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Laure with her feeling wheel's pillow

The Toll of the News on Our Mental Health [part 3/6]

“You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” - Marcus Aurelius Welcome to the third article in the 6-part series on “The Toll of the News on Our Mental Health.” If you missed the first article, you can find it here. Today we’ll tackle a critical skill that can truly transform how we interact with the daily news: emotional self-regulation. This concept might sound formal, but it’s really about understanding and managing our emotional responses more effectively, especially when they’re triggered by negative news. Emotional self-regulation isn’t about suppressing your feelings or pretending they don’t exist. Far from it. It’s about recognizing your emotions, understanding their origins, and learning to direct them in a way that is healthy and...

Slow and steady wins the race

The Toll of the News on Our Mental Health [part 2/6]

Awareness of your news consumption Welcome to the second article in the 6-part series on “The Toll of the News on Our Mental Health.” If you missed the first article, you can find it here. Today, we dive into the foundational step of any change process: awareness. We’ll explore how becoming aware of our news consumption and its impact on our mental health is crucial for long-term habit change. While “awareness” might seem like a mundane topic, I assure you, it is perhaps the most critical step you can take. Without awareness, change is impossible. If you’re not conscious of your news consumption habits and the effects they have on your mental health, altering these patterns will be challenging. The journey towards change is beautifully illustrated in the poem...

The Hummingbird story

The Toll of the News on Our Mental Health [part 1/6]

I’ve always felt a deep compassion for the world and a strong sense of justice, which made me highly sensitive to news reports. I used to get triggered by news from around the globe, and even more when it concerned my home countries or ‘my people’, but feelings don’t have frontiers. The injustice, violence, and nonsensical political actions—it is overwhelming. But I’m not here to dwell on those issues. I’m here to share the choice we have in protecting our mental health amidst the chaos. There’s beauty in the world and good news too, if we choose to look for it.  One day, it all became ‘too much, too fast, too soon’ for me. I had to take a stand and change my habits. It wasn’t...

Mindfulness on-demand

Mindfulness On-Demand: Accessing Calm in the Heat of the Moment

I will always remember the day I truly experienced the power of mindfulness on-demand. It was one morning during the first few years of Covid, a time when anxiety was high for everyone. I live half a block away from a three-way stop where most cars barely pause, let alone stop completely. On this particular day, my anxiety was higher than usual, and I was terrified that a pedestrian trying to cross the street would get hit by one of those speeding cars. I went to the kitchen to share my worry with my partner, and his response was a simple, ‘Oh yes, for sure.’ Triggered by what I felt was a dismissive reply—compounded by my lifelong struggles with anxiety, depression, and trauma—I reacted almost immediately....

Laure terrified, scared to stand out

I’m Terrified to Show Myself: Choosing Vulnerability Over Fear

I’ve noticed a frustrating pattern in my life: when I’m in flow, doing what I love, everything clicks. Then, without fail, I lose momentum and land back at my fallback job as a nanny—practical, but not what truly lights me up. I recently discovered something called the “Drama Triangle” and realized I’d been stuck playing the victim role, afraid to be vulnerable in my business. A simple but profound insight—“We choose what is less worse”—showed me I’d been playing it safe rather than facing my deepest fears. Now, I’m challenging the belief that my writing and my voice aren’t good enough, and I’m determined to share my thoughts anyway, imperfections and all. Reflect: What fear is keeping you from fully showing up in your life? What one...

The Rest & Digest versus the Fight Flight or Freeze Response

ANS Simplified for Dummies: Fight, Flight, and Freeze Demystified

It took me a while to fully grasp the concept of the Autonomic Nervous System. At first, I kept hearing all these complicated terms—“sympathetic,” “parasympathetic,” “fight, flight, or freeze responses”—but no one ever explained them in a way that really clicked for me. It all felt so distant and overly technical! But once I finally understood it? Wow. It completely changed how I see myself and the world around me. It was such a profound realization that I knew I had to simplify it—so that anyone could get it, regardless of background. Because I believe everyone deserves access to life-changing concepts. Sadly, that’s not always how they’re presented. So, I created two ways to explain it: one using everyday language, and another with the “fancy jargon” of the medical world. You’ll...

Children on smartphone

Smartphone-Free Childhood in Canada: Take action now!

Welcome to the Smartphone-Free Childhood Movement in Canada Hi everyone, Bonjour! Join the Pledge! Delay the use of smartphones for your child until 14 years old (without social media) by signing the pledge on Unplugged Canada. This is urgent—we need to act now to save our children’s childhood. I know many of you are passionate about this topic, so let’s come together to make a difference. Let’s start a conversation and a movement around one simple idea: Smartphone-Free Childhood. If people in the UK can do it, we can do it here in Canada too—En Français aussi! Here is an article about what is happening in the UK. If you’re a parent or an educator and you care about this issue, please join the WhatsApp group (Canada only). If you have time...

ChatGPT tells me to breathe

ChatGPT’s Mindful Surprise!

Yesterday, I tried to get some help from ChatGPT, but it wasn’t working. The page wouldn’t load or react at all. I was using Safari, so I decided to switch to Chrome to see if I’d have better luck. And then ChatGPT greeted me with this message: "ChatGPT is at capacity right now As you read this message, please take a moment to pause and breathe. Notice the sensations in your body and the rythm of your breath...

House cleaning and emotion regulation

The Importance of a Daily Wellness Routine to Support Our Emotional Well-Being

We all know this deep down: having a daily wellness routine is essential to support our emotional well-being. Yet, for so many reasons, we don’t stick to it. Maybe we feel like we don’t have the time, or perhaps things are going well, and we assume we don’t need it anymore. But inevitably, life throws us a curveball—a tough day, a challenging moment—and we’re reminded of how valuable that daily practice really is, even when we’re feeling okay. Here’s how I explain it to my clients: Think of it like preparing for a concert on the piano. You wouldn’t just show up on stage and expect to play beautifully without regular practice—it would be terrifying! But it’s not just about practicing a lot; it’s about consistency. Practicing...

National Child Day Canada

I’ll share some mindfulness practices at the National Child Day Canada

A few months ago, I was thrilled to receive an invitation from Children First Canada to participate in National Child Day 2024, coming up on November 20th. They asked if I could share mindfulness practices for their event, and of course, I said yes! National Child Day is a fantastic opportunity to support the well-being of children across the country, and I’m honored to contribute. Mindfulness can be such a powerful tool for young minds, helping them cultivate focus, self-compassion, and resilience. Whether in a bustling classroom or a quiet homeschooling setup, these practices offer children the space to slow down, connect with themselves, and navigate their emotions with more ease. I'll be sharing a series of mindfulness practices tailored for the secondary program. These practices are...