Right now, we are full of uncertainty – when will all this end? When will things go back to normal? WILL things go back to normal? What if I lose my job? What if I catch the virus?

This is bad news, because our brains love certainty and control - at least, to a certain point. How can we learn to embrace uncertainty when it feels so scary? Why is the current pandemic so stressful for us? And why are we so obsessed with control in the first place? Read on to find out, plus a powerful exercise to help you separate what you can control from what you can’t.

Striving to feel happy all the time is not a realistic (or desirable) goal. In fact, studies show that the active pursuit of happiness can make you unhappy — the more we value happiness, the less happy we feel when in low-stress situations. In other words, the thought “my life is easy and stress-free right now — so why don’t I feel happy?” causes us to feel more disappointment at our own emotions, leading us to feel even worse.

I know you don’t WANT to feel anxious — nobody does. But if you’re beating yourself up for not being OK right now, then please take a deep breath and read on.

I have to be honest; when this lockdown started and I envisioned anything from a couple of weeks to a few months of being stuck indoors, I had big visions. I wasn’t the only one. After I posted that article, my news feed was hit will what felt that thousands of articles suggesting that people use their time at home productively, take on a new skill, start a new side-hustle, etc etc. One particularly striking meme that hit me one morning - I can’t seem to find it now - pointing out that Shakespeare wrote King Lear and Isaac Newton discovered calculus while they were at home during the plague. The suggestion was - what have you done, loser?

The problem with “Business as Usual” and coaches who promise you six figures… is it really sustainable to promote a model of infinite growth on a finite planet?

I’m drowning right now in people saying “when things get back to normal after the Corona virus”, as if a global pandemic that has seen stockmarkets plunge and unemployment benefit claims skyrocket beyond anything we’ve seen in our lives, the jobs that have been lost, the industries irrevocably changed - is just a minor hiccup on the road of ‘Business as Usual’.

What’s wrong with “Business as Usual”? Well, to put things simply, it is completely illogical, short-sighted, and destructive to life…

Now, more than ever, understanding how your brain and body respond to stress is vital for facing the chaos we find ourselves in. The word “Emotional Intelligence” has been a bit of a buzzword in the world of business ever since Daniel Goleman’s book of the same title burst onto shelves in 1995.

More often than not, it is a skill taught to managers by well-meaning coaches with the promise of making them more successful, likeable, and perhaps boosting sales and reducing their staff turnover. But is Emotional Intelligence, or EQ, more than just a scientific-sounding method of “winning friends and influencing people”? And how can understanding it help us in times of crisis?

Tons of people are already leaping to the ‘rescue’ with articles about how to keep calm during a pandemic. Most of these articles talk about how we should meditate, breathe, try not to panic, wash our hands, and exercise. Yes, that’s all great stuff, but have you tried to meditate when your brain is going “omg I’m going to die omg what about my grandparents omg what about my income”, when you miss your friends, and when your body is crying to be out in the sun? That sh*t is HARD!

Life can be overwhelming. The news is full of horror stories, the environment seems to be falling apart, and every day you hear something else that makes you want to curl up under your covers and hide…. Sometimes it just feels completely hopeless. You think what can I do about any of that? It all just feels too much..

Do you spend enough time around nature? There’s SO much research showing that spending time outdoors is good for our physical, emotional and mental health, yet few of us spend more than 7% of our time outdoors! What are the repercussions of disconnecting ourselves from the earth?

What is EQ and why is it so important? Find out your Emotional Intelligence and read more about what I offer.

Why is purpose and meaning so importance for our wellbeing? Are you truly aware of the “why” behind everything you do? Find out how your Noble Goals can be the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning.