Written by Alberto Zuin, CTO/CIO Alberto Zuin is a CTO/CIO and the founder of MOYD, helping startup teams master their tech domain. With 25+ years of leadership in software and digital strategy, he blends enterprise architecture, cybersecurity, and AI know-how to guide fast-growing companies. Right now, most startups are adding AI in the same way they once added blockchain. Loudly, defensively, and without a clear reason. “AI-powered” has become a marketing adjective rather than an architectural decision. Decks mention LLMs before they mention users. Founders talk about models before they can explain the workflow they are supposed to improve. And teams bolt chat interfaces onto products that were never designed to be conversational in the first place. The problem is not that AI is overhyped. The problem is that it is being misunderstood. Large language models are not features. They are not products. They are not a replacement for thinking. They are infrastructure. And like all infrastructure, they only create value when they sit underneath something that already matters.   Why “AI features” keep disappointing users When AI is treated as a feature, it ends up competing with the product instead of supporting it. Users are asked to “try the AI” rather than simply benefiting from it. The result is predictable. Demos look impressive. Daily usage does not change. You see this pattern everywhere. A button labelled “Ask AI” that produces a generic answer nobody asked for. A chatbot that knows everything except how your system actually works. A recommendation engine that explains itself with confidence while being wrong in subtle, and sometimes dangerous, ways. This happens because LLMs do not understand your business. They do not know your constraints, your edge cases, or your trade-offs. They only know how to predict text. Without structure around them, they hallucinate value just as easily as they hallucinate facts. Treating AI as a feature pushes complexity onto users. Treating it as a layer absorbs complexity for them.   The mistake founders are making right now Most teams start with the model. They debate vendors, tokens, latency, and fine-tuning. They argue about whether to use GPT, Claude, Gemini, or something open source. All of that happens before they answer a simpler and far more important question. Where exactly does friction exist today? If you cannot point to a specific moment where users slow down, get confused, or make mistakes, adding AI will not fix anything. It will only add cost, unpredictability, and a new class of failure modes. The teams getting real value from LLMs are not using them to replace users. They are using them to remove invisible effort. They reduce the number of decisions a human has to make. They compress context. They translate between formats. They surface what already exists but is hard to find. In other words, they use AI where software traditionally breaks down.   AI works best where systems already leak Traditional systems are brittle. They expect users to know where things live, how things are named, and which rules apply. LLMs shine in the gaps between those assumptions. This is why AI is quietly transforming areas like internal tooling, knowledge management, triage, and operational workflows long before it transforms consumer-facing products. These domains are messy, ambiguous, and full of partial information. Humans cope with that mess intuitively. Software usually does not. LLMs act as a flexible interface layer between rigid systems and human intent. They do not replace the database. They do not replace business logic. They sit on top and translate. That is the architectural shift most teams are missing.   The layering mindset changes everything When you treat AI as a layer, you stop asking “what feature can we add?” and start asking “what friction can we dissolve?” The model does not own the truth. Your systems do. The model does not make decisions. Your rules do. The model does not define outcomes. Your product does. This inversion is critical. It keeps AI constrained, explainable, and replaceable. It also prevents the most dangerous failure mode of all, delegating responsibility to something that cannot be accountable. Teams that get this right rarely expose the AI directly. Users do not “talk to the model”. They experience faster answers, fewer clicks, better defaults, and clearer next steps. The intelligence feels ambient rather than performative.   Why this matters for early-stage startups Startups are especially vulnerable to AI theatre. Investors ask about it. Customers expect it. Competitors announce it. The temptation is to add something visible just to tick the box. That is how technical debt is born. Every AI feature you expose becomes a promise. A promise about accuracy, reliability, explainability, and cost. Those promises are expensive to keep, especially when the model sits at the centre of the product instead of at the edges. A layered approach keeps AI optional. You can swap models. You can turn it off. You can degrade gracefully. Most importantly, you can ship value even when the AI is wrong. That is the difference between augmentation and dependency.   The uncomfortable truth about “AI-native” products There is no such thing as an AI-native product without a domain structure. Products that lead with AI before they lead with understanding tend to collapse under real usage. They perform well in demos because demos are controlled environments. Real users are not. AI-native without constraints simply means AI-dependent. And dependency on probabilistic systems is not a strategy. It is a risk profile. The most resilient products use AI to amplify clarity, not replace it. They assume the model will fail. They design flows that recover. They log, audit, and bind behaviour. They accept that intelligence without governance is just noise with confidence.   What to do instead If you are building with LLMs today, stop asking how impressive your AI looks. Ask how much effort it quietly removes. If removing the AI would break your product, you built the wrong thing. If removing the AI would make your product slower but still usable, you probably built it correctly. AI should feel like power steering, not like a self-driving car that randomly takes control.   Closing thought Every major technology wave follows the same arc. At first, it is treated as magic. Then, as a feature. Eventually, as infrastructure. LLMs are already moving into that third phase, whether we admit it or not. The teams that win will not be the ones with the flashiest demos. They will be the ones who understood, early on, that intelligence is most valuable when it disappears into the system and lets humans move faster without noticing why. AI is not the product. AI is the layer that lets the product finally behave the way users always expected it to. Follow me on LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Alberto Zuin Alberto Zuin, CTO/CIO Alberto Zuin is a fractional CTO/CIO and the founder of MOYD, Master of Your (Tech) Domain. With over 25 years of experience in tech leadership, he helps startups and scaleups align their technology with business strategy. His background spans enterprise architecture, cybersecurity, AI, and agile delivery. Alberto holds an MBA in Technology Management and several top-tier certifications, including CGEIT and CISM. Passionate about mentoring founders, he focuses on helping teams build secure, scalable, and purpose-driven digital products.

Written by Gabriel Azuola, Head of the House of Azuola Legal strategist, founder of Cola Blanca Consulting, and Head of the House of Azuola, advising global FinTech and public institutions on regulation, governance, and strategic growth. Dedicated to ethical leadership, institutional development, and responsible innovation. The words we choose are never neutral. They reveal what we love, what we fear, and ultimately who we are becoming. A single interview reminded me why speaking from love is not weakness, but one of the most demanding forms of truth. Who was Facundo Cabral, and why his words still matter I listened to an interview today that felt less like content and more like a quiet visitation. One of those moments that arrive without ceremony, yet leave an unmistakable mark. The question posed to the guest was almost disarmingly simple: whether he began to sing merely because he could. The answer, however, unfolded as something far deeper, an account of inner maturation, of discernment forged over time, of a man who had learned to distinguish between reaction and truth. As I listened, I recognized something familiar. Not an idea I had just learned, but one I had been living, wrestling with, and slowly embodying, often without fully naming it.   The man speaking was Facundo Cabral. To describe him as a musician is to reduce him. Cabral was, above all, a witness. A pilgrim of conscience. His life was shaped by poverty, exile, loss, and wandering, yet remarkably untouched by bitterness. He carried no ideological uniform, no tribal allegiance, no need to convince. His authority came from coherence, the rare coherence of someone who had suffered deeply and refused to let suffering become his identity.   When protest becomes an identity In the interview, Cabral explained that he began his artistic life as a protest singer. As a young man, he felt compelled to denounce injustice, to expose hypocrisy, to confront what he perceived as broken or false in the world. There was sincerity in that impulse. Even nobility. But maturity, he said, brought him to a realization that altered the entire trajectory of his voice. And he expressed it with a simplicity that felt almost biblical in its precision: “When one only speaks about what one hates, people come to know our enemy, but they never come to know us.” With time, he understood that protest, while sometimes necessary, had a hidden cost. It reveals opposition, but conceals the soul. From that moment on, he chose to sing only about what he loved about what gave him joy, meaning, and life.   That sentence stayed with me because it exposes something uncomfortable and deeply personal. How often do we allow ourselves to be defined by reaction rather than essence? How easily do we mistake opposition for identity? When our language is dominated by what we reject, we may feel morally awake, but we remain oriented outward, revolving endlessly around the very thing we claim to resist. We become reactive beings rather than creative ones. Cabral’s insight points toward a far more demanding path: the courage to speak from love, which requires knowing what we love, inhabiting it fully, and allowing ourselves to be seen without the armor of resentment.   My own journey from reaction to presence This insight resonates profoundly with a line of reflection I have been walking through over the past years, sometimes consciously, sometimes painfully, always personally. I have lived seasons of rupture, of conflict, of separation from structures and relationships that once defined me. I have experienced the dismantling of inherited narratives, the loss of certainty, and the quiet grief that comes with choosing truth over belonging.   At the same time, I have also lived a profound spiritual reorientation, one marked by Scripture, silence, study, and an unignorable sense that something within me was being reordered, stripped of excess, and slowly brought into alignment. What I mean by the “inner God” When I speak of what I sometimes call the inner God or the divine spark, I am not proposing novelty, nor indulging in abstraction. I am trying carefully and reverently to articulate something that Christianity itself proclaims, yet that we often hesitate to live fully: that the Christian God, the God of Genesis, the God revealed in Christ, chooses to dwell within us.   “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” This is not a metaphor. It is doctrine.   The spark is not ours by nature, it is His presence by grace. And the task is not to inflate the self, but to remove what obstructs God from living through us.   Seen from this perspective, Cabral’s realization takes on an unexpectedly Christian depth. When we speak only of what we hate, our attention remains fixed on the exterior world, on enemies, systems, and conflicts. But Christianity is not primarily a religion of reaction. It is a religion of indwelling. Christ does not begin by asking us to identify adversaries. He begins by asking us to abide. To remain. To let God’s life take shape within us. “You are the light of the world,” not because the light originates in us, but because it has been entrusted to us.   The word comes before the world This convergence becomes even clearer when psychology and philosophy are allowed to sit humbly alongside theology. Carl Jung warned that what remains unconscious will govern our lives and be mistaken for fate, yet he also cautioned against being possessed by the shadow. Darkness must be acknowledged, but it must not become our dwelling place. Long before Jung, Socrates insisted that the highest task of a human being was to know oneself, not as an act of self-worship, but as a moral responsibility. And in Genesis, creation itself begins not with force or argument, but with speech: “And God said.” The Word precedes form. Meaning precedes matter. Order emerges from articulated truth. This is why I have become increasingly attentive to language, not only public speech, but inner speech. To the verb. To what we repeatedly allow to pass through our mouths and our thoughts. Christianity itself rests on this foundation: “In the beginning was the Word.” The Word is not merely descriptive, it is creative. What we speak participates, mysteriously but undeniably, in what becomes real first within us, then around us. I have seen this play out in my own life: how seasons dominated by resentment narrowed my vision, and how seasons anchored in truth and gratitude quietly restructured my inner world, my relationships, and my sense of purpose.   What our words ultimately reveal Authenticity, then, is not self-expression detached from God. It is self-expression aligned with Him. It is allowing the indwelling Christ to speak through us without distortion. The first truth we owe the world is not our outrage, but our witness. When our words emerge from communion rather than reaction, they carry a different authority. They do not need to shout. They do not need to accuse. They reveal. They illuminate. They make room for recognition rather than resistance.   So this is what I carry with me from that interview and from my own unfolding journey. Be careful what you give your voice to. The world already knows conflict. What it is starving for is presence. Let God speak through what you love, through what gives life, through what reflects His nature within you. Because in the end, the Word is not only how reality was created, it is how it is continually redeemed. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Gabriel Azuola Gabriel Azuola, Head of the House of Azuola Gabriel Azuola is a legal strategist and founder of Cola Blanca Consulting, advising FinTech firms, investors, and public institutions across global markets. He has guided cross-border regulatory strategy and high-value capital mobilization, contributing to ventures surpassing $150 million. Azuola also serves as Head of the House of Azuola, a historic Latin American lineage dedicated to civic duty and ethical leadership. His work focuses on responsible innovation, institutional development, and principled governance.

Written by Dr. Kelly Rose, Registered Nutritionist & Women's Health Expert Dr. Kelly combines nutrition science with practical habits, emotional well-being, and menopause support. Founder of Nourish Minds and creator of the Menopause Freedom Method. She is academically published, the author of The Habit Revolution and Nourish Your Teens. The day has been full of so many decisions, responsibilities, and thinking “for” everyone else, and by the evening, you are tired, wired, and overstimulated. You find yourself reaching for something sweet, crunchy, or even a glass of wine to unwind. Your mind is crying for a way to switch off, to soften the edges, and to get a brief sense of relief. What we may refer to as stress, comfort, or emotional eating is, for many, an automatic response to overload. It is automatic, dissociative, and driven by our nervous system.   “I just find myself eating without thinking.” “I’m exhausted, and food is the only thing that quietens everything.” “I don’t feel hungry, but I want something.”   Emotional eating is characterised by eating in response to emotional or psychological cues, rather than responding to physical hunger. It is a way to seek comfort, relief, or distraction when we feel emotionally unsettled or under pressure. This is a normal human response that many of us have relied on for comfort or ‘survival’ at different points in our lives, depending on our own food experiences.   This pattern can become more pronounced in perimenopause. Habits that were once occasional or manageable can start to feel louder and more urgent. Cravings for food grow stronger, and the comfort of evening eating creeps in, often followed by a familiar shame, guilt, and harsh self-talk: “What’s wrong with me?” and “Why can’t I have more self-control?”   Let us be clear: there is nothing wrong with you. This is not a failure of willpower or self-control.   So many women share this same experience, yet it remains as an unspoken aspect of women’s lived experience. Emotional eating in midlife is often perceived as a personal problem, rather than a shared biological and emotional response to profound change. This means many of us carry it quietly within, believing we are alone in something that is deeply common and surmountable.   To understand why this happens, we need to look at what’s changing in the body and brain during the menopause transition. This article explores why emotional eating often intensifies during this life stage, what’s really happening beneath the surface, and how compassionate, practical strategies can help break the cycle, replacing guilt and restriction with curiosity, self-kindness, and nourishment that supports your wellbeing and weight regulation.   A gentle note on eating distress Many women experience periods of stress eating or comfort eating during menopause. For most, this eases when the body is supported with compassion, regulation, and steady nourishment. For some, eating may feel more intense or distressing, or may be happening frequently alongside feelings of shame or loss of ease around food. In these moments, additional personalised support can be a caring next step. A medical or qualified mental health professional can help explore what’s going on in a way that feels safe and supportive. Wherever you find yourself, you deserve understanding, care, and support. Why does emotional eating intensify during perimenopause? Perimenopause is a major transition in a woman’s life, not just hormonally, but for the brain and emotions too. Shifting hormones, metabolism, and everyday stresses overlap, creating a perfect storm that can make emotional eating feel so much harder to manage. Understanding this interplay is helpful in moving towards self-compassion and practical, gentle change.   The oestrogen roller coaster and emotional appetite During perimenopause, oestrogen does not simply decline in a neat, predictable way. Instead, it fluctuates, sometimes sharply, before gradually falling over time. In my courses and programmes, we describe this as a hormonal roller coaster, which is how it most often feels.   These shifts matter because oestrogen is not just about reproduction or hot flushes. It plays a key role in appetite, mood, and how we experience reward and pleasure.   In this process, the brain’s chemical messengers involved in mood and motivation, particularly those linked to feeling calm, satisfied, and emotionally balanced, can become less stable. When this internal balance is disrupted, the brain naturally looks for quick comfort. Sweet or high-energy foods can provide a ‘brief’ sense of relief. This isn’t a lack of willpower, it’s a biological response to changes inside your body.   Why do I feel so overwhelmed? Many women notice that during perimenopause, stress feels more overwhelming than it once did.   ‘Situations that previously felt manageable may now feel emotionally heavier or harder to recover from.’   This is partly because the hormonal roller coaster can lower the brain’s resilience to stress. Regulating our emotions takes more effort, we can feel triggered more easily, and our nervous system stays heightened for longer. In these moments, our relationship with food, long associated with reward, comfort, and pleasure, can make eating a familiar and accessible way to self-soothe. Emotional eating, here, is not about hunger, but about the body and brain seeking relief. Why does weight loss feel so much harder now? During this life stage, many women notice a shift in how their bodies are changing and able to regulate weight and energy. Approaches that once worked often no longer have the same effect. This change can feel unexpected and hard to make sense of, taking us into a tailspin of negative self-talk.   Hormonal change influences how our body stores fat, favouring the tummy area, and can also affect insulin sensitivity. At the same time, shifts in oestrogen can influence gut health and appetite signalling, subtly changing hunger, fullness, and satisfaction after meals.   In response, it’s common to try to eat less or tighten control around food in an attempt to feel back in charge. But if the body experiences ongoing restriction, it may respond by conserving energy and increasing cravings. This can create cycles of strict control followed by periods of overeating, which can feel confusing and discouraging.   Importantly, these patterns are not a lack of willpower or motivation. They reflect the body adapting to significant internal change.   Brain fog and the evening tipping point Cognitive changes, known to us as ‘brain fog’ or ‘mental fatigue,’ are a common part of this life stage. Many women tell me they feel less sharp, more forgetful, or mentally drained far earlier in the day than they used to. Simple decisions can feel surprisingly hard, and that can be worrying. Women tell me often that just knowing this is a normal part of this transition really helps.   As the brain adapts to hormonal change, concentration, memory, and decision-making require more effort. By the evening, when mental energy is lowest (at any time of our lives), the brain naturally looks for what feels easiest, quickest, and most comforting.   This is why emotional eating so often shows up later in the day. It’s not about willpower or habits “slipping.” It’s what happens when our cognitive resources are depleted, and the brain is seeking relief.   Importantly, this isn’t a sign of decline. It reflects a period of brain-adaptation during a major life transition. In other stages of significant brain change, such as adolescence, we see similar shifts in emotional regulation and impulse control. During perimenopause, the brain is recalibrating again, and food can become a simple, familiar way to cope when mental load is high. Why shame keeps the cycle going Perhaps the most damaging part of emotional eating is the shame that follows. Harsh self-talk, guilt, and a sense of failure increase stress in the body, making cravings stronger and emotions harder to manage.   Emotional eating is not irrational. It is the brain seeking relief. Meeting it with curiosity and self-compassion makes it possible to interrupt the cycle and respond in ways that genuinely support both mental health, appetite, and weight regulation long term, and your overall health.   6 ways to break the emotional eating cycle A great first step to change is understanding the why . The awareness is first, and then what truly helps is shifting how we respond to ourselves.   In both my professional work and my own personal journey, compassionate, body-based practices have been a turning point. Learning to relate to our body with kindness, leaning into yoga, meditation, and breathwork practices changes not only our relationship with food and body, but our sense of self.   The wonderful part is that this mirrors emerging research showing that strengthening self-compassion can significantly support emotional regulation and eating behaviours, particularly when we are feeling vulnerable. Approaches such as compassion-focused therapy and mindful movement have been linked to improvements in psychological well-being and reductions in disordered eating patterns.   Compassionate inquiry helps you identify the underlying need and choose a response that is genuinely supportive, rather than a quick fix that leaves you feeling worse. It's about working with your brain, understanding its signals, and offering it true comfort, not just a temporary distraction. Taking this journey helps to rewire the neural pathways associated with emotional eating, building new, healthier coping mechanisms over time. Remember, your perimenopausal brain is highly adaptable, it just needs new, compassionate guidance.   I want to share six strategies which are grounded in this evidence, shaped by my work with hundreds of women, and designed to be practical, small shifts you can begin to weave into everyday life.   Six compassion-based strategies 1. Replace ‘‘self-criticism’’ with curiosity Notice and replace: Instead of asking “What’s wrong with me?”, gently ask “What’s going on for me right now?” It can help to write this down in a journal.   This simple shift moves the brain out of threat mode and into reflection. Curiosity softens the stress response and creates space to respond, rather than react. Over time, with practice, this can help reduce and move away from the shame-restriction mindset.   2. Use the body to calm the nervous system When emotions run high, thinking alone rarely helps. Practices that work through the body, such as slow breathing, gentle movement, or grounding postures, can activate the nervous system’s soothing response.   This is one reason practices like yoga, breathwork, being in nature, and embodied awareness are so powerful during perimenopause: they help the body feel safe enough for regulation to return.   3. Eat for regulation Rather than tightening food rules after difficult days, focus on steady nourishment. Regular meals, balanced blood sugar, and permission to eat reduce the biological drive toward intense cravings. Remember, restriction increases stress, nourishment supports regulation. This shift alone often reduces emotional eating without force or discipline.   Front-load protein, for example, breaking your fast with a high-protein, whole-food breakfast, and focus on eating more fibre and a variety of plants each day. Learn more about how to build your systems and nutrition in your day (Menopause Freedom Method course link).   4. Create pause points Emotional eating often happens when mental energy is low, especially in the evening. Introducing small pause points can help: a breath before eating, a moment of check-in, or choosing to sit rather than eat standing. These pauses are about reconnecting with your choice.   Women completing my nourish for you programme have connected with the "2 or 3 strategies" concept for when cravings become urgent. Choose 2 or 3 things you will do (e.g., ring a friend, have a walk, take a bath, deep breathing exercise, a guided meditation, have a green tea, set a ritual, etc.) and tell yourself that after this, if you still want the ‘craved food,’ you will then sit down and enjoy it.   5. Supporting your nervous system throughout the day While compassion and mindset are essential, the brain also benefits from gentle, consistent movement throughout the day.   Movement snacks placed throughout the day, such as walking, strength or resistance work, stretching, and practices like yoga, all help stabilize blood sugar, support mood, and improve how the brain copes with stress.   In menopause, this kind of movement helps the nervous system feel safer and more regulated, which can reduce cravings later in the day.   6. Build practices of ‘‘self-kindness’’ Self-compassion is a skill. Practices such as kind self-talk, compassionate journaling, or brief reflective moments help rebuild trust with the body.   Research suggests that when self-compassion increases, shame decreases, and with it, the urge to use food as a coping strategy.   A kinder way forward Perimenopause is a human response to a time of great change in the brain, the body, and the nervous system. When we meet these changes with understanding, something powerful shifts.   Shame loosens its grip. Regulation becomes possible again. And food no longer has to carry the full weight of comfort, relief, or emotional support.   If this resonates, and you’d like deeper support, I invite you to explore my work. Through Kundalini Yoga, nervous-system-informed practices, and my signature programme, the Menopause Freedom Method, I support women to reconnect with their bodies, soften the struggle around food, and build sustainable wellbeing through midlife and beyond.   You can learn more about my approach, courses, and resources here .   ‘Emotional eating during perimenopause is information. It tells us that the brain and body are under pressure and need support, not stricter rules.’ Follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Dr. Kelly Rose Dr. Kelly Rose, Registered Nutritionist & Women's Health Expert Dr. Kelly is known for her compassionate approach to key life transitions, honing in on the brain changes occurring in adolescence and menopause, when mental health and weight regulation can be most vulnerable. Her work is informed by neuroscience and trauma-aware nutrition. Dr. Rose has profoundly impacted hundreds of women, guiding them on successful midlife weight loss journeys. Her work is dedicated to fostering profound health and lasting well-being.

Written by Tetyana Didenko, Body Language Analyst | Executive Coach ICF Tetyana Didenko is a recognized expert in body language and nonverbal communication. As a body language analyst, executive coach, keynote speaker, and author of a book on nonverbal communication in business, she has spent the past decade helping professionals harness body language to excel in negotiations, sales, presentations, and leadership. Burnout is often explained by long working hours, constant pressure, or demanding workplaces. In my work with clients, I see something different. Burnout rarely begins with one dramatic moment or a single overwhelming project. Much more often, it grows quietly out of everyday habits that slowly drain energy. The way people sit during meetings, the speed at which they move through their day, and how often they try to do several things at once may look harmless, or even productive. In reality, these patterns place constant pressure on the body and the nervous system, gradually pushing people toward chronic stress and exhaustion. What many of my clients don’t realize at first is that these habits are not only internal experiences. They are also forms of nonverbal communication. Posture, pace, and divided attention send clear signals to others about a person’s state, availability, and sense of control. Over time, I see how these nonverbal signals begin to work against the individual as well. They reinforce internal stress, reduce mental clarity, and quietly accelerate the path toward burnout. The impact of poor posture Poor posture is one of the most underestimated energy drains in modern work life. Slouching at a desk, collapsing into the chair, or holding the head forward for hours forces the body to work harder just to stay upright. Muscles that should be relaxed remain constantly engaged, breathing becomes shallower, and circulation is less efficient. All of this leads to physical fatigue, even when no obvious physical effort is involved. A study titled “ Do Slumped and Upright Postures Affect Stress Responses? A Randomized Trial ,” published in Health Psychology, found that a slumped posture is associated with stronger stress responses than an upright one. In other words, the way we hold our bodies directly affects how the nervous system reacts to stress. An upright, balanced posture supports a calmer physiological state, while a collapsed posture amplifies stress reactions. From a nonverbal communication perspective, posture sends an immediate message. Slumped posture often signals low energy, insecurity, or disengagement. Even when someone is highly competent, their body may communicate the opposite. Internally, the brain reads these same signals. When the body repeatedly communicates “low energy” or “defeat,” mental stamina drops, focus weakens, and fatigue accumulates faster.   The cost of rushing through tasks Living in constant rush has become normalized. Tight schedules, back-to-back meetings, and the pressure to respond instantly create a sense that slowing down is a luxury. Yet the body does not interpret speed as efficiency. It interprets it as a threat. When we rush, movements become sharper, gestures smaller and tighter, and facial expressions more tense. Nonverbally, rushing communicates one clear message: “I don’t have enough time.” To others, this can come across as irritability, emotional distance, or lack of presence. To the nervous system, it feels like a permanent sense of urgency. This state is extremely energy-consuming. Stress hormones remain elevated, attention narrows, and mistakes increase. Ironically, rushing often reduces productivity rather than improving it. Slowing down even slightly allows the brain to process information more efficiently and conserve energy. From a burnout perspective, constant rush keeps the body in survival mode. There is no recovery, no reset, only forward motion. Over weeks and months, this leads to emotional exhaustion and reduced resilience.   Multitasking and energy drain Multitasking is often praised as a valuable skill, but cognitively, it is one of the fastest ways to burn through mental energy. What we call multitasking is usually rapid task-switching. Each switch requires the brain to reorient, refocus, and re-engage. This constant switching creates mental fatigue and lowers overall performance. Nonverbally, multitasking is visible. Eyes dart between screens, the body leans forward in tension, gestures become fragmented, and listening quality drops. To others, it can signal distraction or lack of respect. To the body, it signals overload. Multitasking also reinforces internal stress. The brain never fully completes a task, which creates a background sense of unfinished business. Over time, this contributes to chronic mental exhaustion and reduced work satisfaction, both key components of burnout.   Three practical exercises to build new daily habits Changing these habits does not require a full lifestyle overhaul. Small, consistent adjustments can already return energy and reduce stress.   1. Posture reset exercise (2 minutes, 3 times a day) Set a reminder three times a day. When it goes off, place both feet on the floor, lengthen the spine upward, gently roll the shoulders back and down, and lift the chest without tension. Stay in this position for two minutes while continuing your work. This trains the body to associate upright posture with normal functioning, not effort.   2. Pace awareness exercise (One task per hour) Choose one task every hour that you will complete deliberately slower than usual. Slow your movements slightly, reduce unnecessary gestures, and pause briefly before transitions. This recalibrates your nervous system and breaks the habit of constant urgency without affecting productivity.   3. Single-task focus exercise (Pomodoro Technique) This exercise is based on the Pomodoro Technique , a time-management method designed to reduce mental overload and improve sustained focus. Work in 25-minute blocks dedicated to a single task, followed by a 5-minute break. During each block, close unnecessary tabs, silence notifications, and keep your body physically oriented toward a single focal point. This structure reduces cognitive switching, preserves mental energy, and supports clearer, more grounded nonverbal presence. Over time, single-tasking trains both the brain and the body to operate without constant internal pressure, which directly lowers stress and burnout risk.   Why it is important Poor posture, constant rushing, and multitasking may look like minor habits, but together they form a powerful pattern of energy loss. They drain physical and mental resources, intensify stress responses, and silently communicate exhaustion, pressure, and lack of control. Becoming aware of these patterns and making small daily adjustments can already lead to noticeable improvements in energy, focus, and overall well-being. However, if burnout feels deeply ingrained or these habits are difficult to change on your own, deeper work is often needed. In such cases, working with a qualified coach  or a nonverbal communication expert  can help address these patterns at their root, retrain the body’s responses to stress, and build sustainable habits that support long-term resilience. Follow me on  Facebook  and  Instagram  for more info! Read more from Tetyana Didenko Tetyana Didenko, Body Language Analyst | Executive Coach ICF Tetyana Didenko is a globally recognized body language analyst and expert in nonverbal communication with over a decade of experience working with executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals worldwide. She is an executive coach, keynote speaker, and author of a book on nonverbal communication in the business world. With a background as a CEO and Director of Project Development, combined with advanced training in behavioral analysis, Tetyana helps clients strengthen their presence, persuasion, and leadership through the strategic use of body language. She is regularly invited as an expert, including appearances on podcasts and television.

Written by Stephanie Smit, Visionary Artist & Reincarnation Researcher Stephanie Smit, also known as Giek, is a visionary artist and reincarnation researcher. She bridges art, mysticism, and esoteric science to uncover past lives, guide spiritual awakenings, and help others align with their soul purpose. In recent years, more and more people have been experiencing what feels like past-life memory. Sometimes it comes through dreams, meditation, creative work, psychedelics, or sudden emotional recognition. A time period feels familiar, a name surfaces, or an identity clicks into place. But not every powerful inner experience is a literal past life. One of the most important, and often overlooked, skills in reincarnation work is discernment: understanding what kind of memory you are actually accessing. Is it a personal past life? An archetypal resonance? A collective or mythic field? Or a subconscious pattern looking for symbolic language? This article explores how to tell the difference and why clarity matters. Why so many people are remembering something right now We are living in a period of accelerated inner recall. Memory is resurfacing not as biography, but as emotional recognition, symbolic imagery, or bodily knowing. Several forces are contributing: psychedelics, plant medicine, and breathwork opening subconscious layers somatic and trauma-informed work bypassing rational filters meditation, shadow work, dreamwork, and self-healing becoming mainstream digital culture amplifying archetypes and mythic identity greater openness to non-linear consciousness models In earlier eras, unresolved material often remained unconscious in the Western world because practices for accessing it were restricted to esoteric or initiatory circles rather than the general population. Many indigenous and ancestral cultures maintained communal frameworks for such work. Only recently have these tools become widely accessible in the modern West, bringing the subconscious online at scale. There is also a pressure component. Collective upheaval, existential disruption, and crisis states tend to bypass the ego’s normal filters. When the present destabilizes, the psyche seeks continuity beyond the current biography. From an esoteric and astrological perspective, this aligns with the broader transition from the Piscean Age into the Aquarian Age – a shift from hierarchy and secrecy toward collective awareness and distributed identity. In many esoteric traditions, the end of an age involves the completion of unfinished karmic and historical material so it doesn’t carry unprocessed into the next epoch. Rather than centering individual ego narratives, this era invites collective remembering, allowing old patterns to surface for integration rather than repression. As more people access symbolic material, discernment becomes necessary. The subconscious does not store memory as an archive, it speaks through symbol, emotion, archetype, association, and myth. Without grounding, the psyche collapses different layers of recall together. People often mistake: archetypal resonance (symbolic identity) field or collective memory (universal scenes) psychological projection (inner content seen as external) mythic identification (role-based meaning) for literal past-life memory. The task of this era is not merely remembering, but learning how to interpret what is being remembered, and why it is resurfacing now. I explore how people access these layers in my article 9 Powerful Ways to Access Your Past   Life Memories (Beyond Tarot & Astrology). Three types of inner recall: Past life, archetype, and field memory Not all inner recall points to a literal past life. Broadly speaking, memory tends to surface in three forms: past-life memory (biographical), archetypal resonance (symbolic), and collective or field memory (universal or psychic). Distinguishing between these matters, especially in an era where subconscious material is resurfacing rapidly and people are trying to make sense of what they’re remembering. Past-life memory carries biographical continuity. It often includes emotional specificity, sensory or episodic fragments, somatic imprint, relational recognition, karmic consequences in the present, and a sense of unfinished business. Archetypal resonance occurs when someone identifies with a mythic pattern, such as artist, mystic, rebel, martyr, or healer, that exists in the collective psyche. It explains a theme, but it doesn’t mean you were that person, it means you’re tuning into the same symbolic frequency. Field memory refers to universal or collective scenes drawn from the collective psyche, the Akashic field, or what Jung called the collective unconscious. These are often instructional, such as war, persecution, famine, overdose, or loss, and are shown to illuminate a pattern rather than assign a biography. Field memories are meant to be witnessed. Archetypes are meant to be integrated. Past-life memories are meant to be resolved. Why people confuse them Several factors contribute to over-identification. Emotional intensity is often mistaken for personal history, psychedelic experiences lack structure, cultural myths act as psychic magnets, trauma seeks symbolic form, and social media amplifies identity over integration. The psyche also uses recognizable imagery, including famous figures, not because you were that person, but because the image efficiently communicates the emotional lesson. We tend to reach for the most culturally available container for a symbolic pattern. That doesn’t make the pattern untrue, it simply means the pattern isn’t automatically biographical. Some lives leave a large psychic footprint. Artists, mystics, leaders, and culture-makers continue to broadcast long after they die. Many people resonate with the same figure not because they were that individual in a past life, but because they’re accessing an emotional residue, a creative frequency, or an unresolved mythic pattern. I explore this phenomenon more deeply in my earlier Brainz article When More Than One   Person Remembers the Same Past Life , as well as through my ongoing research project around   Jim Morrison . The key question isn’t “Was I them?” but “What is this resonance activating in me?” Signs it’s likely a past life memory (not just archetype) While no single marker is definitive, biographical past-life memory tends to carry more continuity than archetype or field imagery. It often shows up as: recurring emotional patterns that don’t always match your current biography abilities that feel remembered rather than acquired sensory or episodic fragments that feel context-bound rather than aesthetic strong reactions to particular eras, locations, or artifacts relationship dynamics that feel ancient or unfinished somatic or nervous system activation during recall a sense of responsibility rather than fantasy clear karmic consequences in the present a pull toward resolution (not identity inflation) By contrast: Archetypal resonance tends to produce identification, creativity, and symbolic recognition, without the same karmic weight or urgency. Field or collective memory tends to produce vivid scenes or emotional atmospheres that are instructional or thematic, but not tied to your personal soul timeline. From discernment to integration Without discernment, past-life material can get misinterpreted. Emotional or symbolic content may be claimed as literal identity, which can lead to fixation on the past or avoidance of present-life responsibility. Some material isn’t biographical at all, it belongs to the archetypal or collective field. The psyche often shows universal or symbolic scenes for the sake of learning or integration, not because the events belonged to your personal soul timeline. True past-life work isn’t about collecting identities, it’s about liberating energy. When you understand what you’re remembering, you can heal the pattern behind it, reclaim capacity that was lost, and step more fully into your purpose in this lifetime. I explore how subconscious identification shapes behavior and how to reprogram it in my Brainz article Reprogramming the Subconscious: How Past Life Imprints Shape Your Mindset and Success. In my work, I identify past-life identities through intuitive access and then verify continuity using structural tools such as karmic astrology, symbolic analysis, and pattern recognition. Astrology doesn’t reveal who you were, it confirms whether a theme is karmic, archetypal, personal, or collective, and how it carries into the present. I mainly work with highly creative and talented individuals whose soul histories have stronger signatures. Their incarnations tend to be easier to trace because the karmic, artistic, or cultural imprint persists across lifetimes. If you’re unsure what you’re accessing or how it fits into your larger soul pattern, a reading can clarify whether the material is biographical, archetypal, or field-based. Discernment saves time, energy, and unnecessary identity confusion. Not everything you remember is meant to be claimed. Some memories act as invitations, others as mirrors, and a few are truly yours to resolve. The useful question isn’t “Who was I?” but “Why is this surfacing now, and what is it asking me to integrate?” Past-life work isn’t about escaping the present, it’s about arriving in it with more awareness, coherence, and freedom. To go deeper into this work If this article resonates and you’d like to explore how these themes apply to your own life: Book a session  to map your soul lineage and identify the subconscious patterns shaping your current experience Explore my ongoing reincarnation research at Reality Cult  and IWasJimMorrison.com Follow Reality Cult on social media  or subscribe to the newsletter  for updates on research, writing, the Past Life Podcast, retreats, live events, and new work Explore my artistic practice , where past-life integration becomes performance, sound, and creative ritual Read my other Brainz Magazine articles  for additional tools and perspectives on past-life work and soul development Follow me on  Facebook , Instagram , and visit my LinkedIn for more info! Read more fr om Stephanie Smit Stephanie Smit, Visionary Artist & Reincarnation Researcher Stephanie Smit (Giek) is a visionary, multidisciplinary artist and independent reincarnation researcher. Through her work, she bridges experimental art, esoteric science, and intuitive guidance to help others uncover past lives and activate soul remembrance. She has uncovered over 250 past lives for clients using a unique method combining astrology, tarot, and Akashic insight. Her projects have been showcased at major museums and festivals across Europe, including the Van Gogh Museum and Harvard Divinity School. She also develops sacred performances, poetic lectures, and zero-waste fashion inspired by her visions. Giek's mission is to awaken spiritual sovereignty and co-create a New World rooted in divine creativity and karmic truth. Further reading in this research series: If you’d like to explore this work in more depth, these related articles expand on different layers of past-life memory, subconscious patterning, and collective resonance: What If the Root of Your Struggles Began in a Past Life? 9 Powerful Ways to Access Your Past Life Memories (Beyond Tarot & Astrology) Reprogramming the Subconscious: How Past Life Imprints Shape Your Mindset and   Success When More Than One Person Remembers the Same Past Life – What Shared Soul   Memories Reveal About You New Project Explores Why So Many Believe They Were Jim Morrison in a Past Life

Written by Dennis Mark Interdonato, Realtor® | Real Estate Strategist Dennis Mark Interdonato is a Keller Williams Luxury Agent and New Jersey real estate strategist with expertise in luxury properties, valuation strategy, and high-stakes residential transactions across Monmouth and Ocean County. In a culture obsessed with urgency, speed is often mistaken for strength. We celebrate quick decisions, rapid growth, and instant results. The message is everywhere, move fast or get left behind. But in high-stakes environments, business, leadership, investing, and life itself, speed without discipline is rarely a virtue. More often, it is a liability. Strategic patience is not hesitation. It is not fear. It is not indecision. Strategic patience is the ability to delay action until conditions align, data is clear, and execution can be decisive. It is the discipline to wait when others rush, and the clarity to move decisively when the moment is right. High performers do not win because they move faster. They win because they move at the right time. Speed feels productive, patience feels uncomfortable Speed provides instant feedback. It feels like progress. Patience, on the other hand, feels like stagnation. It creates silence, space, and discomfort, which is why most people avoid it. The irony is that many of the most damaging decisions are made not because of poor judgment, but because of impatience. Impatience forces action before clarity. It pushes leaders to react instead of respond. It turns pressure into panic and urgency into error. In contrast, patience allows patterns to emerge, risks to reveal themselves, and opportunities to mature. In high-pressure environments, whether military operations, complex negotiations, or business decisions involving significant capital, acting too early can be just as dangerous as acting too late. The long game is where real power lives Strategic patience is a long-game mindset. It prioritizes sustainability over adrenaline. It recognizes that short-term wins often come at the expense of long-term positioning. The most effective leaders understand that timing is a form of leverage. Waiting does not mean doing nothing. It means observing, preparing, stress-testing assumptions, and quietly positioning yourself so that when action is taken, it is overwhelming in its effectiveness. This approach separates professionals from amateurs. Amateurs chase momentum. Professionals build inevitability. Data over emotion, discipline over ego Impatience is usually emotional. It is driven by fear of missing out, fear of being outpaced, or fear of appearing inactive. Strategic patience requires emotional regulation. It demands the ability to sit with uncertainty without rushing to resolve it artificially. Data-driven decision-making thrives under patience. When leaders slow down, they gather better information, identify second- and third-order consequences, and reduce the influence of ego. They stop reacting to noise and start responding to signals. The discipline to wait is often harder than the courage to act. Yet it is that discipline that preserves capital, protects reputation, and strengthens long-term outcomes. Knowing when to wait and when to move Strategic patience does not mean perpetual delay. The danger is not patience itself, but failing to recognize when waiting has served its purpose. The shift from patience to action requires clarity. When the variables align, when the risk is understood, when preparation meets opportunity, action must be decisive and unapologetic. The same leaders who wait longer than most are often the ones who move faster than anyone else when the time comes. This is the paradox of patience. It creates explosive execution. Why most people get this wrong Many professionals confuse activity with progress. They fear stillness because it exposes gaps in strategy. They rush decisions to avoid accountability. Speed becomes a shield against reflection. Strategic patience requires confidence. Confidence in your process, confidence in your preparation, and confidence that the right opportunities cannot be forced, only earned. Those who master patience stop chasing outcomes. They build systems, refine judgment, and let timing work in their favor. Final thought Speed impresses in the short term. Timing wins in the long term. In leadership, business, and life, the ability to wait is often the difference between reacting and leading, between surviving and dominating. Strategic patience is not passive. It is deliberate, disciplined, and powerful. Those who learn to master timing do not just move forward, they move forward with precision. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dennis Mark Interdonato Dennis Mark Interdonato, Realtor® | Real Estate Strategist Dennis Mark Interdonato is a Keller Williams Luxury Agent and New Jersey real estate strategist serving Monmouth County, Ocean County, and surrounding markets. With a professional background as a former home builder and remodeler, Dennis Mark brings construction-level understanding of property value, pricing strategy, and long-term investment considerations. He is a multi-time Circle of Excellence award recipient, a Certified Divorce Real Estate Expert (CDRE®), and a former US Army Drill Sergeant, bringing discipline and structure into every client relationship. His work is grounded in local expertise, modern strategy and a commitement to serving the community. Local Insight. Local Living.

Agnes Chvojka is a Rapid Transformational Therapy® Hypnotherapist, Mindset and Confidence Coach who specializes in deep subconscious healing, emotional release, and hypnosis. Based in Ireland and working with clients worldwide, Agnes helps women break free from emotional blocks, heal past traumas, and reclaim their confidence, self-love, and inner peace. Agnes Chvojka, Rapid Transformational Therapy® Hypnotherapist, Mindset and Confidence Coach Who is Agnes Chvojka beyond the titles, and how did your own journey lead you into hypnotherapy and subconscious healing? I’m a woman in my early forties who has always lived life with courage – sometimes consciously, and sometimes simply because my heart wouldn’t let me do it any other way. I’m a mum to my own little superhero, who continues to teach me about curiosity, honesty, and unconditional love. I never really felt different, but I always knew there was more in me – a hunger for learning, deep curiosity, and a real craving to understand life and connect with people on a deeper level. Like many, I followed the traditional academic path. I went to a good high school, studied at a prestigious business college and later at university in Hungary. I became an economist and marketing specialist. I got the diploma, just like everyone else in the family, because I felt it would give me the validation I was looking for. From the outside, everything looked successful and stable. But somewhere in my early thirties, I realised that while my life choices made sense externally, they no longer felt aligned on the inside. The work I was doing was creative and flexible, but it didn’t truly resonate with me. I felt confused and unfulfilled. I started questioning why certain blocks kept holding me back and where that inner conflict was coming from. That’s when I came across Rapid Transformational Therapy®. I had an introductory session online with the amazing Marisa Peer that gave me a real epiphany around a block I had been trying to let go of for years. Happy Minds Hypnotherapy was born from my own journey. As I began healing parts of myself that I hadn’t even realised I was carrying, I experienced firsthand how powerful subconscious healing can be. It opened a completely new door for me. I knew I wanted to work with people, helping them open their minds so that when they open their eyes, a whole new world is waiting for them – one where old conditioning no longer controls them, and where they learn to regulate and trust themselves internally, just as I had to learn. In my therapy work, I don’t separate who I am from what I do. Every step, long detour, and challenge has shaped the work I now feel deeply honoured to offer. How do you explain Rapid Transformational Therapy® and how does your approach differ from traditional therapy? Rapid Transformational Therapy® blends several powerful approaches – hypnosis, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and talk therapy – but what makes it different is how and where the work happens. RTT® uses hypnosis, an altered state of the mind often referred to as the theta or trance state. In this state, the mind is naturally more relaxed, receptive, and open. When the eyes are closed and the client is guided into hypnosis, they’re able to look inward and truly connect the mind and the body. This is where deep psychosomatic healing becomes possible. RTT® isn’t about fixing someone – because people aren’t broken. It’s about finding the root cause of an issue so it can be understood, processed, and released. Once that happens, we replace old patterns and limiting beliefs with new, supportive ones. And because we’re working at the root, the changes don’t stay limited to just one area of life, they affect all layers of it. That’s why many of my clients come to work on one thing – for example, anger management – and a month later they notice other changes too. Their eating habits shift, they start losing weight naturally, or their communication with loved ones improves. When the subconscious changes, it creates a ripple effect across the whole system. What are the most common misconceptions people have about hypnotherapy? One of the biggest misconceptions is that hypnotherapy means losing control or being “put to sleep.” People often imagine stage hypnosis, where someone barks like a dog on stage or does things against their will – and that couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, you’re fully aware and always in control the entire time. Hypnosis is simply a deeply relaxed, focused state – similar to daydreaming. You can hear everything, you can speak, and you can stop at any time. Another misconception is that hypnotherapy is about being fixed by someone else. It’s not. The hypnotherapist doesn’t have power over you – the work comes from within you. Hypnotherapy simply creates the right state for your subconscious mind to access past memories, understand how certain experiences have shaped your current challenges, and release what’s been holding you back. And finally, many people think hypnotherapy is only about relaxation or positive thinking. While relaxation is part of the process, real hypnotherapy goes much deeper. It’s a form of deep psychosomatic healing that begins with releasing familiar negative emotional patterns and gently replacing them with new, supportive ones. This creates new neural pathways in the brain. RTT® works at the subconscious level, helping you understand the root of an issue and create lasting change – not just temporary relief. What are the most common emotional blocks you see clients struggling with when they come to you? The most common problem is anxiety. Behind that, there’s usually overthinking, self-doubt, worry, and fear. Many people feel stuck in their own heads – constantly analysing, worrying, and questioning themselves – and over time that can leave them feeling overwhelmed or disconnected from their body. Low confidence, lack of self-esteem are common issues also. Emotional eating comes up a lot too – not because of a lack of willpower, but because food has become a way to soothe, regulate, or distract from emotions that feel too uncomfortable to face. One of the most common beliefs I see is ‘I’m not good enough.’ It usually forms early in life, often as a response to unmet emotional needs, neglect, or experiences of not feeling seen, safe, or valued. As adults, that early interpretation quietly shapes how people think, feel, and react. Behind many of these challenges, there’s often a childhood experience or emotional wound. Can you share a success story that illustrates the kind of transformation your clients experience? One client came to me facing a complex situation, with more than twelve interconnected issues affecting her life. When she reached out, she said she knew something had to change because she simply couldn’t take it anymore. She committed to my three-month transformational programme, which combines hypnotherapy to explore and interrupt past patterns, hypno-coaching with practical strategies and mindfulness tools, and Kundalini Energy work to release energetic blocks. Our focus wasn’t on fixing symptoms, but on understanding the root and purpose of her challenges at a subconscious level. Within around four weeks after our hypnosis session, the changes became noticeable. Her anxiety eased, anger and stress softened, and she began sleeping better. She felt more present in daily life and less stuck on autopilot. One of the most meaningful shifts was in her relationship with herself – stronger self-esteem, kinder self-talk, and healthier boundaries without guilt. There was also a clear ripple effect. Her energy levels shifted, her emotional eating reduced, and she became more aware of her triggers. She felt more grounded and in control of her emotions, returned to the gym, and began losing weight – even though that was never the main focus of our work. Perhaps most importantly, she felt clear and grounded enough to rebuild her relationship and reconnect with her partner after having called off their engagement before the therapy. Why is addressing the subconscious mind so important for lasting change? Think of your mind as a computer. Your conscious mind is the hardware – the thinking mind that rationalises, analyses, and makes everyday decisions. Your subconscious mind is the feeling mind – the background software built from past experiences, trauma, conditioning, and learned patterns. Most of the time, we try to change things at the surface level, while the real issue sits much deeper in the system. Lasting healing begins when we work with both the conscious and subconscious mind and bring the body into alignment as well. When the nervous system is no longer in constant alert mode, the subconscious can release old conditioning and begin rewiring new, healthier pathways in the brain. RTT® allows you to close your eyes, go beneath hundreds of layers of that background software, find where the error first started, and gently reboot the whole system. When the system resets, change becomes natural – not forced – and that’s why root-cause therapy is so effective. Once that deeper layer shifts, behaviour, emotions, and reactions begin to change on their own. You’re no longer fighting yourself or forcing change – your system starts working with you. And that’s when change becomes sustainable, not something you have to constantly manage. How do you help clients build high confidence? Confidence and self-esteem work on two different levels. Confidence is shaped by how we think others see us, while self-esteem comes from how we see ourselves on the inside. The two are strongly connected – and that’s why surface-level confidence work and affirmation practices rarely last. When someone comes to me with confidence issues, I don’t start by trying to tell them why they should be “more confident.” We first with the low self-esteem and look at what’s beneath the surface. Most of the time, it leads back to unmet needs in childhood – not feeling safe, loved, seen, or praised in the way a child needs. We go underneath the layers and revisit those early experiences through inner child work. What needs to be released is released, and in hypnosis the client is guided to face their old self with compassion. One of the most powerful moments is when they realise, “That’s not me anymore.” The challenges a dependent child once had to carry are no longer theirs to hold. They learn how to give themselves the needs they never received. That realisation alone creates a huge internal shift. You can often see it immediately – the way they smile, how they hold themselves, how their energy changes when they open their eyes after the session. And in the weeks that follow, clients begin to notice something even bigger: their confidence isn’t the old version anymore. That’s how confidence lasts – not by changing who you are, but by reconnecting with your authentic self once unmet needs are finally met. When is hypnotherapy a better option than conventional therapy methods? One of the clearest signs is when the same problems, emotions, or thoughts keep looping back – even after months or years of counselling or talk therapy. Many people understand their issues very well on a logical level, but they still feel stuck. Another sign is when someone struggles to build trust or feel fully safe and open with a therapist in traditional talk-based therapy. Hypnotherapy can feel very different in that sense. When you close your eyes and turn inward, there’s often less self-consciousness, less fear of being judged, and people tend to feel more open and able to be vulnerable. One of the biggest benefits of hypnosis is that you’re not just talking about the problem – you’re working directly with the subconscious mind, where these patterns actually live. You’re guided gently inward, and the work happens on a deeper, mind-body (psychosomatic) level rather than just through talking. For many people, hypnotherapy isn’t a replacement for traditional therapy – it’s the missing piece. Especially when they’re ready to move beyond knowing and go into understanding. For someone reading this who feels stuck or curious, what’s one small mindset shift or first step you’d encourage them to take? What if you stopped asking, “Why do I feel this way?” and instead closed your eyes and gently asked, “What happened to me that led me to feel this way?” Then allow a moment of silence for the answer to come. That simple shift alone can create compassion instead of self-blame and open the door to real understanding. If something in this conversation resonated with you, it may be a sign that you’re ready to look beneath the surface. True transformation often begins when we listen more closely to what our mind and body are communicating. For those curious about hypnosis and subconscious healing, Agnes’s work offers a safe and supportive space to begin that journey. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Agnes Chvojka

Written by Aaron Eschenburg, Ayahuascero and Astrotheologer Aaron Eschenburg is an Ayahuascero and Astrotheologer. He is the Founder and creator of Ancestral Herbs, a natural plant medicine company, and MiTranscendance Entheo Religious Society. If we observe two clocks that have pendulums on two different walls, they will each tick-tock at their own one-second intervals. If we put both clocks on the same wall next to one another, their pendulums will start to synchronize as they begin to swing together and tick-tock in unison. The dominant frequency takes over the less dominant frequency as they become harmoniously intertwined. “I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be there.” ― Mother Teresa  This is a phenomenon known as entrainment, where the stronger, more consistent rhythmic oscillation or “frequency” influences its cadence on the more variable frequency as they begin to resonate and physically move together. Reiki masters and sound healers are very privy to this science and exercise it with singing bowls, droning didgeridoos, gongs, shrudi boxes, vocal toning, tuning forks, and other healing tools. A body in dis-ease is a body out of harmony within itself and the cosmos, creating disease within itself. We can “tune” our mind and body through resonant tools and medicines to bring us back into vibrational ease and harmony within ourselves. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge of 1940 has an extremely important role in civil engineering, physics, and understanding our vibrational world. The very capable designers and engineers who built this iconic bridge in Tacoma, Washington, had no idea that the vertical support cables that held the bridge together were tuned to a harmonic resonance of one another. Just months after its completion, high gusts of wind began to buffet the support cables, as if strumming a guitar. The cables began to vibrate and amplify the cable next to it, which resonated the cable next to it, and so on, synchronizing together and creating an audible hum. Like an echo chamber feeding back into itself, the bridge began to move and sway in a seemingly unnatural way. The bridge was made of 20,665,000 lbs of structural steel, 3,654,000 lbs of reinforced steel, 8,500,000 lbs of cable wire and fittings, with 103,129 cubic yards of concrete. Though the bridge itself was made of the sturdiest materials available, it wasn’t long at all before the entire solid steel and concrete structure began to sway and bend like rubber twisting back and forth. With each passing second, the twists and bends became dramatically larger. Contorting over 10 thousand tons of steel in 28 ft tall waves until this 6 million dollar solid structure of the most durable stable materials known to humanity became so unstable it collapsed into the river beneath it. As if the wind was the grand conductor and the cables of the bridge were the string section of an orchestra, and the grand crescendo to this opus of the bridge was its structural demise. This concept of entrainment, where the dominant vibration influences and manipulates the less dominant vibration, can be found in many aspects of nature and human life. Often, we can see this with women syncing their menstrual cycle to their closest friends or even with the Moon cycle and eclipses. Like passing a yawn from one to another, there is a vibrational element to our living beings that either resonates with others or repels them. Imagine a car with a subwoofer in the trunk driving by your house, and it rattles the windows of your home. The vibrations are audible and transmit changing air pressure that can be heard and felt from a great distance. These vibrations began in the trunk of the vehicle but aren’t limited to the structure itself. The same goes for our thoughts and feelings. They are subtle vibrations that don’t just stay in our cranium but send a ripple throughout our aura field. This vibration is either in harmony with others or creates dissonance. Like when the windows of your vehicle are rolled down at just the right height to create that strange warble sound, we have to adjust the height of the windows until the sound of the air flow becomes harmonious.   The Maharishi International University has published several studies supporting group meditation and reduced crime rates. When we collectively set our minds, hearts, and intentions to hold a vibration of peace, there is tangible scientific evidence that backs up the theory that our intentions have a real world effect on our physical reality. This process has been studied, contemplated, doubted, and duplicated multiple times throughout history to continue to prove its significance. In the 1970’s and 80’s, studies suggested a 16% reduction in crime rates in cities where only 1% of the population practiced a particular style of Transcendental Meditation, TM. In 1993, four thousand TM practitioners gathered in Washington, D.C. for two months, which showed a 23.3% reduction in violent crimes. 2007-2010, there was a large group practicing this meditation technique in Iowa, which led to a decrease in homicide by 21.1%, and violent crimes lowered by 18.5%. Physically, we are singular individuals, collectively, we are a singular consciousness. Our individual vibration and field of consciousness are linked to the collective, just as the vibration held by the meditation practitioner is unified and linked to the entire population. The peace meditating practitioners mindfully resonate in a consistent vibratory state that ripples throughout society. Similar to the sub-woofer emanating from the trunk of the car that sends sound waves through its surrounding environment. Those waves can be felt and measured just the same as the influence of the TM practitioners can be felt and measured. These studies have been doubted, duplicated, measured, and proven time and time again with legitimate scientific data to back them up. There’s great truth to this childhood fairy tale of Peter Pan, think happy thoughts, and you can fly. Allowing ourselves to focus on that of which we love, want, and desire wires the neuron-net of our brain, which triggers and amplifies the vibratory rate of our body. Our thoughts shape our reality, while life outside of self just “is” and things just “are”. It’s the human experience and our personal observation that determine what “is” and how we “feel” about it. There will always be things beyond our control happening all around us. Sustaining a mindset of prosperity and focusing on our contributions to the garden of the human experience raises our personal vibration and attracts others within a harmonious vibration. What you resist persists. The act of resisting a feeling, an emotion, a situation, or a problem often gives it more power and keeps it present and relevant in our lives. When we resist something, we focus our mind, intentions, and energy on that which we do not want, which makes the problem seem larger and more relevant. This vibrational loop creates internal conflict, often with something we have no control over, which is an unproductive use of brain power and energy. Resisting reality is a lack of acceptance, which leads to anger, resentment, separation, substance use, escaping reality, and falling into unhealthy coping mechanisms. To accept something doesn’t mean we approve of it. There’s a healthy amount of acknowledgment and understanding of acceptance that must happen to shift from a mindset of resistance and an internal argument with oneself that is “against” something, in order to shift our awareness to be “for” something. Only from this place of acceptance can we find internal peace and determine a strategy to move forward while focusing on that which we truly do love, want, and desire. When we focus on anything, whether we want it or not, we send a ripple through the universe that says, “Yes! Give me more”, even if it’s the opposite of what we desire. This happens because we hold in our hearts and minds the vibration of what we are against. The universe doesn’t understand the difference and the grand genie at large says, “Your wish is my command”. Like running a race in your mind, the same fast-twitch muscle fibers fire just as if you were actually running the race. The brain doesn’t know the difference. We can actually gain muscle mass by exercising in our minds through mental imagery. That’s how powerful and strong our minds are!  “I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be there.” ― Mother Teresa  The difference between an anti-war rally and a pro-peace rally is the vibrational intent of “Anti – Against” to the vibration of “Pro – For” which determines what we are truly trying to manifest, what we allow our minds to focus on, and the proposed outcome. An attitude of gratitude might be challenging when faced with a scenario we don’t favor, but the acceptance of what is, is necessary to move forward gracefully with a healthy mind and heart. So what do all these things have in common, and how do they tie together? The clocks with the pendulums are symbolic of how we humans synchronize together. How the individual with a strong personality or more consistent vibration of love, peace, ambition, prosperity, hate, anger, or rage can influence and manipulate others to “swing” to their cadence and match their energy.  The wind bellowing through the bridge represents an uncontrollable force. The support beams of the bridge represent the people feeding off of one another and amplifying the signal, while the bridge represents the structure and total collapse. The bridge is also how we cross from one side to the other, how we move from a place of resistance to acceptance. If we keep resonating at a vibration of resistance, we will sacrifice the entire structure, leading to destruction. Destruction is never the goal, crossing the bridge is always the goal. The group meditation is directly related to what happens when large groups of people gather together with intent. The mental and emotional vibrational waves create ripples through our society at large, and the real life effects of that energy carry throughout our collective consciousness. This is not to be taken lightly. If we are collectively focused on peace, we see a decrease in crime with evidence. When we gather to collectively focus on what we don’t want and are against, we see more anger, hate, and all the things we do not want. Why would Mother Teresa choose to go to a pro-peace rally but never an anti-war rally? Because she understood the mentality, the vibrational resonance, and intent behind the “anti” rallies, and she didn’t resonate with them. She understood that it was a lack of acceptance and a lack of clear motivation for what our hearts truly want and desire. The results are exactly the opposite of what we are actually gathering for.  There’s a point where we have to take a stand, no question, but we have to stand for something we believe in, not something we hate or are against. Be “for” someone, some cause, not against someone and against some cause. There is always an equal and opposite to everything, and it’s up to us to make the right decisions on what we are putting our time and energy into. If we see something that we don’t like, violence, injustice, or whatever, we have to learn to flip it and stand for the opposite in a positive way, and gather appropriately.  Stand for love, stand for peace, stand for equality, stand for clean food and water, protecting lakes, forests, jungles, lands, nature, animals, people, rights, science, truth, whatever you desire. Rally for something you love. Let love lead the way and remain in an attitude of gratitude and prosperity regardless of the outside world. Focus on the peace and be the sub-woofer emitting and vibrating your love to the world around you. The world needs more of that authenticity than anything else. Follow me on Instagram , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Aaron Eschenburg Aaron Eschenburg, Ayahuascero, Astrotheologer Aaron Eschenburg is an Ayahuasca Shaman and creator of the natural plant medicine company Ancestral Herbs. Being hit by a drunk driver at 21 spiraled him into a journey of exploring alternative medicines to get away from the side effects of pharmaceuticals. Astrotheology and plant medicines then came into his life at the same time, creating a better understanding of humanities relationship with our living planet solar system, and Universe. He now dedicates his life to helping others explore the options of natural healing, entheogenic practices, and embracing the Aquarian Age.

Written by Kelsey Irving, Licensed Clinical Therapist Kelsey Irving is a licensed therapist and recognized specialist in OCD and anxiety disorders. She is the founder of Steadfast Psychology Group and author of the children’s book Jacob and the Cloud. If you’ve spent any time researching Exposure and Response Prevention therapy (ERP), you’ve probably come across a common warning: this is hard work. ERP asks a lot of you. With the guidance of a trained therapist, you intentionally face the thoughts, images, objects, or situations that trigger anxiety and obsessions, without doing the rituals that usually bring relief. Fun? Not exactly. So why do people willingly sign up for something that sounds so uncomfortable, and often pay good money for it? The short answer: because it works. ERP has the strongest evidence base for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder, especially when combined with certain medications like serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs). For many, it becomes a turning point. The reluctance to let go Even when people know ERP is effective, committing to it can feel daunting. A major reason is the fear of giving up compulsions. After all, compulsions often masquerade as strengths. They can make you feel responsible, prepared, detail-oriented, or vigilant. They may even feel protective. But if you’re reading about treatment, especially if you’re searching late at night, hoping for something different, there’s likely a part of you that’s tired. A part that wants change. So what’s driving that feeling? What’s pulling you toward change? Maybe the constant mental noise makes it hard to focus. Maybe anxiety is straining your relationships or draining your energy. Maybe you’re stuck in endless “what if” loops that spiral into panic. Or maybe you’re simply exhausted from the daily vigilance your anxiety demands. Take a moment to consider what made you think, “This might be a problem.” Then ask yourself another question: What would my life look like if this felt more manageable? More freedom? More presence? More ease? Why take the risk? At its core, ERP is about learning to live according to your values, not your fears. Through a series of carefully planned, challenging-but-approachable exercises, people begin to build trust in themselves. They learn they can tolerate discomfort, and that anxiety doesn’t get to call the shots. Along the way, ERP teaches practical coping skills to prevent anxiety from escalating into panic. Over time, fear loses its authority. One former client summed up the decision this way: “I realized I had two options: be controlled by my OCD in a state of fear and stress, or grow and learn in a state of fear and stress. I decided I’d rather suffer in the right direction.” What it can feel like on the other side Many people who complete ERP describe it as empowering. One client shared that after years of feeling helpless, ERP gave them tools they could actually use. Another described starting with “baby steps” to face fears, like simply driving to a grocery store alone, until those once-impossible tasks became manageable, even routine. The common thread? Confidence grows when you prove to yourself that you can do hard things. Still unsure? If you’re on the fence, a simple cost-benefit analysis can help. List the pros and cons of continuing compulsions versus letting them go. A helpful rule of thumb: if a behavior feels urgent, like something must be done right now or things won’t be okay, it’s likely a compulsion. And if you do decide to try ERP, one thing matters above all else: work with a therapist trained specifically in ERP. The right guidance makes all the difference. ERP isn’t easy. But for many, it’s the first step toward a life that feels bigger, freer, and no longer ruled by fear. If you’re curious about whether ERP could be right for you, working with a therapist trained specifically in this approach matters. Kelsey Irving is a licensed therapist who specializes in ERP and anxiety treatment. You can learn more about her work, or reach out to take the next step, at steadfastpsychology.com . Sometimes, choosing help is the bravest exposure of all. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Kelsey Irving Kelsey Irving, Licensed Clinical Therapist Kelsey Irving is a licensed therapist specializing in the treatment of adults with OCD and anxiety disorders. Inspired by a close family member’s diagnosis and the widespread misunderstanding of OCD, she became deeply committed to providing informed, compassionate, and effective care. Kelsey serves individuals through her private practice, Steadfast Psychology Group, and extends her impact through her children’s book, Jacob and the Cloud.

Written by Gaelle K.O, Certified Life and Career Coach Gaelle is a Certified Life Coach and the founder of Successful Landing Inc., a coaching platform dedicated to empowering international professionals as they navigate life and career transitions and pursue meaningful goals. We’ve all been there, the early-morning alarm shatters a deep, peaceful sleep, and before we know it, we’re hitting the snooze button again and again, hoping to steal a few more minutes of rest. But what if you didn’t hit the snooze button again? What if you pressed it once, acknowledged it was time to wake up, and simply started your day? For working professionals, stepping out of our comfort zone and moving into something new can feel much the same, uncomfortable, unfamiliar, and tempting to postpone. Yet, just like getting out of bed, it’s that first decisive step toward a career transition that creates momentum, brings clarity, and opens the door to growth. Since change does not come naturally for most of us, the three considerations below are designed to give you the nudge you need to stop hitting snooze and start your career transition journey. Letting go of the map in a career transition Transitioning from one professional identity to another can be deeply challenging at times, it can even feel impossible. From a young age, we are taught to follow a linear path: go to school, graduate, get a job, start a family, and move steadily forward. We often apply this same logic to our careers, starting at the bottom and climbing upward as experience accumulates. As a result, when we consider a career change, we naturally try to replicate this familiar pattern, expecting a clear sequence of steps that will lead us directly from where we are to where we want to be. But how can we know for sure that the new career we are aiming for is truly the right one for us? Without taking the time to explore, ask questions, experiment, and even fail, and without accepting that this process may not come with a clearly defined trajectory, we risk ending up in a place of frustration. We may find ourselves repeatedly “hitting the snooze button,” postponing action, and ultimately abandoning the idea of stepping out of our comfort zone altogether. Navigating a career transition requires patience and a willingness to move forward without having all the answers. It means being open to trying, failing, reflecting, and trying again. As Roy T. Bennett reminds us, “Until you step into the unknown, you don't know what you're made of.” Taking the time to experiment and reflect allows new possibilities to emerge and creates space for a career path that is not only different but also more aligned with who you are becoming.   Embrace the discomfort Change rarely comes without discomfort. A career transition often brings uncertainty, self-doubt, and a temporary sense of instability. There may be moments when you question your decision, compare yourself to others who seem “further ahead,” or feel discouraged by the learning curve of something new. This is normal. Rather than seeing these challenges as signs that you are on the wrong path, consider them evidence that you are stretching beyond what is familiar. Growth happens precisely in these moments of friction. Just as your body needs time to adjust to a new routine, your professional identity needs time to adapt to a new reality. Embracing the discomfort means shifting your mindset from “This is hard, maybe I should stop” to “This is hard, and that means I’m learning.” When you stop resisting discomfort and instead view it as part of the process, you move from avoidance to agency. You stop hitting snooze and start engaging fully with the transition you’ve chosen. Learning to trust your gut In career transitions, logic and planning are important, but they are not enough on their own. Many professionals remain stuck because they wait for absolute certainty before taking action. The truth is that certainty rarely comes first. More often, it is your intuition, your gut feeling, that quietly signals when something no longer fits, or when a new direction feels worth exploring. Trusting your gut does not mean acting impulsively or ignoring practical considerations. It means paying attention to what energizes you, what drains you, and what keeps resurfacing despite your attempts to dismiss it. That inner voice is often the first indicator that change is needed. When you learn to listen to yourself and honor those signals, you begin to move with intention rather than fear. You give yourself permission to take informed risks and to course-correct along the way if needed. Trusting your gut is what allows you to move forward, even when the path ahead is not fully visible. Final thoughts: Wake up to what’s possible Career transitions are not about having everything figured out before you begin. They are about choosing to wake up to your dissatisfaction, your curiosity, and your potential—and taking one small step at a time. Hitting the snooze button may feel comfortable in the moment, but it keeps you stuck in a cycle of hesitation and self-doubt. When you decide to get up, embrace the uncertainty, and trust yourself enough to begin, momentum follows. You don’t need a perfect plan. You just need the courage to start. If you’re ready to stop hitting snooze on your career but aren’t sure where to start, let’s talk. Book a call  with me and take the first intentional step toward a career that fits who you are today, not who you were expected to be. Visit my website for more info! Read more from Gaelle K.O Gaelle K.O, Certified Life and Career Coach Gaelle is a travel enthusiast, HR professional, and Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation. After living and working across borders, she personally faced the doubts and setbacks many international professionals experience when looking for work in a new country. Instead of giving up, Gaelle transformed that experience into her mission. Today, as the founder of Successful Landing , she empowers international professionals—especially women—to rise with confidence, land meaningful careers in their new environment, and be fully recognized and compensated for their worth.

Written by Anna Hirsch-Nowak, Health & Wellness Coach, Certified Nutritionist Anna Hirsch-Nowak is a certified holistic nutritionist and holistic wellness coach. She helps clients return to balance and psychophysical well-being. She shows how to live more in tune with yourself. She is the author of the eBook “Menopause – Your Inner Power.” The elimination diet is a structured, short-term nutritional intervention widely used in functional and integrative medicine to identify food-related triggers of chronic symptoms and to support gastrointestinal and immune system regulation. It is particularly valuable for individuals experiencing persistent, nonspecific health concerns, such as digestive disturbances, fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, or dermatological conditions that do not respond adequately to conventional therapeutic approaches. Unlike long-term restrictive diets, the elimination diet is designed as a temporary diagnostic and therapeutic strategy. Its primary objectives are to reduce inflammatory burden, restore intestinal function, and enable a gradual return to a diverse, nutrient-dense dietary pattern tailored to individual tolerance. Rationale and mechanisms of action Adverse food reactions encompass a broad spectrum of responses, including food sensitivities and intolerances, which often present with delayed and variable symptom onset. These reactions may occur hours or days after consumption, making identification challenging. In contrast to IgE-mediated food allergies, which typically provoke immediate and recognizable symptoms, delayed reactions are frequently overlooked and may manifest as chronic or systemic complaints. Repeated exposure to poorly tolerated foods may contribute to ongoing low-grade inflammation, impaired digestive and absorptive capacity, and increased intestinal permeability. Disruption of the gut barrier facilitates the translocation of food antigens and microbial byproducts into systemic circulation, activating immune pathways and perpetuating inflammatory responses. The elimination diet addresses these mechanisms by temporarily removing common dietary triggers, allowing for physiological recovery. Structure of the elimination diet From a functional medicine perspective, the elimination diet consists of two essential phases: elimination and reintroduction. The elimination phase typically lasts a minimum of three weeks (21 days), though the duration may be extended based on individual clinical presentation and response. This period allows time for inflammatory processes to subside and for intestinal epithelial cells, characterized by rapid turnover, to regenerate. During this phase, some individuals may experience transient withdrawal symptoms, such as fatigue, headaches, or digestive changes, particularly if previously consumed foods were eliminated. The reintroduction phase involves the systematic, sequential reintroduction of individual foods while closely monitoring physiological responses. This structured approach enables the identification of specific dietary triggers and supports the development of a personalized long-term nutritional strategy.   Gut health, microbiome, and immune modulation The gastrointestinal tract plays a central role in immune regulation, housing a substantial proportion of immune cells and maintaining continuous interaction with dietary antigens and the gut microbiota. A balanced and diverse intestinal microbiome is critical for immune tolerance, metabolic health, and inflammatory control. The elimination diet supports microbiome restoration by emphasizing whole, minimally processed foods rich in fiber, phytonutrients, and bioactive compounds. These dietary components act as prebiotics, promoting the growth of beneficial microorganisms, while high-quality protein and healthy fats provide essential substrates for tissue repair and metabolic function. By reducing exposure to inflammatory triggers, the diet facilitates normalization of gut-immune axis signaling. Commonly eliminated foods Foods most frequently excluded during the elimination phase include dairy products, gluten-containing grains, soy, corn, eggs, nuts, shellfish, alcohol, caffeine, refined sugars, and ultra-processed foods. Dairy products may provoke adverse reactions due to lactose intolerance or immune responses to milk proteins such as casein. Gluten-containing grains are eliminated because of their association with digestive dysfunction, immune activation, and increased intestinal permeability in susceptible individuals. During the elimination phase, dietary intake focuses on vegetables, fruits, gluten-free whole grains, plant-based dairy alternatives (excluding soy), healthy fats, and protein sources derived from high-quality, sustainably raised animals or plant-based options. Clinical applications and target populations The elimination diet has demonstrated clinical utility in individuals with chronic gastrointestinal disorders, inflammatory skin conditions, musculoskeletal pain, autoimmune diseases, and elevated inflammatory markers. It may also benefit patients experiencing unexplained fatigue, cognitive symptoms, or recurrent infections, where dietary triggers are suspected to play a contributing role. Reintroduction and long-term personalization Careful food reintroduction is essential for translating short-term dietary intervention into long-term nutritional balance. Foods that elicit consistent adverse reactions are typically excluded for an additional three to six months before reassessment. Over time, improved gut integrity and immune regulation may allow for increased tolerance of previously problematic foods. In some cases, however, long-term avoidance of specific triggers may be warranted. Conclusion The elimination diet is a clinically relevant and evidence-informed therapeutic tool that extends beyond symptom management to address underlying mechanisms of chronic inflammation and gut dysfunction. When implemented under professional supervision, it supports individualized care, enhances patient awareness of diet–symptom relationships, and facilitates sustainable improvements in health. In holistic and functional medicine, the elimination diet serves not only as a nutritional intervention but also as a means of empowering individuals to better understand and respond to the physiological signals of their own bodies. As a certified nutritionist, holistic wellness coach, and functional medicine coaching specialist, I provide attentive, individualized support throughout the entire elimination diet process. If you are experiencing nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms, skin-related concerns, or a chronically weakened immune system, or if you suspect food intolerances or sensitivities, I encourage you to consider undertaking an elimination diet. Follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Anna Hirsch-Nowak Anna Hirsch-Nowak, Health & Wellness Coach, Certified Nutritionist Anna Hirsch-Nowak is a certified holistic nutritionist, holistic wellness coach, and menopause coach. She helps clients return to balance and psychophysical well-being. She is a guide and partner for her clients. She helps them identify their needs and accompanies them on their journey toward improving their lifestyle and wellness. She is the author of the eBook “Menopause – Your Inner Power.” She is currently a student at the FMCA Academy. Her mission is to help people draw health from the connection of body, spirit, and mind.

Written by Honor Tremain, Nutritionist, Author, and Journalist Honor Tremain is an award-winning longevity nutritionist, author, and journalist whose journey into nutrition began with a personal health crisis. Determined to reclaim her life, she completed qualifications in nutrition, eventually healing herself and going on to complete a Bachelor of Science degree. The pet food sector is a booming industry, with over 50% of all households having a dog or cat, exceeding 1 billion animals worldwide. According to the Fortune Business Report 2025 , global spending on pet food is upwards of $132.4 billion and is estimated to reach $179 billion by 2032. The massive growth of this industry can partly be explained by people’s love for companion animals, particularly with the increase in human anxiety, loneliness, and depression, where pets are seen as potential solutions. Another factor is that younger high-income earners, like Gen Z, are opting to have children later in life, having fewer children, or none at all, and are instead raising “furry family members.” ( P Alexander ) This humanization of pets, with more disposable income directed towards them, has led to the demand for higher-quality “human-grade” pet foods, but it has also created a few dilemmas. Many of the new premium high-meat diets are exceeding recommended nutritional requirements for animals, potentially making them sick while also putting an unsustainable burden on the environment. But first: A bit about dogs Dogs appeared on Earth about 20 million years ago, and from the get-go, they were foragers. Many ancient remains indicate their diets were extremely diverse, including a mix of meat, marine life, plants, vegetables, fruits, and ancient grains like millet. Their friendly nature, joyful energy, loyalty, and instinctive bond with humans have made them wonderful companions and easy best friends to many. And they’re not just adorable, loving, cuddly, and cute, they’re also highly intelligent, useful, and protective, being trustworthy companions, guides, and guards to people in need. Some facts The global pet food ingredients market is expected to increase from $32.2-$44.5 billion from 2022 to 2027, with pressure to support what’s on trend, currently, that’s more meat. The pet food sector is closely linked to the livestock sector, where dogs and cats currently consume 9% of all livestock animals globally. In the U.S., it’s 20%. Consumption of livestock is currently at unsustainable levels, with roughly 92 billion land animals, 124 billion farmed fish, and 1.1-2.2 trillion wild fish being slaughtered each year globally. ( A Mood ) Emissions from the livestock sector account for the same amount of global greenhouse gases as the combined exhaust emissions from all cars, planes, trains, and boats on Earth. According to WWF , deforestation due to livestock needs is responsible for 10% of all global warming while destroying essential wildlife habitats, where more than 50% of the world’s land-based plants and animals, and 75% of all bird species, need these forests to survive, leading to extinction. If that’s not concerning enough, with the rising popularity of high-raw meat meals, the environmental impact of some pets’ diets is overtaking that of humans. In the U.S. alone, dogs and cats are producing roughly 30% as much bio-waste (poop) as people do! How has this happened? Clever marketing, poor recommendations, overfeeding, and the concept that higher meat diets are healthier for your animal are the drivers. However, international environmental protection agencies such as the WWF, veterinarians, and health advocates around the world are concerned. Because the next most baffling thing about all of this, other than the financial and environmental costs, is that these diets may not be good for your furry bestie! Food allergies, cancers, pancreatitis, kidney disease, anxiety, gut, inflammatory, and immune disorders are all on the rise. Health concerns The Journal of Internal Medicine reports that 11 million premature deaths and 255 million disabilities each year are attributable to poor diet, excessive consumption of processed and trans fats, high salt and sugar intake, physical inactivity, and a widespread Omega-3 deficiency in humans. And it isn’t just people who are paying the price. Our pets are increasingly affected by the same modern pressures. Cancer is now the leading cause of death in dogs and a growing threat to cats, with the American Veterinary Medical Association estimating that approximately one in four dogs will develop cancer during their lifetime. This study  explains: “The increased risk of cancer in humans and dogs is a consequence of recent extensions of lifespan, body size beyond evolutionarily determined limits, diet, lifestyle, and environmental toxins.” In essence, modern living is impacting all species alike. Overfeeding, ultra-processed ingredients, artificial additives, preservatives, flavor enhancers, chemical residues, and excessive meat intake can all disrupt the gut microbiome, accelerate toxic load, and impact health. Over time, these imbalances can contribute to kidney strain, allergy and immune dysfunction, chronic inflammation, and increased cancer risk. All the while, an important fact has been overlooked, protein requirements for dogs are not set. According to leading regulatory bodies such as the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), protein needs for dogs vary depending on age, breed, sex, season, activity level, and overall health status. Research indicates that protein levels exceeding 30% offer no additional benefit and that excessive protein can be harmful. So, what’s the answer? Dry food? The dry kibble vs. Raw argument, which one is right? Only recently have audits into the pet food industry revealed just how unhealthy conventional pet foods can be. This concern has been recognized by many mindful pet owners for some time and sparked the raw meat pet food revolution. Discoveries found that a large proportion of conventional dry pet foods contain low-quality fillers, processed grains such as wheat and corn, chemical by-products, inconsistent and substandard protein sources, and, in some, even sawdust. Yes, sawdust can be hidden in some of the most popular pet foods as ‘powdered cellulose.’ Here is an ingredient list from a well-known, vet-recommended dry-food formula for joints. Disturbingly, many of these ingredients are known to contribute to inflammation and may worsen pain rather than relieve it. Wheat, whole grain corn (both fillers), flaxseed, chicken meal, soybean mill run, corn gluten meal (both often GMO), pork fat, chicken liver flavor (additive), fish oil, powdered cellulose (sawdust), pork liver flavor (additive), lactic acid, dried beet pulp (linked to dilated cardiomyopathy – DCM), potassium chloride, L-lysine, calcium carbonate, iodized salt, choline chloride, and added synthetic vitamins and minerals. It’s no surprise that the grain-free & raw/wet pet food movement emerged in response to this. But current studies reveal that wet and raw pet food diets carry a significantly greater environmental impact than dry foods, emitting up to eight times more CO₂-equivalent greenhouse gases, largely due to the energy, land, water, refrigeration, and transportation required to produce and distribute them. The University of Edinburgh underscores this point, noting: “Choosing grain-free, wet or raw foods can result in higher environmental impacts compared to standard dry kibble foods. Clear labeling and the use of meat cuts not typically consumed by humans could help ensure dogs remain healthy while reducing their environmental pawprint.” – John Harvey, Royal School of Veterinary Studies What can we do The AAFCO states that the key to health is balance from high-quality, digestible proteins, fats, carbs, water, and vitamins and minerals coming from varied sources, including some meats, marine (fish, seaweeds, microalgae), healthy whole grains (examples, see below), eggs, vegetables, and fruit. Many governing bodies, including this study , highlight the need to decrease the amount of meat our pets and ourselves are ingesting and to start consuming plant-based alternatives as well. This helps slow deforestation and supports healthier bodies. Choose eco-mindful companies like the new Australian Award-winning Daya Pet Food Co., which has been at the forefront of this movement for a while. They nutritionally design all their supplemental and treat formulas using a percentage of high-quality single animal proteins, alongside sustainable plant proteins sourced from microalgae and whole, organic plant foods high in Omega-3. This boosts overall health while lowering inflammation, deforestation, methane, and greenhouse gas production. Use natural, raw whole foods in between this, including less popular cuts of meats, fresh vegetables, fruits, and healthy anti-inflammatory whole grains like brown rice, millet, quinoa, and amaranth. These are high in protein, low in allergens, high in fiber, and support a good gut microbiome for immune and behavioral health. Choose smaller pets and have fewer of them. Be sure not to overfeed your animal. This saves you money, lessens bio-waste, and reduces the risk of disease for them. Final thought Loving our pets shouldn’t come at such a significant cost to us financially, to their health, or to the planet’s future. By stepping away from extremes and embracing balance, science, and sustainability, we can nourish all our animals kindly in ways that honor their biology, support their ecosystems, and ensure that love truly does no harm. Because caring for our pets means caring for the world they live in too. Find & support Find award-winning health and eco-mindfulness pet foods from Daya Pet Food Co. here  or contact them here. SeaO2 Nanno is growing some of the most exciting new plant proteins in the form of microalgae, find them here . If you’d like to support the WWF  follow this link or donate via Tap4Change . & receive 10% off your first Daya Pet Food Co. order.  Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Honor Tremain Honor Tremain, Nutritionist, Author, and Journalist Honor Tremain is an award-winning longevity nutritionist, author, and journalist whose journey into health began with a personal crisis where, between the ages of 18 and 23, Honor was bedridden with multiple chronic illnesses & determined to reclaim her life, she completed a Diploma in Nutrition, eventually healing herself, and went on to complete a science degree. Honor opened a thriving nutrition practice in Sydney, Australia, became a columnist and feature journalist for national and international publications, and in 2015, Honor published her debut book, A Diet in Paradise. Most recently, she founded Daya Pet Food Co., a health-focused and sustainable dog food company that was proudly awarded Best Health-Conscious Dog Food Brand 2025. References: The global environmental paw print of pet food P Alexander , A Berri,  D Moran ,  D Reay , MDA Rounsevell Global Environmental Change, 2020•Elsevier https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0034528824003849 https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/press-release/pet-food-market-10028   https://www.hillspet.com.au/pet-care/nutrition-feeding/is-more-protein-better-for-your-pets-food?lightboxfired=true   https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/climate-impact-of-dogs-dinner-revealed   https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/evr_dg_whats_in_a_balanced_dog_food   https://www.humaneworld.org/en/blog/more-animals-ever-922-billion-are-used https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959378020307366:~:text=We%20find%20annual%20global%20dry,as%20Mozambique%20or%20the%20Philippines  http://wwf.org.uk/learn/effects-of/deforestation   https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1569372/fullref54 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12346004/