There are many emotions we experience in life. Not all easy ones. Anger and fear are two of these emotions. So are gratitude and compassion.

I’ve recently moved homes and anyone who has moved can attest to there being some level of feeling overwhelmed and displaced.

My aim with this short blog is to utilise the holiday’s essence of thankfulness as an opportunity to explore how we relate to our identities over time. We can have gratitude for our identities, as they shape who we are and give life meaning. They give us a sense of belonging.

In acknowledgement of mental health week in Australia, a reminder for everyone globally, and in my capacity as a Beyond Blue Ambassador with lived experience, my blogs aim to provide a deeper understanding of what it is like to live with mental health challenges.

Life is ‘ravelling and unravelling’, and you might be noticing it yourself.

Some of us are experiencing up to our sixth COVID-19 lockdown and it’s damn wearing. Even tougher for those who have the virus or have lost someone close during this crazy time.

Music has a way of bridging what is in the head and heart. It gives us something to work with that has meaning when there are challenges.

I woke up today in Melbourne Australia’s sixth lockdown. And here we are again.

The worldwide COVID pandemic has heightened judgments and negative intrusive thoughts for many of us.

For me, judgmental and negative intrusive thoughts have always been a norm. And it is most often toward myself not others. It is only a matter of how close to mind they are at any one time.

The seed of willpower and motivation to face each new day needs ongoing cultivation to grow and thrive.

We need to set up the conditions to enable it to flourish. This can range from slow breath and movement modalities like yoga and meditation, to strong physical exercise, to calling a close family member or old friend to taking a stroll along a beach or garden. It is sipping a hot drink, a nourishing meal or a cleansing shower.

Since I experience anxiety and depression and have for most of my life, I try to live in a way that deliberately maximises feeling well.

There are probably times in the day that flow easier than others. You may identify with a part of the day that takes more effort. Mornings have always been hardest for me and therefore I require a series of deliberate acts in order to recalibrate to a better frame of mind.

I have reflected long and hard on the last few weeks disclosure of sexual harassment, assaults and rape of women in Australia. As an American living in Australia the last 25+ years, I am well aware of the rising #metoo movement that has spread globally. I know some of these statistics and with real names and faces.