Category: Resilience
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“Chronic pain management”
Today’s post is a (long, but totally worth it) book review of pain psychologist David Walton’s “Chronic Pain Management” (2021). It hooked me in, because the cover seemed to be calling to me from the library shelf, and the opening words made me say a vigorous “yes!” in my head:…
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The bird pilgrimage
Some time ago I read a post on the “Holistic Fibro Fighter” blog [which seems to have gone silent] which the author, Jane Taylor, titled “A pilgrimage of self-care”. The title gave me a zingy “wow- yes!” moment, because the word ‘pilgrimage’ instantly resonated with my healing journey. It explains…
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Everybody panic… or NOT!
To get into the city of Sydney from where I live, you can drive in, but parking is limited and can cost up to $50 for a couple of hours. So instead, I catch the train. It takes about the same amount of time (one hour) but costs a fraction…
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We all have bad days
When I think of Charles Darwin, I think of an intellectual giant – someone who spent decades of his life investigating science and leaving behind an enormous legacy of thought-provoking research, such that he became a larger-than-life symbol of dedication and… …well, it turns out he was all of that,…
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Have you got grit?
I recently came across an online quiz (of 10 questions) that determines how much “grit” you have. According to my attempt, (I got 4.4 out of 5), it means I’ve got more grit than 90% of Americans. Yay me. Do I though? Or am I just stubborn? Or is grit…
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“Bending” – a faceless (anti)monument
My news feed is currently filled with images of a giant Triumphal Arch proposed for the United States of America. As a result, my mind has been bouncing around about the human need to build monuments to ourselves. In my PhD dissertation (I graduated late last year after PhD’ing with…
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Ugly art therapy
I’m a big believer in ‘the art of distraction‘ and know from firsthand experience that when we slip into ‘the flow’ of creating something (be it sewing, kiddy craft or a short story) we can forget about time, our surroundings, and most importantly, our pain. I’ve also written in the…
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“Precious Illusions”
I was a child in the 1970s and 80s. It was quiet. I don’t mean that figuratively, but literally. Our house had a small black and white TV, a radio and a giant piece of furniture that held a mini-record turntable (in the corridor (of all places)). Weekends were spent…
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When your migraine triggers are a trigger
“What do you think caused this bad migraine?” my husband kindly asks. “I don’t know,” I honestly reply; “yesterday was very hot, so maybe I got overly dehydrated?” If I’m in a reasonable mood the innocent enquiry will end there. If I’m feeling more paingry, then I’m likely to get…
The Mindful Migraine 