… from raving about TRE ... well, kind of. Summary: What can TRE do for you? TRE (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises) is a body-based practice. What can you expect from it and what if your experience is different from everyone else's? In this article, I explore Dr Yusef's experience of TRE and share what my own clients have reported, from feeling less tense and sleeping better to noticing a quieter mind and more ease in everyday life. I also explain why less is more whe

Summary: We all experience stress and that's OK – if we regularly get the opportunity to reset. Aches, tension, poor sleep, busy thoughts and feeling constantly 'on' is often connected to what’s happening in our lives. And while we know that there are plenty of ways to de-stress, the challenge is to find a practice that actually works for you, something you’ll enjoy and want to keep doing. My suggestion is TRE, a natural, body-based practice, our most innate way to deal with

Summary: We all have things we dream about, want to change or know we should do, but knowing isn’t always enough to make it happen. So, what’s really stopping us? In this article, I explore the gap between thinking about doing something and actually doing it and invite you to get curious about what matters to you, what might be holding you back and whether it’s time to take one small step – or let something go. There’s also a short exercise to help you explore what’s really i

Summary: Do you ever find yourself distracted, procrastinating or constantly busy, your brain buzzing and always 'on' and switching off feels almost impossible? In this article, I explore the idea that distraction and procrastination may often be less about a lack of discipline and more about moving away from feelings such as stress, overwhelm, anxiety, uncertainty or discomfort. Rather than trying harder to control your mind, I invite you to get curious about what’s happenin

Summary: What happens when your body starts shaking after a shocking or stressful experience? Rather than being embarrassing or frightening, those tremors are your body’s natural way of responding to the stress, shock and possible threat you’ve just been through. After being unexpectedly attacked and bitten by a dog, I experienced this first-hand and I'm very grateful that my body knew exactly what to do. In this article, I share what happened, why I believe shaking is such a

Summary: Who is TRE for? The short answer is: for every body. In this article, I explore why TRE isn’t limited to a particular age, gender, lifestyle or diagnosis. We all experience stress, we all carry tension and we all have a nervous system. So I suggest that we all have something to gain from learning how to listen to and support our bodies. I share why I believe TRE is such an empowering approach to stress release, how shaking is a natural response we share with other ma

Summary: Birth trauma can affect much more than the moments surrounding birth. Even when mother and baby are medically 'fine', the body can continue to carry tension, fear and the effects of a stressful or traumatic experience, sometimes even PTSD and not only for the mum, but the birthing partner, too. In this article, I explore why feeling supported matters so much after birth trauma, how stress and survival responses can remain in the body, and how TRE may offer a natural,

I almost spilled my tea when I listened to the news yesterday morning. Radio 4 reported that in England roughly 1 in 10 children – that's about 1 million young people – had an active referral to mental health services last year (2024/25 period). This is twice as many children than in 2018/2019 and 10% up from last year (23/24 period). And apart from active referrals, NHS Digital published these numbers in 2022: 18% of children aged 7 to 16 years and 22% of young people aged 1

Menopause is is a big topic nowadays, which is great as previous generations of women often suffered in silence. Today there is loads of information, advice and solutions. My photo demonstrates the cooling mechanism of a plant Some women choose HRT, others prefer natural supplements or lifestyle changes and many experts also recommend stress-management techniques. I fully agree with addressing stress and to me it's releasing it, rather than 'just' managing it. And I'd like t

This month marks Carers Week (9–15 June) and Men's Health Week (9–15 June), two important reminders to look after our own well-being. I've written about the importance of carers – and this includes parents, too – and looking after their own health and well-being first before assisting others. You probably know the famous oxygen mask analogy – putting on yours first before assisting others. The guilt of stopping, even for a moment, was huge. But with TRE, I realised that looki

Do you know the book When the Body Says No by Gabor Maté? I love it and just the title alone says so much. Over the years, I’ve heard variations of the same story in many different places; socially, at business networking events, on the tennis court, during conversations with potential clients and from friends. And although the details differ, there is a common thread. Many people don’t realise how much stress they’re carrying because they’re still functioning. For instance,

I have written before about war anxiety, albeit in an abstract way. Leila Moeeni Recently I came across some writing by Leila Moeeni, which touched me deeply and I invited her to write a guest post for us. Leila describes beautifully – although I'm not sure if that's the right word in this context – what many people carry and her words remind us that war is much, much more than we hear and see on the news. It can live in the body, in thoughts, in memories, in sleep, in grief

Self-care has become a familiar term*, especially when we are talking about well-being, resilience and prevention, but I feel it can feel overused or reduced to bubble baths, candles or a spa day. I only recently discovered that there is an official definition by The World Health Organization, no less: “Self-care is the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health and cope with illness and disability with or without the

Someone asked me: "Aren't you worried about the state of the world?" I allowed myself to breathe and then I said, "what is most important is not to allow your anxiety about what happens in the world to fill your heart. If your heart is filled with anxiety, you will get sick, and you will not be able to help." Thich Nhat Hanh Photo by William Warby on Unsplash I found the above quote and thought it's a good addition to my last blog post . 'The state of the world' is not just s

I just read an article* discussing war anxiety and what therapists recommend to help people cope. Even though the wars are happening relatively far away, the emotional impact can be very real. Continuous news cycles, disturbing images, uncertainty about the future and a sense of helplessness can leave many people feeling overwhelmed, anxious or constantly on edge. Therapists in the article recommend a range of helpful strategies: regulating your news intake focus on what you

Well, thinking about it - the question is quite normal (whatever 'normal' is), but I'd love to have your very honest answer. Photo by Ana Municio on Unsplash You might have been interested in TRE for a while or you might have been following my work out of curiosity? I'm really curious to learn more about any obstacles – big or small – that's stopping people from taking action. So, here's my question: Is there anything that’s holding you back from learning TRE? Maybe you ar

I recently saw on social media that Deborah Meaden (of Dragons' Den fame) said in an interview with Living Magazine: “When people take time out of what they consider as their working hours, they often feel guilty. I don’t feel an ounce of guilt, because I know it is going to make me much more efficient, a much better decision maker and a much nicer person to be around. I can be much more helpful when I’ve got my balance right. So I work on keeping my balance right.” It soun

Every February, the UK marks National Heart Month , which is a good opportunity to look at our hearts and our habits. The encouraging news is that even small changes can make a real difference to heart health, at any age. Want to join me for a drive? The body as a high-performance vehicle I like the idea of comparing the body to a high-performance vehicle. And yes, sometimes I wonder if some people take better care of their cars than of themselves, well, that might be my G

Sometimes you watch a film that stays with you long after the credits roll. That’s exactly how I felt after watching Late Shift recently. It’s a Swiss-German production, originally titled Heldin (Heroine) and it follows Floria, a dedicated nurse working in an understaffed hospital ward. If you're a nurse or a doctor yourself, this won’t come as a surprise. And even for me, it wasn’t exactly new information. I'm fully aware that the NHS and healthcare systems everywhere ar

Do you know what was significant about yesterday ( Friday 9 th January) ? It’s known as Quitters’ Day (second Friday in January). The day when most people abandon their New Year’s resolutions. And no, Quitters’ Day isn’t about laziness or a lack of discipline. I don't know this plant, but I love taking pictures It’s about asking too much of ourselves , too quickly, often for the wrong reasons and at a – for many people – particularly bleak and dark time in the middle of win