Thoughts

Quite often I’ve been told by my friends to get out and travel, and (because I have other priorities or a small budget) I would internally roll my eyes and think something along the spectrum of “I got this”, “I don't need to”, to a more wholesome “I doubt travelling would give me anything more than I need”.  I also developed an annoyance towards the repeated mention of travelling (more so, solo travelling) which is quite the trend on social media and dating profiles, to the point where they incessantly use hashtags along the lines of #travelbug #wanderlust that lead...

Have you ever stared at the ceiling for what might seem like hours on end or not know what to do with yourself on a particularly dry Sunday? It seems like you're clearly bored. We’ve all experienced it.  So what is boredom, really? Boredom describes wanting to do something stimulating, satisfying, fulfilling or purposeful but not being able to do so. Boredom is a considerable bother. It can lead to behaviours that might lead to favourable (e.g. creativity) and unfavourable consequences (e.g. substance abuse).  In a preliminary study, researchers asked people to sit down in a laboratory and try to...

We’ve all been on social media long enough to know that restaurants with a bunch of influencers promoting it only have their 5 star ratings because of their pastel colours and fancy cutlery. Food? I could make that pasta at home. Likewise, products flaunted by fancy fashion influencers apparently only work wonders on their skin, not ours. And let me not even begin with the new clothing brands on Instagram, they always leave me overwhelmed. Yes, I want it but will it really look as good on me as it looks on that ‘one’ influencer who also seems appealing in...

Having worked as a therapist in different settings and with a diverse population, I’ve had a lot of exposure when it comes to understanding myself and my professional self. However, are these two any different?  When I first started off in the field, it was very intimidating. We are always told to compartmentalise and that one can't intersect with the other. But now, when I think back about this aspect, I am in flux. Sure, boundaries are important because they help maintain the professionalism of the space, but does that mean we are (supposed to be) two different people?  Practising...

I see the term self-love doing its rounds on social media and advertisements, in fact, it’s everywhere around us. It’s telling me that if I loved myself I would get myself that new face-mask, or buy that fancy car, or maybe go on that vacation everyone’s been harping about. See, we know it is important to care for ourselves. But does self-love only mean buying myself things? Is spending money proof that I love myself? Who am I proving it to? I’m sorry, but it makes self-love seem like a lot of pressure and almost like a competition.  I’ve heard...