Written by Manusha Phoolbosseea, Master Injector/ Educator in Medical Aesthetics Manusha Phoolbosseea is a master Injector/educator in Medical aesthetics. She trained novice to experienced injectors. She founded LaBelle Aesthetics Boutique, a mobile aesthetics clinic. She is currently working on publishing her first book, "Miracle of Botox," and launching her podcast. I never imagined that my journey into motherhood would begin earlier than expected. At 34 weeks, I found myself with a small but powerful spirit baby who seemed to arrive with a message rather than a timeline. It wasn’t the story I had planned, but it became the story that shaped me more deeply than anything else ever had. The day everything shifted One moment, pregnancy felt predictable and steady. The next, my body whispered a truth I couldn’t ignore, "It’s time." Fear and calm lived inside me at the same time. I remember holding my breath between contractions, praying that my baby would be safe, healthy, and strong. The hospital lights felt too bright, and the world too loud, but inside my chest, there was a quiet courage. A mother’s courage. And then, suddenly, there she was, small, beautiful, early but whole. A 34-week miracle. A spirit baby with a purpose Some babies come on time, but mine came in perfect divine timing. There was something about her presence, delicate yet powerful, that felt guided. She didn’t need intensive interventions. No ICU. Just a little help for jaundice and a lot of love. Even the nurses noticed it. “She’s tiny,” they said, “but she’s strong. She knows what she’s doing.” And I believed them. She felt like an old soul wearing a newborn body, a spirit baby who came to teach me resilience, surrender, and the sacredness of trusting life. The postpartum awakening Postpartum wasn’t easy. It stretched me, reshaped me, softened and strengthened me all at once. My hormones crashed. My emotions rose like tides. My body felt foreign. My heart felt too open, vulnerable in a way I had never known. But there she was, my daughter, my teacher. Her breathing patterns, her tiny hands curling around my finger, her rooting for nourishment, all of it reminded me: Life does not wait for us to be ready. It invites us to rise. Healing in phases Healing wasn’t one single moment. It came in waves. The first time she latched. The first time I held her skin-to-skin and felt her settle, like she remembered something ancient. The night I cried quietly, overwhelmed but grateful. The morning she opened her eyes longer than usual and truly saw me. The day I realized I survived birth, but also became reborn. I learned to mother myself as I mothered her. Strength in the small things People underestimate late-preterm babies. They see “34 weeks” and think tiny means fragile. But my baby showed me a truth: Strength is not measured by size. It is measured by soul. She grew with determination. She fed with intention. She gained weight with a stubborn little fire inside her. And every gram she gained felt like a victory for both of us. Bonding beyond normal time Because our journey began differently, our bonding unfolded differently. We bonded in hospital rooms, in quiet dawn hours, during jaundice treatment, through exhaustion, milk tears, and whispered prayers. It wasn’t the easy bonding story found in parenting books. It was our story, raw, sacred, and full of grace. She taught me unconditional love through imperfection. The mother I became I became a mother the day she was born, but I became her mother because of the journey that followed. I learned patience I didn’t know I had, resilience I didn’t know I needed, softness I thought I had lost, and strength I did not recognize at first. She made me more human, more spiritual, and more intuitive. A journey still unfolding Every day, she continues to grow, and every day I grow with her. Our story began early, unexpectedly, beautifully. And now, looking back, I see that she wasn’t premature, she was right on time for her purpose. A 34-week spirit baby. A messenger of strength. A healer in a tiny body. A reminder that miracles rarely follow schedules, they follow destiny. Read more from Manusha Phoolbosseea Manusha Phoolbosseea, Master Injector/ Educator in Medical Aesthetics Manusha Phoolbosseea entered the medical aesthetics industry five years ago and has seen the benefits Botox brings. Treatment of lines and wrinkles is well-known, but are we focusing on migraine relief, excessive sweating, muscle spasms and stiffness, overactive bladder, eye conditions, and teeth grinding, which the majority of our audience is not aware of? Manusha has volunteered in many clinics and attended seminars to acquire knowledge and continue to learn about his fascinating neuromodulator. There are too many misconceptions about Botox. The mission is to continue educating the audience about the benefits and clients who can benefit from tailored treatment. Citation: McLeish J, Harvey M, Redshaw M, Alderdice F. A qualitative study of first-time mothers' experiences of postnatal social support from health professionals in England. Women Birth. 2021 Sep;34(5):e451-e460.

Written by Joseph C Pledger JR, Eds., Educational Specialist Joseph C. Pledger Jr., EdS, is an accomplished master of the storytelling adventure. Though shunned by world affairs dinner table guests, it became his civic innovation that was sought and bought by justice reform. Thus, “The Microchip” appreciated the wrongfulness of his actions. A Microcomputer Systems Manager, AI Scholar, and JEDI Developer. Google explained how to retrieve employee access to its Truck Leasing Division. In 2022, I was intrigued by a job application for a Beachwood, Ohio logistics dispatcher within Go Penske’s talent management spreadsheet. While utilising my Chromebook’s Linux OS, I employed my quarter-century of soft microcomputer skills and training gained through spectral academic study and professional Progress 4GL relational database analytical development at Bryant & Stratton College and Aurora Products. My programming of Google Console kicked back the desired credentials. So, I accepted access and ventured further into a graphical monitoring station of light pulsing sequences. Directing me, I stumbled upon a forbidden database of kickbacks for employees. But discussing its existence is grounds for criminal prosecution from Penske. Single Sign On employees must be of traditional American citizenship who can trace their lineage of wealth through the nomenclature hierarchy based on the Founding Families of America. With America’s descendants of slavery in constant flux for cash payments, gaining reparations from the public’s trust resulted in today’s DEI debacle. So progress is met with my paradigm, or pathway, to follow. “Become The Duke, Silver or Golden Ducat Coin, Who Simply Trapped the Wealth Gap” If you can realise your very own American economy, then this paradigm will extract wealth from any industry or transaction producing real value. I have identified, in the US, the gamification for it to really happen. So raise your fist of fate and pass the plate. “Because Black Wall Streets Ain’t Got Nothing on What’s Happening With Us Folks” The real values will never leave your community ever again. Infiltrators and haters will attempt to sabotage the plan. The reparations deal is in Trump’s hands. This Financial Juneteenth, Elon Musk salutes the “Jive on the Back Hand Side.” The Official Million Dollar Bill was a document approved by the United States Treasury Department and Secret Service over forty years ago. Establishing trust and goodwill in any community is the basis of industry!  Circulating novelty notes repairing bonds promotes brands to build.  Raising a trading desk of assets owned and controlled by the brand traps the wealth gap of real value transferred into and out of any community.  Trading desks, acting as financial institutions, easily form circulation patterns, keeping real values from escaping community members, as stakeholders.   DUBIT uses a download of 32 spreadsheets, calculating formulas generated by formatting rows and columns of cells to worldbuild game systems into a virtual economy for players and gamers.  The Official Million Dollar Bill and DUBIT will terraform the landscape and identity politics of Black communities, with thousands of jobs for Black marketers, and build them into brands. Becoming the silver or golden ducat coin Simply, you can be the embossing upon ordering an acquisition of these novelty notes. Shout out what the bearer of the bond can expect for you to do for you, to be known and respected. Although The US Sun Times pro rates personal essays, they refused to release a paradox foiled by its paradigm. Since BlackNews will never understand the value of vision, Publisher Dante Lee decided our content needed to be newsworthy. So beware, race hustlers and culture vultures. You can clickbait your subscribers while fielding all day. Brainz. Send us folks more brains. Magazines. Because these folks are tired of playing politics with the living dead. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Joseph C Pledger Jr, Eds Joseph C Pledger JR, Eds., Educational Specialist Cited for his Strategic Expertise, "The Microchip" appears distinctly listed within the 76th EDITION of Albert Marquis' Who's Who in America for 2023. Trading business licenses with whoever purchases and browses such periodicals and literature to pick his brain.

Written by Paula Margulis, Master Leader in the work of Transformation As an Empress, an Entrepreneur, and A Master Leader in the work of Transformation, Paula guarantees a new idea leading to a new game. New game = New results! Here we are… on the slow approach to the completion of this guided tour. I invite you to stay seated for the remainder of this journey. And yes, we’re about to hit some turbulence as we move through some rough weather. Ha! Jokes aside… we are about to cross into more tumultuous terrain. And before we do, let’s revisit the stops that brought you here. The first stop was a real eye-opener, you are your greatest asset, investment, and gift. The next few stops offered you an opportunity to discover what life can feel like when you are aligned, balanced, grounded, in homeostasis, living into your vision, a life by your design. We also acknowledged how you’ve lived up until now, and where you may have been operating on autopilot. As we moved through the middle of the journey, we explored all things related to The Gap, your gap: where you are versus where you want to be, and what lives in between. Those are my favorite stops. Do you have a favorite so far? Now… let’s continue. All that knowledge and wisdom of self has led us to the opportunity to shift something in your life, to shrink the distance between who you are today and who you get to be. Last month’s article began to broach this subject. Today, we go in. Shall we? Buckle up. Today, we step into breakthrough. Today we declare: I trust myself. Today we declare: I am worthy. Today we declare: I deserve my best. Today we choose: change, growth, empowerment, and greatness. You’ve had the chance to assess your current reality. You’ve had the chance to acknowledge where you’d like to be. You’ve had the chance to explore what lives between you now and you in your vision. Now… here comes the interruption: What’s in the gap? What’s in your way? What’s in between you now and the life you say you want? Do you know? Can you see it? The space inside the gap is often filled with: limitations obstacles hardships challenges and the stories we tell ourselves about all of it And here’s the breakthrough: Once you name what’s in the way, it becomes workable. Once you call the elephant out, it has a face. And when it has a face, you can handle it. So here’s your opportunity: Call out the elephants in your room. Metaphorically speaking, what are the limitations, obstacles, hardships, and challenges that are holding up your show and keeping you from closing the gap? Name them. Look at them. Acknowledge them. Sit with them. Learn from them. And then… choose to release what no longer serves you. Let me give you an example. Once upon a time, I had a belief that earning a powerful income meant I would experience pain. The belief was simple, making money is painful. That belief was created through childhood experiences. And because it formed early, it lived quietly in my system for years. The result? For five years, I never made more than $100,000. Not a dollar more. It was as if my life had an invisible ceiling. That’s what I call an intangible limitation. Now, I want to be clear, the articulation I’m giving you today comes after years of re-circuiting my brain and healing my heart. Back then, what I thought was true sounded like this: I’m only as good as this income. I don’t deserve more. I’m not worthy of more. I can’t make more. That was obviously not the case. Obviously, I could make more. Obviously, I was worth more. Obviously, I deserved more. So what was really in the gap? Stories. We are deeply impacted by the stories we tell, repeat, and believe. So… what are you telling yourself? What are you saying to yourself when you hit a challenge, obstacle, or limitation? What stories rise up when life asks more of you? For me, the inner noise sounded like this: “This is it.” “This is as good as it gets.” “There’s no hope.” “There’s no point.” “Will it ever get better?” “What’s wrong with me?!” And that’s where the breakthrough begins. Mirror work. When you reach an obstacle… What story do you immediately attach to it? Because here’s the truth: It’s not only the hardship that’s in your gap, it’s the meaning you’ve given it. So take some time this week and: identify each elephant in your room listen for the noise in your mind clarify the stories being communicated by you and your environment This is your breakthrough moment. Because when you can see what you couldn’t see before, you can change what once felt impossible. Making moves to close your gap becomes remarkably more attainable, and can be received with love and generosity, once you remember. You are your greatest source of everything. Want support? If you’re ready to create real breakthroughs, not someday, but now, support can change everything. When you’re done circling the same patterns, reach out. I’d be honored to walk with you. Book your call here . Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Paula Margulis Paula Margulis, Master Leader in the work of Transformation As the CEO of PawlaNation Inc., which was founded in 2018, a Business Marketing graduate and licensed Realtor since 2011, Paula is a seasoned full-time Sales Representative with EXP Realty. She continuously chooses to expand and build her empire, which includes Chief Networking Officer of Total Knockout Referrals, Founder & CEO of PawlaNation Leadership, Foundation & Sanctuary. For the past 12 years, she has been choosing her personal development in a committed and rigorous manner, leading herself to her personal power, potential, authenticity, vulnerability, peace, and serenity, all the way being guided by a powerful vision and mission; to empower humanity with their humanity.

Written by Aaron Rusnak, Innovation Tennis Coach Aaron Rusnak is a 30-year tennis industry leader, mentor, and innovator recognized for shaping elite player and coach development through his forward-thinking methodologies, data-driven, and mentorship initiatives. For over a decade, I poured my heart into one facility. It was more than a workplace, it was a family. A culture built on trust, shared standards, mentorship, and genuine care for people. Over those years, I helped develop some of the largest and most successful programs the facility had ever seen. I was proud, not because of recognition, but because of the lives being impacted. And then leadership truly tested me. “Leadership is revealed when values are challenged.” Some individuals within the organization began engaging in unethical and unprofessional behavior. These were not isolated mistakes, but conscious decisions repeated over a long period of time. As someone who mentored younger coaches, I felt a deep responsibility. I could not teach integrity while quietly allowing behavior that violated it. During difficult conversations, I was told that I lacked empathy. I responded honestly, I am an empathetic person. I understand that people make mistakes. But empathy does not mean ignoring repeated misconduct when individuals fully understand what they are doing. From the moment we were hired, we were held to clear standards, the ‘10 Commandments.’ These expectations existed to protect the culture, the members, and the staff. “True empathy protects the many, it does not enable the few.” Eventually, I was offered a raise to stay. But leadership isn’t about being bought, it’s about being aligned. Walking away meant giving up more than a decade of work. It meant starting over. But my conscience was clear. What few people saw was the internal cost. The prolonged ethical conflict and emotional strain eventually led to post-traumatic stress symptoms. “Seeking help wasn’t a weakness. It was leadership turned inward.” Healing took nearly a year through therapy and intentional work. That season forced me to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with who I was beyond my role and title. After stepping away, I chose reinvention over repetition. I joined a 55-year-old facility that had never had a true high-performance program. With two of my former students working alongside me, we created a three-court model focused on singles, doubles, and private instruction with video analysis. At the same time, I expanded beyond the court, building a fitness program, speaking at symposiums, writing, and working internationally, including collaborating with Dominic Thiem’s team in Austria. “By choosing to walk away, I didn’t lose my purpose, I expanded it.” As I reflect on these chapters, I realize leadership has never existed in isolation for me. It lives at home. Every difficult decision, every moment of uncertainty, my son was watching. Not through words, but through example. I want him to know that doing the right thing matters, even when you feel alone. Especially when you feel alone. Resilience isn’t about never falling. It’s about getting back up, learning, and continuing forward with courage. Be proud of the person you see in the mirror. That is leadership worth passing on. “Leadership doesn’t end at work, it lives at home.” Leadership will test you. Integrity will cost you. But staying true to who you are will always be worth it. Follow me on Instagram ,  LinkedIn ,  and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Aaron Rusnak Aaron Rusnak, Innovation Tennis Coach Aaron Rusnak is a 30-year tennis industry leader, coach, and inspirational speaker known for developing players and coaches at every level of the game. As Director of Private Instruction at Five Star Tennis and founder of Innovation Tennis Coaching, he blends data-driven performance with mentorship and leadership education. A former USTA Pro Circuit competitor and GPTCA ATP Tour Coach, Aaron's passion lies in helping others grow through connection, purpose, and self-belief. Through his inspirational speaking, educational programs, and The Ripple Effect Podcast, he continues to empower coaches and players worldwide to lead, learn, and make a lasting impact both on and off the court.

Written by Lisa Jones, Holistic Practitioner and Founder With years of experience in holistic healing and mind–body wellness, Lisa at Access Healing guides clients through gentle, transformative practices designed to restore balance, clarity, and deeper self-connection. We often think of emotional healing as something we seek only after a major crisis. But the truth is, the body starts asking for support long before we consciously realise anything is wrong. For many women, especially those navigating PMS, anxiety or chronic stress, these early signals can be subtle, familiar, and incredibly easy to brush aside. Recognising these signs isn’t about diagnosing yourself or assuming something is “wrong.” It’s about learning to listen to what your body has been trying to tell you all along. 1. You feel emotionally overwhelmed by small things When everyday situations suddenly feel heavier than they should, it’s often a sign that your nervous system has been carrying too much for too long. Emotional overwhelm usually has less to do with the moment itself and more to do with what hasn’t yet been processed. The body stays on high alert, and even small challenges can feel like too much. 2. Your PMS feels increasingly intense or unpredictable PMS is one of the most overlooked indicators of emotional and nervous system imbalance. When stress builds up, hormonal shifts can feel far more disruptive. You might notice heightened irritability, anxiety, tearfulness or even emotional shutdown around your cycle. These reactions aren’t a lack of emotional control, they’re signs of a system struggling to regulate. 3. You struggle to relax, even when you have time to rest Rest isn’t just about stopping, it’s about feeling safe enough to soften. If your body stays tense even during quiet moments, emotional stress may have settled deeper than you realise. This can look like restlessness, difficulty switching off, or a constant sense of needing to stay “on,” even when nothing is required of you. 4. You experience emotional numbness or sudden emotional release Emotional healing doesn’t always show up as big feelings. Sometimes it shows up as no feeling at all. Numbness, disconnection or sudden emotional outbursts can all be signs that stored emotional energy is trying to move. These responses are protective, not signs of instability. 5. You feel chronically tired despite adequate sleep When exhaustion lingers no matter how much you rest, there’s often an emotional or nervous system component at play. A body stuck in survival mode diverts energy away from repair and restoration. This type of fatigue is incredibly common in women experiencing chronic stress or emotional overload. 6. Your body holds tension without a clear cause Tension in the shoulders, jaw, hips or lower back can be the body’s way of holding what the mind hasn’t had space to process. Over time, this tension can become a pattern rather than a temporary response. The body remembers, even when we don’t. 7. You feel disconnected from yourself Feeling disconnected from your body, emotions or sense of self is a powerful sign that emotional healing is needed. This disconnection is often a coping strategy developed during prolonged stress. Reconnection begins the moment the body feels safe enough to come back into awareness. Why emotional healing doesn’t have to be overwhelming Many women avoid emotional healing because they fear it will be intense, draining or require revisiting painful memories. But healing doesn’t have to look like emotional excavation. Gentle, supportive environments allow the nervous system to regulate gradually, creating space for healing without overwhelm or pressure. How group healing can support emotional healing Group healing sessions offer a safe, accessible way to begin emotional healing, especially for women who feel tired, anxious or emotionally stretched thin. Through shared regulation, energetic support and intentional space, the body naturally begins to soften. Many women experience grounding, clarity and emotional relief without needing to speak or process verbally. The nervous system responds to safety, connection and presence, and group healing provides all three. These sessions can be especially supportive for women experiencing PMS, anxiety or emotional fatigue, offering ongoing support without requiring deep emotional exposure. Final thoughts The body speaks long before the mind catches up. It communicates through sensations, patterns and subtle signals, all invitations to slow down and listen. For many women, simply recognising these signs is the first step back to balance, connection and emotional ease. You can enrol onto our next session right here . If you’ve been carrying these struggles quietly, know that you don’t have to keep doing it alone. There are simple steps you can take today to begin easing the weight. You can start by taking my short survey right here,  or, if you’d prefer a more personal connection, join my waiting list for the next free call which you can do right here . Together, we’ll explore how to bring your body and mind back into a place of ease and balance. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , or visit my website for more info! Read more from Lisa Jones Lisa Jones, Holistic Practitioner and Founder Lisa Jones is a holistic practitioner devoted to helping clients reconnect with their innate ability to heal and thrive. Blending energy work, mindfulness, and nervous system regulation, she guides others toward greater balance, clarity, and emotional well-being. Through her company, Access Healing, Lisa creates transformative experiences, from hands-on sessions to meditation practices and educational content. Her work is grounded in compassion, intuition, and a calm, heart-led approach that empowers clients to feel safe, supported, and deeply seen. Lisa’s mission is simple, to help people return home to themselves.

Written by Jenna McDonough, Emotional Regulation Specialist Jenna McDonough is a trauma-sensitive emotional regulation specialist who supports adults and children through meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, somatic resets, and sound healing. She is the creator of the PEACEFUL: Mindful Moments for Every Age app and author of Kind Kids. Her mission is to make emotional well-being accessible to all. You might not remember the exact moment something changed, but your body often does. Trauma and chronic stress can leave a physiological imprint that shows up later as tension, shutdown, anxiety, pain, or a persistent feeling of being “on edge.” In this article, I’ll share real-life observations from my work with children and families and the science that helps explain why the nervous system holds on, and what can help it soften, complete, and release. What does it mean when we say, “the body keeps the score”? The phrase “the body keeps the score” is a widely used way to describe a well-supported concept in trauma psychology. Experiences that overwhelm the nervous system can be stored as implicit memory patterns of sensation, emotion, and physiological response rather than as clear, narrative memory. That means the body can react as if a threat is happening now, even when the conscious mind can’t point to a single “reason.” Bessel van der Kolk popularized this body-based understanding of trauma and emphasized how traumatic stress can shape the brain and body together. Read more about how the nervous system shapes stress responses and emotional regulation: How To Manage Your Emotions – A Guide To Nervous System Regulation With Simple Habits   Why two people can live the same experience and carry it differently I’ve worked with many children in my life, and one thing I can say with certainty is that no two are exactly the same. They may share similar traits, personalities, or even life circumstances, but their nervous systems are uniquely shaped by temperament, attachment experiences, and the environment around them. As a young teacher, I taught and tutored, which gave me a deeper view of how children learn and relate outside the classroom. I got to know students one-on-one and, in some cases, their siblings, too, seeing how family dynamics, emotional safety, and regulatory patterns can look similar on the surface while functioning very differently beneath the surface. That’s why I’ve always been intrigued by comparisons, twins with similar experiences, siblings with shared environments across different time frames, and, most revealing of all, adopted siblings whose early-life experiences differed in profound ways.   A story the mind forgot, but the body remembered I worked closely with siblings who had been adopted from China. I was deeply touched that this family felt safe enough to share their adoption story with me. Before that experience, I didn’t fully understand the emotional and developmental complexities of international adoption. What I learned was eye-opening and heartbreaking. Both children were adopted by the same loving family. Both were brought home to warmth, stability, medical support, extended family, and care. Consciously, once they were in America, all they “knew” was their new home life. But their bodies told two different stories. One child had spent their early life in a smaller, more nurturing setting. She received consistent care: holding, feeding, responsive touch, interaction, and opportunities to move, play, and connect. This child grew into what many would describe as bubbly, expressive, outgoing, and quick to trust, socially confident, and emotionally open. The other child came from a more traditional, high-volume orphanage environment with limited touch and minimal responsive care. She was often kept in a crib. Bottles were propped. Physical affection was scarce. In some cases, basic neglect led to physical issues that required intervention after adoption, an unfortunate reality documented in many institutional care settings. This child grew into someone different, reserved, serious, slow to warm up, and uncomfortable with physical touch. She was vigilant, watching, listening, and tracking. She learned quietly and quickly, absorbing what was happening around her long before she trusted people enough to engage. She didn’t remember her earliest months in words. But her body remembered what it was like to need and not receive consistent comfort.   What research says about early deprivation and nervous system development What I observed in these children aligns with what developmental psychology and child psychiatry research has shown for decades, early deprivation can shape attachment, stress physiology, and emotional regulation, even when later environments are safe and loving. Large bodies of research on children raised in institutional care show elevated risk for attachment difficulties, difficulties with emotion regulation, and long-term stress-system impacts, especially when early caregiving lacked warmth, consistency, and responsive touch. One of the best-known research efforts on this topic is the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, which examined the effects of early institutionalization and the impact of placing children into nurturing foster care environments. Explore how attachment and early life experiences shape emotional regulation: The Attachment Trauma Trilogy Part I & 2   Trauma isn’t only “Big T” events: The body stores what overwhelms While institutional deprivation is a powerful illustration of how early trauma can settle in the body, the same nervous system principle applies across the lifespan. A schoolyard humiliation. A painful breakup. A public mistake at work. A fender bender. A season of chronic stress. You may not remember the exact words or moment, but your body remembers the feeling, the contraction in the chest, the heat in the face, the freeze in the throat, the shutdown in the belly. That’s unprocessed energy left in the system. And when that stored response gets “pressed on,” you can feel triggered, reactive, overwhelmed, flooded, or numb. Over time, unresolved stress can contribute to physical symptoms and inflammatory patterns, which is why trauma-informed care increasingly considers the mind-body connection. The good news: You don’t have to remember it to heal it One of the most hopeful truths I’ve learned through teaching, healing work, and lived experience is this: You do not have to remember something clearly to heal it fully. Because healing isn’t only cognitive. It is physiological. It’s about helping the nervous system complete what it couldn’t complete at the time, returning to safety, restoring flexibility, and expanding your window of tolerance.   What helps the body release stored trauma energy? Before anything else, I’m a strong proponent of working with licensed mental health and medical professionals, especially when symptoms are severe, persistent, or affecting daily life. Once that foundation is in place, trauma-informed, body-based practices can support regulation and integration. Here are four that many people find helpful:   1. Mindfulness and meditation Mindfulness practices are associated with changes in brain function and connectivity related to emotion regulation, including reduced amygdala reactivity and strengthened prefrontal regulatory networks in multiple studies. Body-based meditation is especially helpful when trauma is held as sensation rather than story. It teaches interoception, safely noticing what’s happening inside the body without becoming overwhelmed. In my practice, I often use emotional-release meditations that include scanning the body, noticing where tension or emotion lives, and breathing into that area gently. I describe it like a jellyfish, the inhale expands, the exhale softens, restoring rhythmic movement and signaling safety to the brain. Learn more about the benefits and how incorporate a Meditation and Mindfulness Practice: How to Start a Meditation Practice Even if You Think You Can’t Sit Still   2. Breathwork and vagus-nerve Support Slow, paced breathing is one of the most direct ways to influence the autonomic nervous system. When breath becomes slow and rhythmic, it can support parasympathetic activation, the “rest and digest” state, improving the body’s felt sense of safety over time. (This is also one reason breath is used across evidence-based trauma therapies.)   3. EMDR for trauma processing In my own healing journey, EMDR became a key support when my nervous system couldn’t “turn off” after a traumatic experience. EMDR is widely recognized as an evidence-based treatment for PTSD, with multiple reviews and clinical resources supporting its effectiveness.   4. Supportive body-based modalities (including sound and somatic work) Somatic approaches focus on completing threat responses through gentle movement, sensation, and nervous system regulation rather than only retelling the story. Mindfulness-related interventions also show neurobiological effects that may support emotional regulation and stress resilience. Explore how movement after trauma benefits the nervous system: How Trauma Energy Gets Stored in the Body and What Helps It Release The body isn’t betraying you, it’s protecting you If you take one thing from this article, let it be this: Your body’s responses are not signs that you are broken. They are signs that something once overwhelmed your system, and your system adapted to survive. Whether the stored “score” comes from early deprivation, a painful season of life, or a single moment your nervous system couldn’t process in real time, healing is possible. It happens when you create the conditions for completion, safety, support, repetition, and compassionate attention to the body’s signals. You don’t have to force release. You don’t have to relive everything. You can heal by helping the nervous system learn little by little that the threat has passed. If you recognize yourself in this, especially if your body is carrying stress, tension, anxiety, or shutdown, consider starting with professional support and exploring trauma-informed, body-based practices that help you reconnect safely. Small, consistent steps toward regulation can create profound change over time. “When we stop asking what’s wrong with us and start asking what our nervous system learned, healing becomes a return to safety, not a battle against ourselves.”   Author reflection This piece comes from both professional experience and deep observation. Working with children and families taught me early on that behavior is never just behavior. It’s communication. When I witnessed adopted siblings with vastly different early caregiving experiences, it clarified something I now hold as foundational: the mind may not remember, but the body does. My hope is that this article reduces shame, increases compassion, and helps readers see their symptoms as signals, guiding them toward support, regulation, and healing that honors the whole person. Follow me on   Facebook ,   Instagram, LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jenna McDonough Jenna McDonough, Emotional Regulation Specialist Jenna McDonough is a meditation and mindfulness teacher, children’s book author, and emotional regulation specialist dedicated to helping people of all ages live more peaceful and present lives. She supports adults and children in recognizing, understanding, and moving through their emotions with meditation, mindfulness, somatic resets, breathwork, and sound and energy healing, all offered through a trauma-sensitive approach that ensures safe and empowering experiences. She is the founder of the PEACEFUL: Mindful Moments for Every Age App and the author of Kind Kids: The Adventures of Hurley, Pearl, and the Pink Soldiers of Kindness, and the creator of meditation and healing arts courses designed to foster emotional intelligence, resilience, and compassion.

Written by Karen Whelan, The SOULution Therapist, Founder & CEO Karen is an award-winning Psychotherapist, Shamanic Medicine & Spiritual Advisor. A 7-time international bestselling author and top motivational speaker featured in Forbes, USA Today, and Thrive Global, renowned for empowering others to achieve profound personal transformation. Some awakenings don’t arrive gently. They arrive as a pull, a whisper you cannot ignore, a force that makes the familiar feel suddenly alive with meaning. In the idyllic fishing village of Pittenweem on the east coast of Scotland, I found myself experiencing a spiritual activation that would change not only my creative work but also the direction of my life. At 5:00 AM, as I was exploring my newfound home, village, and community? The fishing boats were returning to harbour with their catch, and the quiet beauty of the village seemed to unveil something hidden beneath the surface. I didn’t know it then, but this was the beginning of a divine unfolding.   The call: A spiritual awakening that wouldn’t leave For seven years, a sketch of angel wings lingered on my desk. It was more than an idea, it felt like unfinished business, a dream waiting for its moment. Each time I glanced at it and tried to sculpt it, alas! It felt the weight of something not yet born. Little did I know then that my move to Pittenweem would catalyse this long-awaited creation.   Witchy Wynd: The place where time opens While exploring the historical landmarks of my new home, I discovered Witchy Wynd, a narrow, winding street at the far end of the harbour. As I walked up its curling path, my senses sharpened. I felt an extraordinary connection, like stepping into a hidden essence/memory that didn’t belong to my mind, but belonged to the land. That night, I returned home with my soul ablaze. The next morning, the feeling hadn’t left. It was as though something unseen was reaching out to communicate, and I was finally listening.   The ARC: Where the wings were born Compelled by something beyond logic, I went to my welding workshop known as “The ARC” at the college where I had lectured for 21 years. The energy I felt in Witchy Wynd burst forth through my hands. I began shaping metal, polishing, tarnishing with fire, forming what would become feathers and wings. Tears flowed as I worked. My emotions surged. The process felt unstoppable, less like I was creating something, and more like I was being used as a vessel for something sacred.   It felt like the angel Gabriel, the messenger for the world, was being birthed through me. “Are you listening? The journey to be truly human is to do with vibrating at a certain level and to hold a certain light. Knowledge is a rumour until it is truly in your being.” – Archangel Gabriel   The revelation: The women of 1704 Curiosity led me to a local historian. What he shared stunned me. In 1704, Witchy Wynd carried a brutal legacy. Five women of influence and wealth, along with three conspirators, were accused of witchcraft. They were interrogated, tortured, forced to confess, and chained together. They were marched down the High Street past where I lived through the winding path of Witchy Wynd, toward the North Sea.   At the point where they would have first seen the water, they would have known their fate. They were staked in the sea and left for the tide. A horrific “test” disguised as justice.   The marker: The land remembers I began to understand what had happened to me. What I felt wasn’t imagination. It was activation. It was as though these women had left something behind, an energetic marker in the land, waiting for the right moment, and the right vessel, to find it.   I believe I found it. The sculptures that emerged were not simply art pieces. They became memorials. Messengers. A way for spirit and story to speak again through form, fire, and metal.   The meaning: When art becomes a healing transmission From this profound encounter, two metal sculptures were born to honour the women of Pittenweem. Their story, woven into the village’s fabric, reached across time and ignited my creative mission. In this serene place, I found more than inspiration, I found purpose. This was the beginning of something far greater: an awakening into healing, and into communion with the angelic realm in ways I could never have imagined.   Final reflection: Stay open to the hidden wonders The spirit world communicates in mysterious ways. Sometimes we are chosen not because we are ready, but because we are willing and seeking.   My journey in Pittenweem reminded me that wonder still lives beneath the surface of everyday life. There are markers all around us. There are stories waiting to be honoured. There are messages trying to come through. And sometimes creation is how spirit speaks.   3 takeaway closing reflections 1. Purpose Purpose isn’t always something we choose, sometimes it is something that chooses us. It can arrive as a pull in the body, a knowing in the soul, or an encounter that rearranges how we see the world. When we stop resisting the call and begin responding with devotion, purpose becomes less about achievement and more about becoming a vessel for meaning.   2. Possibilities Possibilities open the moment we allow life to be more mysterious than our mind can explain. When we stay curious, when we listen deeply, and when we honour the signs rather than dismiss them, we begin to see that creativity, healing, and transformation are not separate paths, they are the same path. The world is full of hidden doorways, and sometimes one street, one moment, one sensation is all it takes to change everything.   3. Human potential Human potential is not limited to what we can do, but is revealed through what we can hold. We are capable of carrying light, truth, grief, beauty, and awakening all at once. When we raise our frequency through intention, embodiment, and courage, we become more than informed, we become initiated. And from that place, our work stops being performance and becomes transmission.   Call to action If this story speaks to something within you, the call to create, to heal, or to remember who you truly are, you are invited to explore more of the Angel Wings mission and the work of SOULution Therapy. Learn more here . Jeff Imrie, Co-Founder of SOULution Therapy, is an award-winning sculptor, medical intuitive, spiritual coach, healer, global speaker, and international bestselling author. A former lecturer of 21 years, Jeff was awarded Global Educator of the Year by AWS in Las Vegas. He is currently on a divine mission to sculpt 21 angel representations of humanity as a healing transmission for our time. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more info! Read more from Karen Whelan Karen Whelan, The SOULution Therapist, Founder & CEO Karen is an internationally recognized Spiritual Advisor, Psychotherapist, and Shamanic Medicine Woman celebrated for her transformative approach to healing and empowerment. She is the founder of SOULution Therapy and a 7-time international bestselling author honored with the James Madison Literary Award. Named a Top Motivational Speaker for 2025, Karen’s insights have been featured in Forbes, USA Today, and Hollywood Digest. She continues to inspire global audiences through her therapy, books, and retreats.

Written by Sarah Mariko, Fitness Coach Sarah Mariko is the founder of the fitness app "MOVE With Mariko." She was one of the first instructors to teach at the world-renowned Barry's Bootcamp and has worked in the industry globally, in Los Angeles, London, and beyond. Scroll through Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube today, and you’ll likely find sleek studios, slow-burning workouts, reformer routines, and influencers praising “that Pilates feeling.” Celebrities credit it for their strength and posture. Physical therapists recommend it for injury prevention. What once felt niche has become a global movement. Over the past few years, Pilates has shifted from boutique studios into mainstream culture. It lives online, in corporate wellness programmes, hotel gyms, and home workout apps. Its rise mirrors a broader wellness shift, away from punishing high-intensity workouts and towards sustainable, intelligent movement. In an era marked by burnout, screen fatigue, and chronic stress, Pilates offers something rare: focus, presence, and challenge, without the overwhelm and chaos of day-to-day life. This isn’t just a trend. It’s a reflection of how we’re redefining health. From rehabilitation tool to global phenomenon Pilates was created in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates, who called his method “Contrology.” It was designed to strengthen the body through controlled, precise movement and breath. Originally used in rehabilitation and by elite dancers, it quietly built a reputation for effectiveness. For decades, Pilates remained somewhat underground. Then came the convergence of several forces: social media’s visual culture, the rise of boutique fitness, and a growing scepticism towards extreme training. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok made Pilates visually appealing and accessible. The Pilates girlies with their toned bodies and great posture stood at the forefront of this movement. And celebrities and athletes amplified its credibility. At the same time, wellness culture began to mature. Instead of chasing six-pack abs at any cost, people started asking deeper questions: How do I want to feel in ten years? How can I move without hurting myself? How can fitness support my mental health? Pilates had answers. The physical benefits: Strength that supports life 1. Deep core strength and stability Unlike many workouts that focus on surface muscles, Pilates trains the deep stabilising muscles of the abdomen, back, and pelvis. This “core” is less about appearance and more about function. Studies have shown that regular Pilates practice improves core endurance and postural control. A stronger core supports everything from walking and lifting to sitting at a desk. 2. Improved posture and reduced pain Modern life is hard on the body. Long hours at laptops, phones, and in cars can compress the spine and weaken postural muscles. The result is neck, back, and shoulder pain. Pilates addresses this directly. Through alignment-focused exercises, it retrains muscles that support the spine. Studies have found that Pilates can reduce chronic lower back pain and improve spinal mobility. Training in Pilates has many benefits that extend far beyond the studio. 3. Low-impact strength Pilates builds lean muscle without high-impact stress on joints. This makes it accessible for people of all ages and fitness levels, from athletes recovering from injury, to professionals who haven’t exercised in years, to the older generation who might have weaker joints and more aches and pains. It is kinder on the body because movements are controlled and often performed lying down or with support. But don’t underestimate the challenge. Anyone who has held a plank on a reformer knows that “gentle” does not mean “easy.”   The mental benefits: Training the mind through movement 1. Focus and cognitive clarity Pilates requires attention. Each movement is linked to breath, alignment, and intention. You can’t scroll on your phone while doing it. You must be present. This focused attention functions like moving meditation. Research on mindful movement shows it can improve concentration and reduce mental fatigue. Think of it as both a mental and physical reset. For professionals juggling constant demands, this mental clarity is as valuable as physical fitness. 2. Stress reduction and nervous system regulation Breathing is central to Pilates. Slow, controlled breaths activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the body’s “rest and digest” mode. Regular practice helps shift people out of chronic fight or flight. Over time, this improves sleep, digestion, and emotional regulation.   Pilates and the cultural shift toward conscious movement The global rise of Pilates reflects something bigger than exercise preferences. It mirrors a cultural recalibration. For years, fitness culture rewarded extremes: “No pain, no gain.” “Sweat is fat crying.” Rest equals weakness. Pilates represents a counter-narrative. Why social media didn’t ruin Pilates, it amplified it Unlike many fitness trends that burn bright and fade fast, Pilates has survived social media because its value runs deeper than aesthetics. Yes, it looks good on camera. But it also works. Digital platforms have democratised access. People in small towns, busy parents, and remote workers can now learn from world-class instructors online. These online communities have reframed Pilates as inclusive, adaptable, and lifelong. It’s a community, one where everyone is welcome. What Pilates says about us The rise of Pilates tells a quiet but powerful story about our collective values. We are tired of burnout. We are questioning extremes. We are choosing sustainability and long-term health. We recognise we live in a world full of constant demands, high stress, and high stimulation, and are aware of the need to reground and recenter ourselves in our bodies. We want strength that supports our lives, not consumes them. We want fitness that helps us think clearly, sleep deeply, and age well. We want practices that honour both performance and presence. Pilates offers that integration. It delivers resilience, physical, mental, and emotional. And in a fast, fragmented world, that may be its greatest gift. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Sarah Mariko Sarah Mariko, Fitness Coach Sarah is a leading fitness coach dedicated to helping women take control of their health and fitness with a sustainable, empowering approach. Her programme caters to busy women striving to maintain a healthy lifestyle without feeling overwhelmed. Her mission is to help busy women build strength, confidence, and lasting healthy habits.

Written by Eszter Noble, Clinical Hypnotherapist & Coach Eszter Noble is an RTT® practitioner, Clinical Hypnotherapist, and Coach, specializing in anxiety, fears, and depression. Her method utilizes the most effective techniques from CBT, NLP, psychotherapy, and hypnotherapy, with the ability to provide freedom from any issues and deliver permanent, lasting solutions. When you’re riddled with anxiety, getting up to exercise may very well feel like the absolute last thing you want to do. Activity, movement, however, is so important when it comes to dealing with anxiety because it changes your brain chemistry, your body’s stress response, and your thought patterns in ways that make you less vulnerable to getting stuck in anxious states. It may feel difficult to get started, but movement triggers endorphins, which improve mood, stress resilience, and brain function. Psychologically, regular exercise offers a concrete coping strategy, builds self-efficacy, and provides distraction from worry, all of which support better overall mental health. Overcoming overwhelm Most of us experience overwhelm, and it can feel like your thoughts, emotions, or demands are simply “too much,” and you don’t believe you can cope or keep up, so the idea of adding physical activity to your plate can seem incredibly daunting. It’s important, therefore, to start small. Even 5 or 10 minutes a day is an excellent way to initiate your new active way of life. Building good, consistent habits is more important than striving for perfection. Consistency is also crucial, and it gives your nervous system a sense of safety and predictability, which can lower baseline stress and make anxious “spikes” less intense over time. Regular, repeated calming habits (like a set sleep time, daily movement, or a brief breathing practice at the same time each day) train your brain to expect regulation instead of threat, so it’s easier to settle when anxiety shows up. Again, it doesn’t have to be perfectly done, just done. One more element we absolutely cannot neglect when it comes to feeling overwhelmed is shifting your self-talk by noticing harsh thoughts like “I can’t cope” and replacing them with more balanced ones, such as: “This is a lot, but I can handle one thing at a time.” Be deliberately kind to yourself, speaking as you would to a close friend or a loved one who is struggling. This positive self-talk is crucial because it helps regulate your nervous system, builds resilience, and ultimately shapes more helpful beliefs about yourself, which directly improve your mood, motivation, and coping. The enemy of anxiety is action Deep down, you may agree and know full well that exercise is very beneficial, but often it can feel nearly impossible to take the first step. Before you start beating yourself up over it or labelling yourself as lazy, allow me to share some insight on how your mind sees the situation. The fact is that your mind has a very different agenda. Your mind’s number one job is to keep you alive, and it doesn’t care if you thrive or not. Survival is the number one priority, and it will do what it can to preserve energy for a possible dangerous situation. This is why waiting for motivation is also a waste of time. It will feel hard, it will feel uncomfortable at first, but you need to understand and accept that, despite what your mind is trying to make you believe, discomfort does not equal danger. You will be fine. In fact, not only will you survive the difficulties of a workout or movement, but your body, mind, and mental well-being will thank you for it. Action helps overcome anxiety by breaking the cycle of avoidance that keeps your nervous system “stuck” in threat mode. Each small step you take towards something you care about teaches your brain that you can handle discomfort and that the feared situation is survivable. When you repeatedly act in line with your values, going to the gym, making the decision to work out, stepping outside instead of staying in bed, you build evidence of competence, shrink the power of anxious predictions, and gradually shift from feeling powerless to feeling capable and in control. Structure and systems to succeed We often make plans and create a list with goals, and then, somehow, out of nowhere, almost, these mysterious obstacles appear. You wanted to go to the Pilates class, but you don’t have clean gear. You really had all the intentions of going for a long walk, but that meeting came up. You were going to cycle, but it started to rain. Well, no need to worry because we are going to use the way our mind works in our favour and annihilate all possible obstacles. Our mind just wants to keep us safe and be prepared for anything that could be a potential threat. That is why it’s acting like a radar, seeking out anything that could harm us, and ‘negative thinking’ becomes such a part of our everyday life. So, with that in mind, let’s harness this behaviour. Next time you plan on going to the gym, ask yourself: “How can I mess this up?” I might have a massive meal beforehand, that would make me feel unable to move I may forget to buy groceries and not have any food when I get home I could forget to wash and prepare my gym gear the day before I won’t check my schedule and be double-booked Once you have your list of ‘unexpected issues,’ turn it around. What do I need to do to ensure I’m successful? Clean the clothes, prep the food, check the calendar, etc., and bam, no more surprises! Something else people often underestimate is their environment. Do not expect to live a healthy lifestyle, work out consistently, or even just be active if your entourage is the opposite. If people around you mock you, make fun of your new Stanley Thirst Quencher Cup, or tease you for wanting to be fit, chances are you will surrender to the scrutiny and give up. Personally, I would suggest finding new friends. Your environment and the friends you keep shape who you become over time. Starting can be daunting, and unfortunately, your mind will always try to pull you back to what is familiar, because it deems that safer. So, what should you do to become the new and improved you? And the answer is already there! You have to do, or in other words, take action, to become the new and improved version of yourself. By consistently showing up for yourself and keeping your promises to yourself, you signal to your subconscious that you are worthy. Finally, please do not wait to feel ready, there will never be a perfect time, and if the idea of moving your body, being a bit more active, feels unattainable due to time constraints, you may well need to reprioritize. Look closely at your calendar or silently admit to yourself that you could probably trim the screen time a bit. For a week, write down what you spend every hour of the day on, and very quickly you will find the gaps. Your physical well-being shouldn’t be the last thing on your to-do list!   Progress for peace of mind A lot of people hide behind perfectionism, claiming that they want to do everything just right, but unfortunately, it’s often one of the biggest excuses we use to delay what we really need to do. Focusing on progress instead of perfection is so important because perfection is an impossible standard that fuels anxiety, procrastination, and a constant sense of failure, but small, consistent steps are actually what build real habits and long-term change. When you allow yourself to do ‘something not perfect’- the pressure drops, it becomes easier to start, and even a short, imperfect version of your routine still reinforces the identity of someone who shows up for themselves. This progress mindset will help you see mistakes or missed days as information rather than proof you’re not good enough, supporting your mental health, more self-compassion, and sustainable daily routines that fit your real life. Giving yourself permission to be imperfect is incredibly freeing. True happiness and calmness come from self-acceptance and realistic goals, not unattainable perfection. Follow me on Facebook ,   Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my   website  for more info! Read more from Eszter Noble Eszter Noble, Clinical Hypnotherapist & Coach Eszter Noble is an established Clinical Hypnotherapist using the RTT® (Rapid Transformational Therapy) method, trained by world-renowned hypnotherapist Marisa Peer. She is known for handling extremely difficult cases and clients who have been stuck for years and have tried it all. Specializing in anxiety, fears, and depression, she is extremely intuitive and honest, dedicated to empowering her clients to become the best possible versions of themselves. Offering her expertise in English, German, and Hungarian, Eszter’s mission is to take the taboo out of therapy.

Written by Magali Collonnaz, Medical Doctor, Life Coach, and Founder of SPARRK Life Coaching Magali Collonnaz is a medical doctor, life coach, and founder of SPARRK Life Coaching. After experiencing long-COVID and breast cancer herself, she created a whole-system coaching framework to help people reclaim strength, clarity, and control after major health disruption when traditional care falls short. We are repeatedly told that the way to cope with difficulty is to "think positive," focus on the good, change your mindset, and replace negative thoughts with better ones. Just stop worrying about things you cannot control. This advice is presented as helpful, empowering, and practical. It appears in self-help books, social media posts, wellbeing talks, and everyday conversations. It is often offered with good intentions and widely accepted as sensible guidance for managing stress and emotional difficulty. Yet for many people, this approach does not bring relief. Instead, it creates frustration, guilt, and a sense of personal failure when positivity does not work. Positive thinking is one of the biggest myths in personal development, and the reason so many people feel worse rather than better when they try to follow this advice. What positive thinking really asks you to do In practice, positive thinking encourages people to label certain emotions as negative and unhelpful. Anxiety, frustration, sadness, anger, fear, and overwhelm are treated as problems that should not be there. The common advice is to distract yourself or suppress what you feel. The underlying message is that if you think differently, the feelings will disappear. It also suggests that some emotions are bad and should be avoided. This ignores the fact that emotions are often physical responses generated by the nervous system in reaction to stress, fatigue, uncertainty, or physical strain. This is not emotional strength; it is emotional avoidance dressed up as resilience. Why this approach fails for most people When you feel anxious, tense, or low, your body is already in a state of stress. Your heart rate may be higher, your breathing may be shallow, your muscles may be tight, and your thoughts may be racing. These are physical reactions, not just ideas in your mind. Trying to "think positive" at that moment does not address what is happening in the body. It asks you to mentally override a physical state. People then try harder, suppress what they feel, and blame themselves when the emotions remain. This is why people often feel worse rather than better when positivity does not work. The problem with suppressing emotions When emotions are treated as problems to eliminate, they remain unresolved in the body. Suppressing emotions does not make them disappear. It often prolongs the stress response and keeps the nervous system activated for longer. Over time, this can increase anxiety, disturb sleep, and reduce emotional resilience. Emotions need to be processed and understood before they can settle. Positive thinking is not emotional regulation Positive thinking is often confused with emotional regulation, but they are fundamentally different. Emotional regulation is the ability to recognize what you feel, understand why it is happening, and support the nervous system so the emotion can settle naturally. Positive thinking, in contrast, encourages you to replace what you feel with something that is considered more desirable. It promotes the idea that certain emotions should not be there and that the solution is to make those "negative" emotions disappear. Trying to "stay positive" when the body is under stress increases pressure to perform emotionally. It creates fear of so-called "negative" emotions and pulls you further away from the signals your body is trying to communicate. This misunderstanding is why positive thinking so often backfires. It disconnects you from your own physiology at the very moment when understanding it is most important. This is not about thinking negatively Questioning positive thinking does not mean encouraging negative thinking. It is not about dwelling on problems or assuming the worst. It is about recognizing that emotions need to be acknowledged before they can calm down. When emotions are allowed to be felt and processed, they naturally lose intensity. It is also about regulating the nervous system to build long-term stress resilience so it feels safe enough to settle. Once the nervous system settles, balanced thinking becomes easier without being forced. Why this matters even more when your body is already under strain Positive thinking becomes particularly harmful when the body is already dealing with ongoing physical stress. In these situations, emotions are being driven less by thoughts and more by what is happening physiologically in the nervous system, which is why trying to "think positively" does not bring relief. It often increases internal tension and makes symptoms feel worse rather than better. This is particularly visible in menopause and chronic pain, where the nervous system is already under pressure and struggling to regulate itself. During menopause, hormonal fluctuations affect sleep, mood regulation, and stress response. Many women notice anxiety, irritability, emotional overwhelm, and low mood appearing in ways that feel out of character because these reactions are coming from a system that is struggling to stabilize rather than from a failure to think positively. The same pattern is seen in chronic pain, where the nervous system is kept in a state of heightened alert and reacts more strongly to everyday stress. Anxiety, tension, and emotional reactivity are part of this physiological response, and being told to "think positive" in this context can feel impossible and create guilt and self-doubt when it does not work. Related: Why Menopause Anxiety Feels So Extreme What the nervous system actually needs instead When the body is under stress, the priority is not forcing positive thoughts. The priority is helping the nervous system feel safe enough to settle, while also using the right tools to work with thoughts in a way that supports regulation rather than fights against it. What is needed first is regulation and emotional processing. Emotions need to be acknowledged rather than pushed away, and the nervous system needs conditions that allow it to come out of a constant stress response. When this happens, thinking becomes clearer and more balanced naturally, without having to be forced or overridden. These approaches work together. Nervous system regulation reduces emotional intensity, emotional processing allows stress to resolve, and gentle cognitive strategies help prevent the mind from repeatedly triggering the stress response. This combination builds long-term stress resilience in a way that forced positive thinking never can. Related: The Truth About Anxiety – It’s Not a Weakness, It’s a Dysregulated Nervous System Why Anxiety Keeps Returning – 5 Myths About Triggers and What Real Resolution Actually Means The Nervous System and Healing – Why Calm Is Not a Luxury, It’s Essential Practical strategies that build stress resilience Daily breathing practices that train the nervous system Coherent breathing involves breathing slowly and evenly, with the in-breath and out-breath lasting the same length of time. After a few minutes of this steady breathing, gently hold the breath for around 20 to 30 seconds, then return to slow, even breathing. Repeating this sequence two or three times further reinforces the calming effect and helps reset the stress response. Practiced daily for a few minutes, this type of breathing sends consistent signals of safety to the brain, builds long-term stress resilience, and makes the body less sensitive to everyday stress. Sleep routines that reduce baseline anxiety Poor sleep keeps the nervous system in a constant state of stress, which makes anxiety and emotional reactivity much stronger during the day. Supporting sleep is one of the most effective ways to lower this baseline tension. Keeping a consistent bedtime and wake time, limiting screens in the evening, reducing caffeine and alcohol, and getting natural light within the first hour of waking help regulate the sleep-wake cycle. Over time, this allows the nervous system to recover properly at night and reduces how reactive it feels during the day. Movement that helps the body process stress Stress hormones are designed to be used by the body. When movement is limited, these hormones remain circulating and contribute to tension, anxiety, and restlessness. Regular walking, strength training, gentle cycling, or swimming help the body process this stress chemistry. The key is to choose activities you genuinely enjoy, so movement feels rewarding rather than punitive. The aim is not intense exercise but consistent activity that leaves you feeling calmer rather than exhausted, which helps reduce the physical tension that feeds emotional overwhelm. Time outdoors and natural light Natural light is a powerful regulator of the nervous system and the sleep-wake cycle. Getting outside, particularly in the morning, exposes you to light levels that indoor environments cannot provide and helps reset internal rhythms. Spending time outdoors also adds gentle movement, fresh air, and a change of environment, all of which send calming signals to the brain. Even a short daily walk outside can reduce stress levels, improve mood, and support emotional regulation. Allowing emotions to be felt and processed When emotions are pushed away, the stress response remains active. Allowing yourself to notice what you feel without trying to fix it immediately helps the body complete its stress response. This can include simple practices such as naming the emotion you are feeling, noticing where it shows up in the body, or using tools like "worry time." Writing worries down during the day and returning to them later when you feel calmer helps reduce constant mental noise and prevents the mind from repeatedly triggering the stress response. Over time, this reduces fear of difficult emotions and makes them less overwhelming when they appear. What to do when anxiety or overwhelm rises When anxiety or overwhelm rises, the body is in a state of excess activation. There is too much energy in the system, and the aim is not immediately to relax but to help the body discharge some of that activation in a way that feels manageable. The response needs to match the level of anxiety you are experiencing. When anxiety is high, slow breathing or stillness can feel impossible and may even increase discomfort. In this situation, movement is often more helpful. Walking quickly, shaking out the arms and legs, climbing stairs, or doing a short burst of physical activity helps the body use the excess stress hormones that are driving the reaction. When anxiety is at a moderate level, breathing practices with a longer out-breath than in-breath can begin to settle the stress response. When anxiety is mild, noticing early signs of tension and taking a short pause, stepping outside, or gentle stretching can prevent the nervous system from escalating further. Acting early often stops anxiety from building into something more intense. These strategies are different from the daily practices that build stress resilience. They are immediate responses to excess activation, helping the body settle before the mind can follow. Rebuilding trust in your body When you learn how to work with your nervous system rather than against it, things start to change in ways you can feel in daily life. You wake up without that constant sense of tension. Your thoughts feel clearer. You feel less reactive, more steady, and more in control of how you respond to stress, symptoms, and difficult moments. Your body stops feeling unpredictable and starts feeling understandable again. Anxiety becomes less dominant. Sleep improves. Emotional overwhelm becomes easier to manage. You begin to trust yourself again. This is exactly the gap my coaching programs are designed to address. You are guided step by step to build a personalized weekly plan across sleep, stress regulation, movement, nutrition, emotional processing, and mindset, so these changes are not random or temporary but part of a clear structure that fits your life. My Menopause Empowerment program is currently open for women navigating menopause who want practical, expert guidance to calm anxiety, stabilize symptoms, and turn menopause into a powerful comeback rather than the point where things start to decline. A Chronic Pain Resilience program will open soon, applying the same nervous system and lifestyle framework to people living with persistent pain. The aim is not to force a positive outlook. It is to give you the tools, structure, and understanding that allow your body to settle so that calm, clarity, and confidence stop feeling like something you have to fight for and start feeling like your normal again. Follow me on Facebook ,  Instagram , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Magali Collonnaz Magali Collonnaz, Medical Doctor, Life Coach, and Founder of SPARRK Life Coaching As SPARRK Life Coaching founder and director, Magali Collonnaz combines medical and health coaching expertise in her online coaching programmes. After developing chronic pain following long COVID, and later experiencing treatment-induced menopause after breast cancer, she saw how often people are left without practical support when symptoms persist. She created SPARRK for those who refuse to accept “There’s nothing more we can do". Her work focuses on lifestyle-based coaching to help people regain control of their health when traditional care falls short. She is committed to helping people make a powerful comeback, feel empowered in their daily choices, and build lasting change.

Rachael Chestnut is the Founder and CEO of The Play Nice Agency, a branding firm with a reputation for helping leaders turn their vision into market power and claim meaningful cultural relevance. Her work sits at the intersection of strategy, creativity, and human-centered business, earning recognition for brands that don’t just compete, but scale without losing clarity. One year after relocating her agency’s headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Asheville, Rachael was named Asheville’s Best in Business and recognized as the city’s leading entrepreneur in the wake of Hurricane Helene rebuilding efforts. Rachael Chestnut, Builder of Iconic Brands Who is Rachael Chestnut? Rachael Chestnut doesn’t just build brands – she rebuilds the way they show up in the world. Coined a “marketing disruptor” and an “industry maverick,” Rachael has earned her reputation by doing what many won’t: refusing to play it safe. Where others chase trends, she challenges assumptions. Where others try to fit in, she helps brands stand out – boldly, intentionally, and with a deeply human point of view. Rachael specializes in creating human-centric brand strategies that outperform the competition not by being louder, but by being different. Her unconventional approach to marketing has taken her around the world, leading brand transformation strategy for some of the most highly respected global brands. But no matter how big the stage, Rachael’s focus remains the same: put people first, deliver excellence without ego, and drive results without sacrificing values. What is The Play Nice Agency, and what inspired you to start it? The Play Nice Agency (TPNA) is a team of fearless creatives committed to building iconic, human-centric brands that resonate deeply, ignite meaningful conversations, and spark cultural movements. From breathing fresh life into legacy brands to crafting new ones from scratch, TPNA specialize in connecting businesses with the human experience in ways that differentiate and inspire. TPNA serves a diverse portfolio of clients from Startups to Fortune 500 companies, to lifestyle brands, and Tech companies – partnering with clients at every stage of their business growth. I started The Play Nice Agency after over a decade serving as a Civil Servant working on "super-secret squirrel stuff" in Government, then as a Corporate Communications leader for one of the world’s most prestigious consulting firms. By all accounts, I was thriving professionally, yet something essential was missing. I began asking myself a critical question: “Am I truly making a difference?” I couldn’t confidently answer “yes.” Despite the valuable work I did, I found it hard to see how I was improving people’s lives or transforming the way business is conducted. Business often felt transactional, impersonal, detached from the very people it aimed to serve – and that didn’t sit well with me. I wanted more. I wanted to create tangible change and foster a better way of doing business – one where people, relationships, and honesty are at the core. I wanted to show that organizations can build trust, communicate transparently, and deeply value the individuals they serve. This realization motivated me to take the leap and start The Play Nice Agency – determined to build something that not only makes businesses better but also use this platform as an opportunity to build brands that are centered around purpose and making a positive impact on their communities and people every day. How would you describe your unique approach to branding and marketing? My approach to branding and marketing is built on one simple belief: the best creative work doesn’t come from the outside looking in – it comes from being truly embedded. That’s why my team doesn’t operate like a traditional agency with a “project manager” layer and a handoff-style workflow. Instead, our team functions as an extension of our client’s team. We embed ourselves into our client’s organizations to gain a deep, firsthand understanding of their specific business goals, challenges, customers, and what differentiates their brand. From that level of proximity comes what most agencies can’t deliver: highly customized creative strategies that aren’t templated, surface-level, or built for short-term wins. Everything we create is designed to generate long-term brand love and sustainable growth – not quick hits. I believe the strongest ideas are built collaboratively, every creative has a seat at the table. Not just to execute – but to contribute, challenge, and elevate the work so what we deliver is high-impact, strategically sound, and impossible to ignore. What kinds of clients do you serve, and what challenges do they typically face? We proudly serve a highly diverse portfolio of clients from Startups to Fortune 500 companies, to lifestyle brands, and Tech companies – partnering with clients at every stage of their business growth. From a brand and marketing perspective, our clients typically come to us when they’re experiencing a few common – and very real – challenges that start to limit growth. One of the biggest is a lack of clarity and consistency. Many brands have strong products and great teams, but their messaging, visuals, and overall presence don’t fully reflect who they are – or they’re inconsistent across channels, which creates confusion and weakens trust. Another common challenge is blending brand and performance marketing effectively. A lot of companies either lean too heavily into short-term conversion tactics (and the brand starts to feel generic), or they focus on aesthetics and storytelling without a clear path to measurable growth. Our clients often need a strategy that connects both – building long-term brand love and driving results. Lastly, and perhaps most commonly, brands come to us when they’re struggling with differentiation in crowded markets. Especially in consumer categories, it’s easy to look and sound like everyone else. Clients come to us because they know they’re good – but they need help becoming unmistakable. How do you help brands connect authentically with their audiences? We help brands connect authentically by doing something surprisingly rare in marketing: we tell the truth – strategically. Authentic connection doesn’t come from chasing trends, forcing slang, or trying to “sound like the internet.” It comes from clarity. We dig deep to understand what makes a brand actually different, then translate that into messaging and creative that feels human, intentional, and consistent across every touchpoint. We also don’t believe in “marketing at people.” We build brands that speak with their audience, not at them, through storytelling that resonates and experiences that make customers feel seen. Because the truth is: People don’t fall in love with products. They fall in love with brands that get them. And when you get that right? You don’t just build brand awareness – you build loyalty, community, and the kind of trust money can’t buy. What results or impact can clients expect when working with you? Clients can expect more than “pretty creative” when they partner with us. They can expect measurable growth (think owned digital marketing channels and earned media placements) and a brand people actually remember. We help brands sharpen their positioning, elevate their presence, and turn marketing into something that drives real momentum: more attention, stronger loyalty, and better conversion. In short: your brand becomes clearer, bolder, and harder to ignore – with creative that performs, not just looks good. We take the guesswork out of our clients’ most audacious marketing problems to build brand strategies that are built to win in the long term. What’s one common mistake businesses make with their brand, and how do you fix it? Here’s the most common branding mistake we see every day: Businesses will invest in a new logo, refined color palette, and a nice website, while never defining what they truly stand for, who they’re speaking to, or why anyone should choose them over the next brand in the scroll. On paper, they look “fine,” but they’re easily forgettable. And today’s market doesn’t reward fine brands. We’ve experienced them our entire lives. And, collectively, we’re no longer impressed by how fancy a website looks. Consumers want to know who you are and what makes you different from every other business. We go deeper than aesthetics. Sure, we build beautiful websites and logos. But more importantly, we help our clients clarify their brand’s positioning, messaging, and personality – then translate that into creative and marketing that’s consistent across every touchpoint. What’s a breakthrough moment in your career that shaped how you work today? One of the defining moments in my career was when my agency secured a contract with The Washington Commanders to create the country’s first rotating art exhibit in an NFL stadium lounge. It was a project that pushed us into uncharted territory, both creatively and professionally. Working with local DC artists, we reimagined the stadium’s largest lounge under the theme “The Vibrancy of Change.” This included crafting immersive art experiences, launching a dedicated eCommerce art website, and designing branded lounge collateral for both The Washington Commanders and Sire Spirit. The impact of this achievement was profound. This was not only a high-profile client but also an opportunity in an industry we’d never entered before. The project had tight deadlines, complex logistics, and a host of key stakeholders, making it a monumental challenge. Yet we delivered a one-of-a-kind experience that celebrated art, football, and community. It put our agency on the map, earning us recognition as a household name in our field. It also fundamentally reshaped the way we approached new clients – with boldness, confidence, and the belief that no challenge is too great. The biggest lesson I took away from this? The sky is the limit. Success starts with believing in the possibility of what you can achieve. When you dare to think bigger, you’ll find yourself in the company of champions. This moment taught me there’s no such thing as impossible. How do you blend creativity with strategy for client success? Creativity and strategy are a power couple, not two separate departments. So many businesses segment these roles into parts of their larger marketing machine, often without requiring their talent to deliver on the core elements of both roles. Strategy gives the work direction, asking the critical questions like who we are talking to, what they care about, and what we need them to do. While creativity acts as the impact mechanism of your larger strategic framework. Creativity is what makes people stop scrolling, lean in, and remember you, but without strategic direction, even the most scroll-stopping creative won’t make a measurable impact on your brand’s growth. We start with the “why” and the “who,” then build bold, human-centered creative that’s designed to perform – not just look good in a presentation. Because at the end of the day, strategy without creativity is forgettable. And creativity without strategy is just expensive art. What should business leaders know before deciding to invest in professional branding and marketing help? Before investing in professional branding and marketing support, business leaders should know three things: First: define what success means to YOU. “Success” is relative, and marketing can’t hit a target you haven’t named. Before you spend a dollar, get crystal clear on the KPIs that matter most – revenue, CAC, LTV, retention, conversion rate, brand awareness, pipeline, whatever it is. If you don’t know what you’re measuring against, you’re not investing in work that’s going to generate a long-term impact. Second: great marketing doesn’t happen overnight. No, we’re not going to spend three months locked in a room doing a comprehensive business analysis (some firms will – and sometimes that’s needed). But if you’re looking for strategic growth that’s enduring and positioned for the long-term, you need to invest more than money into your marketing plan – you need time. Quick wins may look like they happen overnight (and occasionally they do), but more often than not, what you’re seeing is the result of a strategy that quietly took a brand from good to great. Third: be your brand’s biggest fan, but don’t be its bottleneck. You know your business better than anyone – and that insight is priceless. But if you hire marketing and branding professionals, you have to loosen the grip on control and be willing to try new things. It’s scary. It’s also necessary. Saying you want to pay for transformation while insisting everything stays the same is a waste of your budget and everyone’s time. What’s one thing you want potential clients to know before they contact you? In my 12+ years as a marketing leader, I can assure you the devil is always in the details. And we don’t skip them. The Play Nice Agency is on a relentless pursuit to build one-of-a-kind brand identities that are bold, authoritative, and still genuinely welcoming – the kind of brands people trust, remember, and want to be part of. But getting there requires more than a few mood boards and “good vibes.” We’re going to ask questions – the hard ones. And that means you’ll need to show up with intellectual honesty and without ego. We’re not a “yes man” agency. We push back. We dig deep. We challenge assumptions. And we never settle for the first easy solution just because it’s convenient. If you choose to work with us, know this: you’re an integral part of your own marketing journey. We’ll do the heavy lifting – absolutely – but we need you to arm us with the best information possible so we can do our job at the highest level. So, if you’re looking to be totally hands-off, we’re not the agency for you. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn,   and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Rachael Chestnut

Written by Lee Jones, Entrepreneur Lee Jones, founder of UnboxedTogether, Bespoke Kitch'en, and Tap to Tile, lives by one focus, clarity. From food to lifestyle, and from mental health to design, his work empowers people to unbox the hidden, reclaim energy, and create dream spaces for their home and life. For a long time, I assumed something was wrong with me. Not broken in an obvious way, just quietly off. I was still functioning, still working, still showing up. But my clarity had dulled, my energy had dipped, and my tolerance had shrunk. My thoughts felt louder than they used to. Life hadn’t collapsed, but it no longer felt light either. So, I did what most people do when things start to feel heavier. I tried to fix myself. I added more effort, more discipline, more “healthy” habits. I pushed harder, convinced that if I just did enough of the right things, I’d feel like myself again. Nothing stuck, because I was solving the wrong problem. How burnout and brain fog really creep up on us This kind of overload doesn’t arrive as a crisis. It arrives as normal. Normal food, normal drinks, normal shopping choices. The same things most of us have eaten for years without thinking twice. Each product is technically safe. Each ingredient is approved. Each choice is forgettable until the effects aren’t. Because the issue is never one product. It’s the daily accumulation. Modern food doesn’t overwhelm you in one hit. It layers itself quietly into your nervous system, day after day. You don’t feel it as an alarm. You feel it as fog, friction, irritability, and fatigue, symptoms that are easy to blame on stress, age, or life itself. Have you ever added up how many additives you consume in a day? Most people never do. When you slow it down and really look, the number is far higher than expected. A typical day can easily involve forty to fifty separate food and drink products. Not meals, products. Things with labels, ingredient lists, and barcodes. If each of those contains just three or four additives, which is conservative for modern food, that can mean well over one hundred added substances entering your system in a single day. Not because you’re careless. Not because you’re unhealthy. Simply because this is normal now. And the most unsettling part isn’t the number itself. It’s that most of us have no idea what those additives are, how they interact, or how they stack up across a day. We don’t feel them individually. We feel the load. Additives don’t reset at midnight. They accumulate, repeat, and compound. Safety limits are calculated per additive in isolation, but real life doesn’t work that way. We don’t eat in isolation. We eat in patterns. That gap is rarely explained. Why the same foods affect people so differently Two people can eat the same foods and have completely different outcomes. One feels fine. The other doesn’t. Some experience brain fog, anxiety, irritability, or low mood. Others notice gut issues, disrupted sleep, fatigue, or hormonal imbalance. For many neurodivergent people, the effects are amplified. Thoughts get louder, emotional regulation becomes harder, burnout arrives faster, and recovery takes longer. The inputs may be similar. The nervous systems are not. We were never designed for identical tolerance, yet we are all navigating the same modern food environment. Why the Unboxed book was written Unboxed wasn’t written because I wanted to create a wellness system. It came from burnout. From brain fog. From the slow realization that I wasn’t broken, I was overloaded. When I began removing unnecessary inputs, not everything, but the ones that didn’t serve me, something unexpected happened. My clarity returned. My energy stabilized. My sense of self came back. Not because I added more discipline or motivation, but because I reduced the noise. That’s the foundation of Unboxed. Why Unboxed Together is about simplicity, not self-improvement This isn’t a detox. It isn’t a reset. It isn’t a lifestyle overhaul. Unboxed and Unboxed Together exist to do the opposite of most self-improvement systems. They simplify. They help people see what’s actually entering their system and make small, realistic changes without guilt or extremes. This isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about returning to who you were before the overload. You don’t need fixing. You need fewer disruptors. The truth most people are never told You were never weak. You were never lazy. You were never broken. You were carrying more inputs than your system could process, and no one taught you how to see them. When the stack drops, you come back. That’s the Unboxed way back to you. The Unboxed story doesn’t end with the book The book was never meant to have a destination. It was never something I planned to put together, or even imagined publishing. In many ways, during some of the darkest and most confused periods of my life, it was an accident, the first clear signal that something bigger needed to exist. Unboxed began as a way to make sense of overload, but it quickly became obvious that information alone isn’t enough. The real shift for me didn’t come from a single moment or a dramatic diagnosis. It came quietly, through noticing patterns I couldn’t ignore anymore. Certain foods left me foggier. Certain products made my thoughts louder, my patience shorter, and my sleep worse. When I stripped things back, not dieting, not restricting, just removing what didn’t need to be there, the difference was impossible to dismiss. Nothing else had changed. But I had. That was the moment I realised it wasn’t me that was failing. It was the cumulative load my system was carrying. Additives weren’t the whole story, but they were a major part of the noise, and once they were reduced, clarity began to return. That insight became the backbone of Unboxed. But it also revealed a bigger problem. Real help needs to be practical. It needs to move with people. It needs to meet them in everyday life, not just on a page. That’s where Unboxed Together comes in. What started as a book is evolving into something designed to sit right in your pocket, tools that help make the invisible visible in real time, without pressure, guilt, or overwhelm. Simple awareness. Small decisions. Support that fits into real life. This isn’t about perfection or restriction. It’s about clarity, choice, and getting back to yourself one step at a time. If this story resonates, you can follow UnboxedTogether on social media to see what we’re currently building, testing, and learning in the open. The book was the beginning, the real support is just getting started. Call to action If you’d like to support this work If this article resonated, and if Unboxed reflects something you’ve felt but struggled to put into words, there’s a simple way to support what’s being built. Purchasing the book helps more than most people realise. Every copy sold helps this work reach further, helps Unboxed be seen, and directly supports the wider mission of creating practical tools that help others find clarity again. The paperback and hardback editions are available to purchase directly from the publisher, with worldwide availability through major book retailers. The ebook is also available on Amazon Kindle and other leading digital stores. However you choose to read it, every purchase helps keep this work moving forward — not just for me, but for the growing number of people Unboxed Together is being built to support. Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for being part of what comes next. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn  for more info! Read more from Lee Jones Lee Jones, Entrepreneur Lee Jones is the founder of UnboxedTogether, a book and movement exposing how hidden additives in food, everyday products, and daily life fuel brain fog, burnout, and poor health. After years battling undiagnosed ADHD and exhaustion, he uncovered the truth, what we call “normal” is anything but. His mission is to wake people up, reveal what’s been hidden in plain sight, and give them tools to reclaim clarity. Lee also runs two family-owned design businesses, Bespoke Kitch’en and Tap to Tile, where the same heartbeat runs through, stripping back the noise and creating lasting transformations, from wellbeing to dream spaces at home.