences that affect confidence, performance, and well-being. “Unbound was created for people who are done managing the same internal challenges and are ready for real resolution,” said Stephanie Kwong, co-founder of Unbound. “Our work focuses on addressing the root cause of emotional and behavioural patterns, not coping with them indefinitely. When that internal friction dissolves, people naturally regain clarity, confidence, and forward momentum.” Different from traditional talk-based approaches, Rapid Rewire Method™ sessions are not centred on revisiting problems week after week. Instead, clients are guided through real-time processes that address the root of an issue at the nervous-system level. The work is conducted virtually and privately, with a clear emphasis on progress. Unbound addresses challenges affecting personal and professional life, such as anxiety, chronic stress, confidence and self-worth issues, relationship and communication patterns, career transitions, leadership pressure, performance blocks, unprocessed grief, and limiting beliefs. The platform focuses on resolving these challenges rather than teaching coping strategies. Unbound also supports organisations and leadership teams navigating high-pressure environments. Corporate clients use the platform to enhance psychological well-being and nervous system regulation, thereby improving resilience, focus, decision-making, and workplace effectiveness. By resolving internal friction, organisations benefit from clearer communication, stronger emotional intelligence, improved performance, and higher engagement, with disengagement costing the U.S. economy over $450 billion annually. Unbound positions inner alignment as essential for performance and retention. All practitioners on the Unbound platform have completed a rigorous certification process in the Rapid Rewire Method™ and are trained to deliver consistent, results-oriented experiences. Through personalised matching and virtual accessibility, Unbound makes rapid, lasting transformation available to clients worldwide. For more information or to get started, visit this website . About Unbound Unbound is a pioneering coaching platform powered by the Rapid Rewire Method™, a neuroscience-based approach developed to resolve emotional friction, limiting beliefs, and internal barriers in as few as one to three sessions. With intelligent client–practitioner matching, virtual access, and rigorously certified practitioners, Unbound delivers targeted, results-driven support that surpasses traditional coaching models. The platform focuses on resolving root causes rather than managing challenges over time. Unbound serves individuals seeking personal breakthroughs, as well as organizations and leadership teams facing performance pressure and professional challenges. By removing internal obstacles, Unbound enables measurable improvements in emotional intelligence, clarity, communication, fulfillment, and performance, with positive effects across personal and professional life. Contact information Email: support@unbound-now.com Phone: +1 (310) 990-5387

Michael N. Kingsnorth is a futurist, technologist, and the founder of Scramble Technology Inc. in Canada and AperiMail in the UK. With over three decades of commercial experience across sectors such as broadcast, communications, retail, and logistics, he is known for building systems that are practical, resilient, and grounded in real-world use. His work is shaped by a steady focus on how modern infrastructure influences trust, decision-making, and the day-to-day reality of teams trying to operate safely. His interest in computing began long before it became mainstream, and it grew into a career defined by clarity, discipline, and responsibility. Rather than chasing trends, he works with organizations to reduce complexity, strengthen foundations, and design solutions that people can actually understand and rely on. Alongside his commercial work, Michael runs Vortex of a Digital Kind, where he writes about futurism, philosophy, and experiments in distributed publishing outside large platforms. Across everything he builds, one principle stays consistent: technology should be useful, understandable, and respectful of the people who depend on it. Michael Kingsnorth, Technology & Privacy Contributor Who is Michael Kingsnorth? Introduce yourself, your hobbies, your favorites, you at home and in business. Tell us something interesting about yourself that most people don’t know. At my core, I’m driven by building things that give people real control over their digital lives, especially privacy-first, peer-to-peer systems where users are not quietly dependent on someone else’s servers. I’m passionate about distributed infrastructure and security, and I use post-quantum cryptography as one part of that toolkit, not as a buzzword, but because privacy and long-term trust actually matter. Outside of work, I’m not a work-only person. I’m a proper foodie. I love discovering great places to eat, pairing that with a good glass of red wine, and I’m happiest when there’s music on and real conversation happening. Travel, friends, and family keep me grounded and remind me why I care about building technology that protects human agency. Something that surprises people is how much I write. Vortex of a Digital Kind started as a place to think in public, and it’s become a long-form space where I explore technology, identity, autonomy, and the way today’s choices quietly become tomorrow’s normal. What inspired you to create Vortex of a Digital Kind and ScrambleTech, and how do these ventures reflect your mission in the digital and tech world? Vortex of a Digital Kind came from the part of me that’s always thinking. I’ve always been drawn to futurism, sci-fi, technology, and philosophy, and I wanted a place to write in public and explore what all of this is doing to us. It is not a business. It’s where I work things out, and hopefully where other people who care about these ideas can learn, argue, and think alongside me. Scramble Technology came from something more personal. I wanted autonomy. I wanted the freedom to build what I believe in without being boxed in by an employer’s priorities. That freedom lets me focus on privacy-first, peer-to-peer tools that give people more control over their own digital lives. Vortex is the thinking space. Scramble is the building space. They’re two sides of the same drive. Many businesses struggle to keep up with rapid tech changes. How do you help clients navigate the digital transformation journey effectively? I sit down with clients, skip the hype, and focus on what really matters. Then I help them choose practical, secure tech that solves real problems. Sometimes the simplest solution is the best. I explain it in plain language so they feel confident moving at their own pace, with privacy kept front and center. From AI integration to innovative digital tools, what are some of the most exciting solutions you’ve developed or implemented recently? In my work, I’m focused on something I care deeply about: a quantum-safe, peer-to-peer messaging platform that prioritizes user autonomy. I’m using hybrid cryptography, including Kyber1024 and Dilithium5, so it is ready for the future. I’m also integrating on-device AI, not to watch users, but to help detect network threats locally. Everything stays on the device, so the data stays with the user. That’s the kind of security and privacy I’m building. What type of clients or industries do you most enjoy working with, and what results can they expect when they partner with you? I enjoy working with clients who are driven by innovation and emerging technology, whether that’s energy, AI, or the next generation of computing. At the same time, I bring value to any organization that’s ready to secure their data and systems for the future. A lot of businesses are not thinking yet about “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” threats, but they should be. I help companies protect long-term sensitive information, so it remains safe as quantum computing advances. Whether the work is AI adoption, security hardening, or resilience planning, I focus on strategies that are clear, practical, and built to last. The tech landscape can feel overwhelming to non-experts. How do you make complex digital strategies simple and actionable for your clients? The tech landscape can be overwhelming, so my approach is to make it manageable and grounded. I start by meeting clients where they are, then break complex decisions into smaller steps they can understand and act on. I document the process clearly, explain trade-offs in plain language, and avoid unnecessary complexity in the solution. I do not always get it perfect, but the goal stays the same: give people clarity so they can move forward with confidence. You’re known for merging creativity with technology. How does your approach stand out from traditional tech consulting or development services? I don’t treat technology as separate from the people using it. Creativity helps me think laterally, spot hidden risks, and design systems that work in real life, not just on paper. Traditional consulting often leans toward big frameworks and handovers. I prefer practical outcomes and clear thinking. I take time to explain the reasoning behind decisions, document properly, and reduce complexity wherever possible. The aim is not just to deliver a solution and disappear. It’s to leave clients with a better understanding of their own systems, so they can make confident decisions long after the project ends. What common mistakes do businesses make when trying to scale digitally, and how does your team at ScrambleTech help prevent them? A common mistake businesses make when scaling digitally is adding new tools onto old processes without fixing the core. While it might look like progress at first, it creates complexity and fragile systems. At ScrambleTech, we slow down enough to get the foundation right. For example, we use a structured SDLC with Gherkin stories to make sure requirements are clear and delivery stays predictable. This approach is not just about speed. It’s about making scaling intentional, rather than chaotic. When processes flow cleanly, growth becomes sustainable and calm. What current trends in AI, automation, or digital strategy do you believe every business should pay attention to in the next few years? In the next few years, businesses need to pay attention to three things. First, as AI and automation become normal across every industry, organizations will be judged on how responsibly they use these tools. Trust will matter more than hype. Second, data security is non-negotiable. If teams are feeding IP, customer data, or internal information into AI systems without safeguards, they are taking risks they may not even see until it’s too late. Third, businesses need to prepare now for the quantum era. Current encryption will eventually be at risk, and planning for post-quantum security should start before it becomes an emergency. At ScrambleTech, we’re already building safeguards around responsible AI usage and future-proof security, so businesses are ready for what’s next. What’s next for you and your companies? Are there any upcoming innovations, collaborations, or projects that you’re excited about? Next, ScrambleTech is focused on helping SMBs work from home and work from anywhere with more security and less dependence. We’re building quantum-encrypted building blocks like secure vaults, distributed storage, and messaging that make modern remote work safer by design. The aim is practical outcomes. Reduced risk, simpler compliance, and less time lost to firefighting. Smaller businesses deserve the same level of security backbone that larger enterprises take for granted, and we’re building infrastructure that makes that accessible. By embedding future-proof security now, we’re helping SMBs operate with confidence as the world shifts. Follow me on LinkedIn,  and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Michael Kingsnorth

Jerry Brady is a Performance and Mindset Coach who helps individuals, athletes, and professionals unlock their potential by developing clarity, resilience, and self-awareness under pressure. His work is grounded in psychology, lived experience, and a deep belief that performance is human before it is technical. Jerry Brady, Executive and Performance Coach Who is Jerry Brady? I am a certified Executive & Performance Coach with diplomas in Sports Psychology and Occupational Psychology. I'm currently completing a BSc in Psychotherapy & Counselling. What inspired you to become a Performance & Executive coach? When I was 19, I became captain of an adult football team. Leading and motivating others in that role led me to develop a deep interest in performance psychology and mental performance. In 2020, at the time of the pandemic, I went back to college and started studying again, and I have loved every moment of it. How would you describe what you do in one sentence? A powerful mix of coaching, psychology, and real-life insight, all focused on one mission: your transformation. Who is your ideal client, and what are they typically struggling with? My ideal client is not a single person, but a collective of individuals who are highly motivated for change, committed to doing the work, and willing to invest in their development. The most common struggle is how they see themselves & lack of self-belief. What are the biggest challenges your clients come to you with? Many clients arrive asking to be fixed or wanting a timeline for healing. Some hold back information early on. My role is to meet clients where they are in that moment of their life and help guide them forward, rather than trying to fix what is not broken. How do you help clients improve both their performance and relationships? Every client comes with a story. My job is to help them unpack what is holding them back, work through the obstacles affecting their performance, and create positive change that strengthens relationships and self-understanding. What makes your coaching approach different from others in this field? I work across both practical coaching and deeper psychological work, bringing together theory and lived experience. I believe that our own challenges, when processed and understood, can become meaningful tools in supporting others. Can you share a breakthrough moment one of your clients experienced? A client came to me experiencing intense frustration, anger, resentment, and despair. During our fourth session, I asked about his relationship with his mother, noticing how little he had mentioned her previously. After a period of silence, which I intentionally held, he shared that they had not spoken for two years due to unresolved conflict and unmet expectations. We explored this relationship with compassion and perspective, recognising that while his mother was not perfect, she did the best she could with the knowledge she had at the time. This insight led to an emotional breakthrough, allowing him to release long-held anger and pain. What results can someone expect when they work with you? Provided they fully commit to the process and do the work, clients can expect to: Overcome fear and self-doubt Rebuild confidence after setbacks or heartbreak Strengthen mindset, performance, and sense of purpose Handle pressure and adversity more effectively Feel alive and connected to themselves again What’s the most common misconception people have about coaching? The most common misconception is that we fix clients or tell them what to do. I am often asked, ‘How long will it take you to fix me?’ In reality, clients resolve their own challenges. As coaches, our role is to support that process through deep questioning, reflection, and helping to build a clear pathway forward. What is one simple step someone can take today to start making progress? An attitude of gratitude changes how you see things and softens negativity. Letting go of the past allows you to live more fully. How can people get in touch with you if they’re ready to start working together? Email: bradyjcoaching@gmail.com Instagram: jerrybradycoaching LinkedIn: jerrybradycoaching Follow me on Facebook for more info! Read more from Jerry Brady

Written by Rasha AlShaar, Mind-Body Coach, PCC Rasha AlShaar, PCC, is a Mind-Body Coach with an integrative approach to healing and self-development. By merging modalities that range from mindset and somatic tools, she's on a mission to facilitate full-body healing and head-to-toe awakenings to help people embody their authentic truth and innate power. We’ve been conditioned into a healing trap, that growth requires grief, and that “the work” only counts in the dark. But what if our giggles were just as transformative as our tears? When we mistake darkness for depth I’m a strong advocate of various healing modalities, therapeutic approaches, and spiritual practices. I receive them, and I offer them, and yet I have found that some of my most profound realizations and shifts didn’t happen on a meditation cushion or in session, but during the time in between. In integration through uncontrollable laughter with friends, a conversation with a stranger at a gathering, or silly dancing with cousins at a wedding after-party. Lately, as the healing space has moved more into the mainstream, I’ve noticed a subtle but significant shift. These spaces have become increasingly legitimized and, with that, increasingly serious. There is now an unspoken assumption that depth only lives in the darkness, that transformation has to be extracted from pain, and that play is merely a “break” from the real work. The myth of the “serious” seeker I recently sat down with a close friend and colleague, also in the wellness world, and we found ourselves reflecting on how often people walk into a healing space and instinctively put on a “healing persona.” A version of themselves that is serious, stoic, and somehow braced to do “the work.” In conversation, we connected over the fact that our primary role isn’t just to facilitate an experience, it’s to ensure people know that not only are all of them welcome, but all of them are necessary for the healing work to actually work. The reality is that this healing persona is another subtle form of performance that both facilitators embody and, as a result, their community adopts. It’s the idea that a “good” client or a “conscious” person must seem a certain way. This usually shows up when I begin working with a new client who has had some form of support in the past and is seemingly programmed to believe they need to excuse their very real pain as not being traumatic enough. Or they cancel a session because “everything is actually going great,” as if joy doesn’t deserve the same level of inquiry as trauma. It also appears in ceremonies and circles as the one who gets the giggles and feels the need to excuse themselves, fearing they are disrupting the sanctity of the moment. When we decide that only the heavy stuff is worthy of transformation, we inadvertently create a new kind of armor and another internal barrier that then requires its own processing. By only welcoming our pain, we miss the medicine of play. Why the body needs play There are biological reasons why our nervous systems actually require moments of aliveness and ease to integrate big change. According to Polyvagal Theory , developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, play exists in a unique physiological state where our safety system, the Ventral Vagal, is active alongside our energy system, the Sympathetic. This hybrid state allows us to experience high energy and intensity without the body slipping into fight or flight defense. When we laugh or play in a healing space, we are effectively exercising our nervous system’s ability to handle big emotions while remaining safely connected. Research also suggests that experiencing joy and humor, what scientists call positive affect, broadens our thought-action repertoires. While seriousness and fear narrow our focus to surviving a problem, joy expands our peripheral vision, allowing us to see solutions and new ways of being that were invisible when we were purely in processing mode. Life as a healing playground Beyond structured sessions and soulful ceremonies, there is a third healing space, life itself. There is profound medicine in simply living, in unstructured and unfacilitated moments of connection, curiosity, and exploration, agenda-free. It might be cooking a meal and savoring each step, noticing the rhythm of a walk through the neighborhood, dancing alone to a favorite song, tending to plants, or laughing with a pet. These moments, seemingly ordinary, are deeply regenerative. These everyday experiences of ease provide the necessary rest for the soul to integrate the heavy lifting we do elsewhere. Without these pauses, the work can become a grind, leading to fatigue rather than true expansion. Life itself, in its spontaneous and unstructured ways, becomes the quiet container where integration, play, and aliveness meet. The radical welcoming of wholeness Structure and intention in healing and self-development are essential. They create the safety that allows the nervous system to lean in. But we need to be mindful not to let structure become a cage that keeps out our humanity. When we allow humor into the room, we become more honest because we aren’t trying to say the right thing. When we allow movement and play, we allow emotions to complete their cycles naturally. If you are arriving with deep-seated pain, bring it. If you are arriving with a ridiculous story and a need to laugh, bring that too. Because the most sacred healing spaces are not the ones that are the most intense, but the ones where you are allowed and encouraged to welcome all of yourself. And if this approach to healing and self-development resonates, you can book a free consultation call to meet exactly as you are and explore how working together through mindset and trauma-informed somatics can support your return to wholeness. P.S. While this article champions joy, my practice is rooted in trauma-informed safety. For nervous systems patterned for survival, play can feel threatening rather than relieving. Our work follows your physiological pacing, aiming to restore wholeness by integrating what is truly present, not what we think is. Follow me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Rasha AlShaar Rasha AlShaar, Mind-Body Coach, PCC With over a decade of experience in healing practices and self-growth tools, Rasha AlShaar founded her coaching practice in 2020, shaping her integrative approach through ongoing personal growth and rigorous training, blending subconscious, emotional, somatic, behavioral, and energetic modalities to best serve her clients. Rooted in her curiosity, driven by her commitment to service, and grounded in her PCC accreditation from the International Coaching Federation with 700+ hours of 1:1 coaching experience, Rasha is on a mission to help others on their transformative journeys as a Mind-Body Coach, guiding them to reconnect with their inherent wisdom and worth through insightful dialogue, embodied experience, and tangible action steps.

Tatiana Aleobua specializes in nervous system regulation and burnout recovery, a focus shaped by her own journey of healing chronic stress and burnout. As a holistic and spiritual nurse, she blends clinical knowledge with mind, body, and energy-based practices to support sustainable healing. As the founder of Wholistically Yours LLC, she helps individuals restore balance, clarity, and long-term vitality through approaches grounded in both experience and care. Tatiana Aleobua, RN, Reiki Practitioner, Wellness/Nutrition Coach Who is Tatiana Aleobua? Tatiana Aleobua is a Registered Nurse, Reiki Practitioner, wellness and nutrition coach, emerging medical aesthetics nurse, and holistic wellness entrepreneur. She has also recently passed her Michigan Life Producer exam, expanding her ability to support individuals and families through living benefits and long-term protection. She is a single mother of five wonderful children and a devoted bichonpoo who continually motivates her to lead with purpose. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and still a resident of Southeast Michigan, Tatiana’s work is deeply rooted in spirituality, creativity, compassion, empathy, understanding, and resilience. Astrologically, she is a Pisces sun, Leo moon, and Libra rising, blending intuitive sensitivity and emotional depth, confident heart-centered leadership, and a natural desire for balance, harmony, and connection. She is inspired by art, music, movement, nature, and spiritual practices, all of which shape her integrative approach to healing. With a long-term vision of opening her own wellness center, Tatiana is committed to becoming a well-rounded practitioner who honors multiple paths of healing with mastery and intention. What is Wholistically Yours LLC, and why did you start it? Wholistically Yours LLC is a holistic wellness business founded in 2023 to support the healing of the mind, body, and soul as one interconnected system, honoring the wholeness of the individual. After years of working in traditional healthcare, from pharmacy to nursing, Tatiana observed many individuals managing symptoms without addressing underlying causes. Her interest in holistic care grew as she recognized the gaps between physical treatment, emotional well-being, and nervous system health. The business was also rooted in her own personal healing journey through burnout, nervous system dysregulation, and unresolved trauma from childhood into adulthood. Wholistically Yours LLC became both a place of service and a living blueprint for how healing can occur with compassion, empathy, and integration. What specific problems do you help your clients solve? Tatiana helps clients navigate chronic stress, burnout, emotional overwhelm, nervous system dysregulation, and the long-term effects of unprocessed life experiences. Many of her clients are highly functioning individuals who appear capable and composed externally but feel depleted, disconnected, or out of alignment internally. She also supports those who are simply seeking a more natural, integrative approach to healing and are open to exploring new and holistic pathways to wellbeing. How does your approach to holistic wellness differ from traditional healthcare? Traditional healthcare often focuses on symptom management, which can feel like placing a bandage on a wound without fully addressing what caused the injury. While this approach is essential in many situations, it frequently overlooks lifestyle patterns, emotional health, stress responses, and nervous system regulation. Tatiana’s approach integrates medical knowledge with holistic and spiritual practices to identify root causes rather than just surface symptoms. Her work emphasizes long-term regulation, prevention, and balance across the mind, body, and energy system, allowing healing to unfold in a more sustainable and embodied way. What are the main services you offer, and who are they best for? Reiki sessions support nervous system regulation, stress relief, and energetic balance by helping the body shift from the fight-or-flight response into a state of rest and restoration. Wellness and nutrition coaching focuses on sustainable lifestyle changes, nourishment, and habit-building to support energy, health, and long-term well-being. Halotherapy, or salt therapy, supports respiratory health, immune function, and relaxation by inhaling micronized salt in a controlled environment. Spiritual and intuitive guidance offers space for reflection, clarity, and self-awareness, supporting individuals through life transitions and personal growth. The digital wellness store provides carefully curated supplements and wellness products to support nutritional needs, daily balance, and ongoing self-care beyond sessions. These services are best for individuals of all ages experiencing burnout, chronic stress, respiratory concerns, pain, emotional fatigue, nervous system imbalance, or those seeking deeper regulation, nourishment, and alignment in daily life. Can you share a success story that highlights the impact of your work? Being featured in Voyage Michigan Magazine was a meaningful milestone recognizing Tatiana’s integrative approach to wellness and entrepreneurship. Beyond media recognition, success is reflected in clients consistently leaving sessions calmer, clearer, and in a more regulated state of their emotional and nervous systems than when they arrived. Her growing online presence across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Threads has further expanded her reach, allowing her to educate, inspire, and support a broader community beyond one-on-one care. Why do you include spiritual practices like Reiki and tarot in your wellness services? Spiritual practices address layers of healing that are often overlooked in conventional care. Reiki supports nervous system calming and energetic balance, while intuitive practices help clients gain clarity, insight, and self-awareness. These modalities complement medical care rather than replace it, enabling healing on both tangible and subtle levels. What are the top three reasons someone should choose you as their holistic coach? Tatiana offers a unique blend of medical training, spiritual depth, and lived healing experience. She has personally walked the path of recovery that she now supports others through. Additionally, her mobile services allow her to meet clients where they are physically, emotionally, and energetically. The third reason is best discovered through direct connection, where her presence and approach can be fully experienced. How do you help clients balance physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being? Balance is supported through individualized care that addresses daily habits, emotional processing, nervous system awareness, and spiritual alignment. Tatiana helps clients build consistency through small, intentional shifts rather than drastic changes. By fostering awareness, regulation, and self-connection, clients learn to respond to their needs with compassion and sustainability rather than urgency or burnout. What is one common misconception about holistic healing you want to correct? A common misconception is that holistic healing does not work or that it should produce instant results. In reality, holistic care works by addressing root causes and supporting the body’s natural ability to regulate over time. Healing requires patience, consistency, and active participation, often leading to deeper, longer-lasting transformation than quick fixes. What should someone expect when they reach out for the first time? Clients can expect a warm, safe, and nonjudgmental space where they are welcomed with openness, compassion, and genuine support. Each interaction is grounded in care, respect, and the intention to meet the individual exactly where they are. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Tatiana Aleobua

Written by Dr. Irene Sanchez-Celis Castro, Mentor & Healer Womb medicine doctor, spiritual mentor, and creator of Radiance the Podcast, Dr. Irene Sanchez-Celis, helps women awaken the magic in their bodies and embody the sacred through cyclical living, Chinese medicine, and feminine alchemy. Womb medicine doctor, spiritual mentor, and creator of Radiance the Podcast, Dr. Irene Sanchez Celis, helps women awaken the magic in their bodies and embody the sacred through cyclical living, Chinese medicine, and feminine alchemy. How at-home hormone data is changing menstrual health, fertility, and the perimenopause journey. For decades, women have been told to listen to their bodies, yet when it comes to hormones, we’ve often been left guessing. Irregular cycles. Mood swings. Fatigue. Difficulty conceiving. Night sweats. Brain fog. We’re told it’s “normal,” “stress,” or “just part of being a woman.” But hormones are not random. They move in patterns. And when we can see those patterns clearly, everything changes. Hormone tracking is one of the most powerful tools we now have to bridge intuition and data, body wisdom and modern technology, when it’s done correctly. Why hormones matter (more than we’ve been taught) Hormones are chemical messengers that orchestrate your entire internal ecosystem. For women, especially, they influence: menstrual cycle regularity ovulation and fertility energy, mood, and resilience to stress sleep and cognitive clarity libido and connection to pleasure how we transition through perimenopause and menopause The key reproductive hormones, estrogen, progesterone, LH, and FSH, don’t just turn on and off. They rise, fall, surge, and decline in very specific rhythms. When those rhythms are disrupted, symptoms appear. Tracking hormones allows us to move from symptom management to pattern recognition. Hormone tracking: The pros and the limitations The pros Hormone tracking can help you: confirm whether you are actually ovulating understand luteal phase issues (low progesterone) identify estrogen dominance or depletion recognize anovulatory cycles navigate fertility timing with precision understand perimenopausal shifts earlier, not years later For many women, this alone is profoundly validating. The cons (and why most tracking falls short) Most hormone tracking methods rely on: generic thresholds visual interpretation of test lines calendar predictions symptom-only apps without biochemical data This can create: confusion anxiety false reassurance or unnecessary panic Data without context, interpretation, and longitudinal trends can be just as disempowering as no data at all. This is where the quality of the tool and guidance matter. Why Mira is different Mira is not a typical fertility or cycle app. It is the only FDA-listed, truly quantitative at-home hormone monitor using clinical-grade fluorescent technology to measure actual hormone concentrations, not just “high” or “low” guesses. Mira tracks: E3G (estrogen metabolite) LH (luteinizing hormone) PdG (progesterone metabolite) FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) This allows us to see: real ovulatory patterns hormone trends over multiple cycles subtle imbalances often missed in blood tests perimenopausal shifts long before periods stop It’s essentially a mini hormone lab in your home, with lab-grade accuracy and continuous insight. Hormone tracking across life stages Menstrual regulation & optimization For women who are still cycling, Mira can help clarify: irregular or unpredictable cycles short or weak luteal phases PMS related to estrogen/progesterone imbalance ovulatory vs anovulatory cycles This data allows for targeted support, whether through lifestyle, herbs, acupuncture, or nervous system regulation, instead of one-size-fits-all solutions. Fertility enhancement Whether trying to conceive naturally, after 30, with PCOS, or after loss, hormone timing matters. Mira helps identify: fertile windows with precision true ovulation confirmation (not assumptions) progesterone adequacy post-ovulation patterns contributing to unexplained infertility Used wisely, it becomes a powerful ally rather than a source of pressure. Perimenopause Perimenopause is not “hormones shutting down”, it’s hormones becoming erratic. FSH rises. Estrogen fluctuates. Progesterone often drops first. Mira allows women to: see these shifts in real time understand symptoms instead of fearing them make informed decisions about support, supplementation, or HRT move through this transition with agency rather than confusion This is especially valuable for women who still bleed but feel different, often years before menopause is diagnosed. Why data alone is not enough Hormone numbers don’t live in isolation. They are influenced by: stress and nervous system tone sleep quality digestion and blood sugar trauma history emotional and energetic states This is why I don’t use Mira as a stand-alone tool. I use it as part of a holistic, body-mind-hormone conversation, integrating Chinese Medicine, cycle awareness, nervous system regulation, and lived experience. Tracking gives us the map. Guidance helps you walk the terrain. Is hormone tracking right for you? Mira may be especially supportive if you: want clarity rather than guesses are navigating fertility or perimenopause have irregular or confusing cycles want to understand your body deeply value both science and embodied wisdom And it’s most powerful when interpreted through a trained lens, not just an app notification. How to get started You can begin tracking your hormones at home using Mira and receive exclusive savings with my provider discount code. From there, we can explore your results together and translate numbers into meaningful, personalized support. Use discount code: 2IRENECELIS20 to purchase your Mira device and wands. Book a 1:1 session with me if you want guidance interpreting your data and creating a holistic plan for your cycle, fertility, or perimenopause journey. Hormone tracking isn’t about control. It’s about relationship, with your body, your rhythms, and your next chapter. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram ,  LinkedIn ,  and my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Irene Sanchez-Celis Castro Dr. Irene Sanchez-Celis Castro, Mentor & Healer Dr. Irene Sanchez-Celis is a Doctor of Chinese Medicine, ontogonic hypnotherapist, and creator of Radiance: The Podcast. Known as a spiritual hacker embodied in feminine wisdom, she guides women through womb healing, tantric and shamanic arts, and cyclical embodiment. Irene's online programs blend Chinese medicine, somatic therapy, and sacred sexuality to help women reclaim their pleasure, power, and purpose. Her mission is to awaken the body as a sacred portal for soul remembrance and feminine leadership.

Written by Danielle Young, International Speaker, Bestselling Author, Coach Danielle Young is an international speaker, bestselling author, and Master Certified Life Coach. As the founder of Inspired Action Wellness, she helps women move beyond survival by rebuilding confidence, restoring nervous system balance, and reclaiming control of their lives. Setting boundaries isn’t about finding the right words, it’s about feeling safe enough to hold them. Many women know exactly what they want to say, yet freeze, soften, or overexplain when the moment arrives. This article explores why boundaries collapse when fear of being disliked is still in charge, and introduces a practical, nervous-system-aware process for setting limits without self-abandonment. Part 1 of 3: Stop self-abandoning (the confidence sequence most women never learn) Most women do not struggle with boundaries because they do not know what to say. They struggle because they are still trying to be liked while they say it. Those two things do not go together. A boundary is not a boundary if you still need permission. If you have ever rehearsed what you were going to say, only to panic when the moment arrived, you already know how this goes. You start strong, then you soften. You add an explanation. You apologize for having a need. You try to make the other person comfortable, even as you attempt to advocate for yourself. The conversation ends, and frustration hits you immediately: “Why didn’t I just say what I meant?” That moment does not mean you are weak. It means your nervous system did not register the situation as communication. It registered it as risk. For many women, boundaries do not simply feel uncomfortable. Boundaries feel unsafe. The mind may understand the logic of setting limits, yet the body braces for fallout such as conflict, judgment, rejection, criticism, emotional withdrawal, or punishment. That is why boundaries collapse. The collapse rarely happens because you do not know what to say. The collapse usually happens because you do not feel safe enough to hold what you say. This article is not about scripts or clever lines to memorize. The purpose is to expose the real reason boundaries do not stick and to offer a process that makes boundaries sustainable. Struggling with boundaries does not mean something is wrong with you. Struggling with boundaries often means you were conditioned to prioritize approval, and conditioning can be changed. Why boundaries collapse (even when the words are “right”) Many women assume boundaries fail because confidence is missing. The belief sounds reasonable. Become more assertive, become more disciplined, and boundaries should finally come naturally. Confidence is not the root issue. Boundaries come with emotional consequences. For women who fear being disliked, the reaction matters more than the boundary itself. Most people miss this distinction. Boundaries do not usually fall apart when they are set. Boundaries fall apart when the response shows up. The moment tension rises, disappointment appears, or judgment feels possible, self-protection takes over. Emotional management replaces self-respect. That pattern is not a communication issue. That pattern is a safety issue. Safety can be rebuilt. Capacity can be trained. Holding your line without spiraling can be learned. The 6-step boundary process that makes boundaries work Sustainable boundaries require more than phrases. A reliable process matters most when emotions rise. The following six steps are designed for women who are done overexplaining, overgiving, and abandoning themselves to keep the peace. Step 1: Spot self-betrayal before resentment takes over Most women wait until they are furious to set a boundary. At that point, the boundary comes out sharp because resentment has been building for weeks, months, or years. Boundaries are easier to hold when they are set early, before resentment becomes the fuel. Early self-betrayal rarely looks dramatic. It looks like agreeing while your stomach tightens. It looks like saying yes while already regretting it. It looks like laughing something off, even though it did not feel okay. It looks like calling something “fine” when it is not fine. Better boundaries begin with earlier honesty. Ask yourself this question, “Where am I saying yes to avoid discomfort?” Resentment is not a personality flaw. Resentment is often a signal that you abandoned yourself. Step 2: Name the fear underneath boundary anxiety Most women do not fear boundaries. Most women fear what boundaries might cost them. That fear often includes rejection, disapproval, misunderstanding, abandonment, or punishment. It may also include being labeled difficult, selfish, cold, dramatic, or too much. That is why boundaries feel like such a big deal. A boundary is not just a sentence. A boundary feels like risk. Instead of asking, “Why can’t I set boundaries?” ask, “What do I believe will happen if I do?” That answer reveals the real pattern and shifts the work from self-judgment to clarity. Step 3: Regulate before you speak Boundary advice often skips the most important part, staying grounded while you say what you mean. Clear communication becomes difficult when the nervous system is activated. Anxiety can make you reactive, harsh, apologetic, or unclear. Fear ends up driving the interaction. Regulation must come first. Regulation does not need to be complicated. Regulation needs to be repeatable. Try this: Put both feet on the ground Exhale slowly and fully Drop your shoulders Unclench your jaw Remind yourself that discomfort is not danger The goal is not perfect calm. The goal is staying connected to yourself long enough to speak clearly. Step 4: Set the boundary in one sentence Fear of being disliked often turns boundaries into speeches. You try to sound reasonable enough to prevent conflict. You try to keep the other person comfortable. You try to eliminate their feelings. Long explanations turn boundaries into negotiations. Overexplaining is fear disguised as politeness. A clean boundary is one sentence. Shortness comes from certainty. Examples: “That doesn’t work for me.” “I’m not available for that.” “I’m not discussing this anymore.” “If you continue speaking to me that way, I’m ending this conversation.” “No, I won’t be doing that.” Perfect words are not required. Clear words are required. Step 5: Hold the line without managing their emotions This step changes everything. Many women can say the boundary. Many women cannot tolerate the emotional aftermath of the boundary. Disappointment, anger, sarcasm, guilt trips, or emotional withdrawal can trigger repair mode. You try to fix tension. You start bargaining. You soften. Common examples include: “I didn’t mean it like that.” “It’s not a big deal.” “I can do it just this once.” “Forget it.” Boundaries collapse here, not because you were wrong, but because fear took over. Someone being unhappy does not mean you did something wrong. Someone disliking your boundary does not mean the boundary is unfair. Pushback often happens when a boundary disrupts someone’s access. Holding the boundary means tolerating emotional discomfort without abandoning yourself to eliminate it. Step 6: Follow through with action A boundary without follow-through becomes a request. People test boundaries when folding has been the pattern. Testing does not always come from malice. Testing often comes from habit. Follow-through makes the boundary real. Follow-through is not punishment. Follow-through is self-respect in motion. Examples: End the call if yelling starts Leave the room if insults begin Reduce access when a line keeps getting crossed Remove availability when your time keeps getting disrespected Actions teach people what words mean. What boundaries are really about Boundaries are not primarily about communication. Boundaries are about self-relationship. A boundary is a refusal to abandon yourself to keep someone else comfortable. That is why boundaries feel so difficult for women conditioned to prioritize connection over truth. Many women learned that being liked equals safety. Expressing discomfort risks rejection, criticism, or conflict. Over time, the nervous system learns to treat honesty like a threat. Softening, performing, and staying palatable become habits. Self-abandonment starts to look like being easy to be around. This is why boundary work can feel so charged. You are not simply changing a behavior. You are challenging an identity built around approval and peacekeeping. You are saying, “I am allowed to be honest,” even when your body still believes honesty will cost you love. That fear is not irrational. Environments where disappointment, anger, or criticism came with consequences train the nervous system to scan for danger. People-pleasing becomes a strategy. Over-functioning becomes a habit. Emotional management becomes a survival skill. Those strategies once protected you. Now they are costing you time, energy, peace, authenticity, self-respect, self-trust, and your voice. Boundaries work when you stop trying to be liked. That shift does not require harshness. That shift requires honesty. A peaceful life cannot be built through self-betrayal. When you set a boundary, the question is not, “Will they approve?” The question is, “Can I stay with myself even if they don’t?” That is what boundaries are really about. What’s next (and why part 2 matters) Shaky boundaries do not mean failure. Shaky boundaries often mean rebuilding is happening. Most women do not need more boundary phrases. Most women need a stronger internal foundation. Many women can set a boundary. Many women struggle to hold it under pressure. The struggle does not come from weakness. The struggle comes from lacking self-trust when guilt appears, anxiety spikes, or fear demands repair. That is why boundaries are not just a boundary skill. Boundaries are a self-trust skill. Part 2 of this series will explore that foundation next month: Self-Trust Isn’t a Feeling. It’s a Skill and 5 Steps to Rebuild It. Self-trust changes the entire experience of boundaries. Boundaries stop feeling like conflict and start feeling like peace. Want help identifying your pattern? If you are ready to stop second-guessing yourself, stop folding under pressure, and stop leaking power in relationships, my Confidence Audit is the best starting point. The Confidence Audit helps you identify where your boundaries collapse, what fear drives the pattern, and what needs to shift first so you can hold the line without spiraling. This is not about becoming tougher. This is about becoming more honest with yourself and finally acting like you matter. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Danielle Young Danielle Young, International Speaker, Bestselling Author, Coach Danielle Young is an international speaker, bestselling author, and Master Certified Life Coach dedicated to helping women heal, grow, and reclaim their power. After overcoming her own experiences with trauma, she developed The Inspired Action Method™ to guide others from survival to self-trust. She is the founder of Inspired Action Wellness, where she blends neuroscience, psychology, self-inquiry, and body-based modalities like yoga, breathwork, and somatic healing to help women rebuild confidence and create lasting transformation.

Written by Hamza Baig, AI Entrepreneur Hamza Baig (Hamza Automates) founded Hexona Systems & AI Automation Incubator. With 40K+ students & 800+ SaaS clients, his frameworks help non-tech entrepreneurs launch profitable AI businesses. If you feel like you’re constantly fighting with your automation tools, you’re not alone. Right now, there is a collective frustration in the business world. Entrepreneurs and executives are being told that AI is the ultimate leverage, yet they find themselves bogged down in a sea of nodes, API keys, and brittle workflows. The promise was freedom. The reality, for most, feels like a new kind of technical debt. But here’s the truth. AI automation feels hard today because most people are still trying to do it the old way. We are using 2026 technology with a 2010 mental model. The illusion of complexity For the last decade, automation meant building a digital assembly line. You had to map every step, account for every error, and manually connect Point A to Point B using rigid logic. If one link in the chain broke, the whole system collapsed. We’ve carried this logic gate mindset into the era of artificial intelligence. We are trying to “code” without code, but we’re still thinking like programmers. We are obsessing over the how, the tools, the nodes, and the intricate workflows, rather than the what. This is the old way. And it’s why so many businesses are struggling to scale their AI efforts. They are building complex machines that require constant maintenance, rather than deploying intelligent systems that adapt. 2026: From workflows to intent By 2026, the concept of building a workflow will feel as outdated as manually dialing a rotary phone. The shift we are currently undergoing is from instruction-based automation to intent-based automation. In the very near future, automation won’t be about connecting Zapier nodes. It will be about describing what you want and letting AI handle the rest. You won’t tell the system how to move data from your CRM to your marketing platform. You will simply tell the system, “Ensure every new lead receives a personalized follow-up based on their specific pain points mentioned in the discovery call.” The AI will then architect the path, select the tools, and execute the task. What feels complex right now will become default. What feels like an advanced hack today will be the basic standard of operation tomorrow. The technical barrier is dissolving in real time. The 10× velocity advantage In my work with thousands of students and SaaS clients, I’ve seen a recurring pattern. The people who move 10× faster than everyone else aren’t the ones with the most complex stacks. They are the ones who understand systems thinking. They realize that the tool is just a commodity. The real leverage lies in defining an outcome and using AI as the engine to achieve it. The “old way” focuses on the tool. The “new way” focuses on leverage. When you stop trying to be a builder and start being an architect of intent, your speed of execution explodes. You stop worrying about whether a node is connected and start focusing on how to scale your impact. Don’t get left behind The shift is already happening. Most people haven’t noticed because they are too busy trying to fix their broken 2024 workflows. But the window to gain a massive competitive advantage is closing. By 2026, intent based systems will be the industry standard. Those who have already mastered the art of directing AI, rather than just using it, will be miles ahead of those who waited for the technology to become easier to use. The complexity you feel today is actually an opportunity. It is the friction that exists before a major breakthrough. Stop trying to master yesterday’s tools. Start mastering the language of tomorrow. The future of business isn’t built on nodes. It’s built on the clarity of your vision and the systems you put in place to realize it. 2026 is closer than you think. Build for it today. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Hamza Baig Hamza Baig, AI Entrepreneur Hamza Baig, known as Hamza Automates, is the visionary founder of Hexona Systems and a recognized pioneer in AI automation who is dedicated to empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs with AI-driven automation and scalable systems. He has built one of the world's largest global communities of automation entrepreneurs, with over 40,000 students and 800+ SaaS clients who have successfully launched profitable AI businesses using his proven frameworks. Trusted by professionals across industries for their exceptional clarity, measurable impact, and consistent results, Hamza's programs have become the gold standard for transitioning into the lucrative AI automation space.