Why don't we ever learn? Why, with all we now know, do stress levels continue to skyrocket? Why do the majority ignore early warning signs and wait until there's shit sprayed literally everywhere before taking action?  And why do the words of the Dalai Lama ring more true today than they did back whenever he supposedly said them? Those words? When asked what surprised him most about humanity, he answered: "Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the ..read more

Life is hard. Karen's stress is rampant. And so too is Jim's. And yet, for some reason, we seem hellbent on making shit way more complicated and stressful than needs be - despite the consequences to our overall health, happiness, and longevity.  Breathwork is a simple, ancient, proven, and highly effective practice anyone can introduce into their life for an abundance of health benefits — turn the decibels way down on anxiety, stress, fear, worry, etc., and crank them up on happiness, joy, freedom, compassion, love, gratitude, etc. What’s not to love? If you're anything like me, you ..read more

Regardless of your affliction - anxiety, stress, burnout, panic attacks, etc., there are elements you must not ignore if you wish for a successful recovery. Likely, because of what stems from them, the most important seeds you'll sow on any healing journey are self-worth, self-belief, self-compassion, self-love, and to stop giving a fuck about irrelevant people's opinions!  The obvious question that springs to mind is —how does one get there? From turmoil to freedom?  And that, my friend, is no easy answer because the reality is it's different for everyone. i.e., just because your fr ..read more

Denial certainly has its place. In the short term, it can be beneficial to ignore a problem because the implications of facing said problem or conflict are too overwhelming. But, as Professor Robert Sipolsky says, there's a price to be paid down the road when denial becomes habitual - one that often comes with significant interest.  One of the strategies we use to combat denial in the FYM program is progressive desensitization, i.e., pushing yourself, but not so far beyond your comfort zone that you cannot cope... This way, you build mental strength and resilience while all ..read more

Me asking you — a stranger —"are you unhappy?" has likely triggered something within you. And perhaps not in a good way? Unless you think I'm Willy Wonka here to present you with the golden ticket: Happiness. It's a polarizing question — one I suspect many loved ones would be terrified to ask regardless of whether they preface it as "happy" or "unhappy" for fear of the answer... "No." "Fuck, I've dug myself a grave here. Tell me more, I guess..." To be "unhappy" is deemed negative because, well, "happy" is deemed positive, and they are quite literally the opposite. Go figure! Here's where it g ..read more

One Panic Attack. That’s all it takes for your entire world to collapse around you—one. If you know, know. If you don't, imagine the Devil deployed an entire army to attack your body, mind, and spirit, with its sole mission set to complete and utter devastation. These bastards can be relentless, and therefore, must be tackled as a matter of urgency to avoid a spectacular psychological shit show unfolding down the road. So let's get into and do exactly that.  A Little Background I can vividly recall my first panic attack the same way I can my last. Things get foggy in t ..read more

TThe King's first Christmas broadcast was in 1932. And because King Nicky has such a nice ring to it, I thought fuck it, why not make 2021 mine?  Dear, Commoners ? (Just kidding!) Where to start? What a year 2021 has turned out to be! One beautiful outcome of this pandemic is that while we mightn’t necessarily see it, it has united us all in grief. And, while some have indeed suffered more than others, I fail to think of an individual whose life hasn't been seriously inconvenienced as a result.  While coronavirus has united us in grief, paradoxically, it appears to have divided us in ..read more

No problem can't be overcome if one is willing to do what it takes to overcome it. Of course, that's not to say it will be easy. Or that it should be.  For some, anxiety recovery is a relatively straightforward process. For others, it will be their equivalent of Sir Edmund Hillary's ascent of Everest. Maybe even tougher. After all, Hillary had a specific goal laid out in front of him as well as the best training available back then to ensure success. Not to mention his victory wasn't a solo effort with Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, alongside him every step of the way.  And on that vein, I ..read more

I watched a Ted Talk recently where Dr. Lucy Hone shared how she tragically lost her child — arguably the most devastating loss any parent could have to endure and undoubtedly their greatest nightmare. Dr. Hone spoke about how she and her husband found themselves on the receiving end of "expert" advice that wasn't in the least bit helpful — prime candidates for family estrangement, likely to get divorced, and at high risk for mental illness. Only days after their beloved daughter died tragically, this is how experts were priming her and her husband for the next five years of their lives. Pre ..read more

Here I go again with my hypocrisy: The irony isn't lost that I run a website using my name with a dot com after it while working for myself, by myself. I've penned words on the darker side of self-employment and how isolating it can feel at times, and how — more than anything — I dearly miss the banter I had with colleagues back in the good ol' stuck-the-office-days.  I also believe the rise in remote work will transcend into a mental health shit show when the honeymoon period of pantless meetings wears off and the realisation sinks in as to just how important colleagu ..read more