Morale has been wobbly this last week or so. There are money worries as the reality of having to cancel every yoga retreat planned for this year hits home. Two close friends have been made redundant after decades with their employers. A nephew let go from his job in retail at the start of lockdown […]
This will be the first Christmas without my Mum. And our boys’ first without any grandparents. So you’ll forgive me for feeling a little sad and nostalgic. There will be no Christmas visit home this year. The small village in Nottinghamshire where I grew up remains the archetypal “home” of my imagination, even though I’ve […]
At this time of year we can sometimes find ourselves overwhelmed by demands on our time and energy. Even if you’re not trying to live up to self-imposed expectations of making perfect home-made Christmas cards (no way) and home-cooked Christmas pud or cake (guilty!), there are huge lists of things that “have to be done […]
Over the autumn and winter my sister and I have been moving our elderly mother into sheltered housing and selling the family home that had been a solid and reliable part of our lives almost since we were toddlers. Yesterday my sister called to say she was making one final trip to Meadow Cottage to […]
With Christmas party time a distant memory and summer still a long way off, it can be a tough old time of year. Here are my suggestions for seven ways to beat the winter blues – originally published in Brixton Blog. Get outdoors If the dark and cold makes you want to hibernate, try to […]
Earlier this month I saw findings of a scientific study of 25 Australian veterans of the Vietnam War who had suffered decades of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – the mental illness with symptoms such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, flashbacks and emotional numbness. Counselling and other treatments hadn’t helped these men and many were alcoholics. Fourteen […]
What to do about my wine habit? For decades it’s been my default reaction to stress. Nervous about meeting new people at a party? Have a little drink. Exhausted after a challenging day at work? Unwind to the sound of cork unscrewing. Upset and angry? Drown my sorrows. I’ve practised them all. It’s a well-established […]
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