Category: Anxiety and stress
-
Goodbye to the shitty end of social media
If you’re tired of the enshittified end of social media and ready for calmer, more human spaces, join me on Substack, YouTube and in the pages of my books. Follow the work where depth lives, not where algorithms thrive. It’s time for a cleaner digital life
-
Systematic desensitisation: Teaching the brain to unlearn fear
Joseph Wolpe’s 1958 therapy method, Systematic Desensitisation, still reshapes how we treat anxiety and phobias today—especially for neurodivergent minds learning to trust their own nervous systems again
-
Get over yourself
A reflective essay on sensitivity, overthinking, and learning that not everything is about us. Includes a neurodiversity lens on rejection sensitivity and the contrarian ‘Gaye factor’
-
Why mindfulness often fails for neurodivergent brains
Traditional mindfulness often alienates ADHD and autistic minds. Discover why calm doesn’t mean stillness and how flow, curiosity, and movement can regulate better than breath counting. Read the full guide to mindfulness that finally fits neurodiverse brains
-
When your hand won’t listen
Your hand shapes your world—writing, creating, connecting. When Dupuytren’s contracture takes that away, the psychological toll is profound. Read how this hidden disability changes more than movement, and why acknowledging its impact can restore dignity, meaning, and connection in the face of limitation
-
You’re Not Imagining It, It IS This Weird
A witty, satirical survival guide for the optimisation age, ‘You’re Not Imagining It, It IS This Weird’ exposes the absurdities of wellness, productivity, and authenticity culture while inviting readers to laugh, question, and reclaim their sanity in a world gone strangely sideways
-
Unpacking HRT — myths, risks, and real help for menopause
Menopause is confusing enough without myths about HRT clouding the picture. This article cuts through fear and hype, showing who benefits, who doesn’t, and how culture shapes choices. Read it now to make sense of your options and find clarity about hormone therapy
-
The Amazon Fiasco: A case study in corporate failure
This is the running dossier of my ongoing battle with Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and Amazon Retail support. What began as a simple attempt to update my bank details so I could be paid my royalties has become a case study in how the world’s biggest retailer fails its authors under the leadership of…
-
AI in aspirational magazines
A photographer questions the use of AI models in a magazine about women’s beauty procedures. Is this where we are now? Where are the ethical discussions around this?
-
ADHD and money
ADHD and money don’t mix easily. Impulse spending, forgotten bills, and costly mistakes pile up into the “ADHD tax.” Learn practical, ADHD-friendly strategies—automation, fun accounts, and pause rules—that stop money chaos without shame and help you build a system designed for your brain
-
Confidence comes from competence
Stop faking confidence—start building it. Learn why competence, not bravado, creates lasting self-belief. Through failure-first stories and psychology-backed strategies, discover how genuine confidence emerges from skill, practice, and scars. Embrace mistakes as your greatest teacher and watch real confidence take hold
-
When your child feels everything
Highly sensitive children aren’t broken—they’re neurologically different. Research shows 20-30% of children have heightened sensory processing sensitivity, with brains that process emotions more deeply. With understanding and support, their sensitivity becomes a superpower, leading to greater empathy, creativity, and success in nurturing environments
-
Autism, ADHD and AuDHD differences
A handy chart which explains what to look for when considering the similarities and differences between Autism, ADHD, and AuDHD
-
How to reduce the impact of Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria
Reduce the sting of Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria with this six-layer plan grounded in the latest research. Learn fast, in-the-moment regulation, retrain your rejection radar, and practise real-world skills so the emotional spikes get shorter, softer, and far less frequent
-
Academia.edu charged me $371.80 AUD without warning—and refused to refund it
After Academia.edu auto-renewed a $371.80 AUD subscription without notice, I requested a refund. They refused. I’m sharing my full complaint letter publicly to warn others about their deceptive billing practices and refusal to offer support or flexibility. This is a cautionary tale worth reading.
-
No one cares
If you’ve ever mentally replayed a conversation 37 times before breakfast, you’re in good company. Share this with a fellow overthinker who needs the reminder: they’re not being watched. Everyone’s too busy watching themselves
-
Raising your Happiness level: 5 words
Hannah Fry (famed science communicator) on the 5-word sentence that can improve your happiness. Brilliant. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hannah Fry (@fryrsquared)
-
Why many marriages become a waste of space
Explore the emotional and physical disconnects that can develop in marriages and discover strategies to rebuild connection and intimacy
