Blog: Well-being
Why is it so hard to rest?
I envy people who relax often and easily. For me and other ambitious perfectionists, it's surprisingly hard to rest. I'm "working on it"--which, ironically, isn't my preferred approach. Working on resting seems like an oxymoron! Yet, it captures where I'm at and who...
Gaining weight, gaining health
This post about gaining weight has nothing to do with careers but I felt called to write it and share it here, even though it is quite personal. Stretch pants ignorance Like most people who have been working from home 100%, I've spent much of COVID dressed in stretch...
A worksheet on values (authentic & aspirational)
If someone were to ask you what you value, could you tell them? You could probably list a few of your values quite easily, and even describe how these play out in your life. You might even be honest enough to talk about the ones you struggle to live by, despite their...
25 years together
Raúl and I celebrated 25 years together in October. Unlike in past years when we barely acknowledged the milestone of another year, we decided to do something special this time. Not because it felt obligatory, but because we both genuinely wanted to recognize this...
What we say to ourselves: Self-talk advice (for people who cringe at this topic)
I found this page in a notebook the other day. It's my daughter's handwriting and, aside from the words "My parents are always saying", the page is blank. (Lest you think I was digging around my daughter's personal things, I'll assure you that she gave me the notebook...
What I love most about working from home
I'm an introvert and I'm also easily distracted and bothered by noise. So, I am en-joy-ing working from home! It is utterly delicious. My "regular" (non-COVID-19) situation was that I went to the University of British Columbia (UBC) several days per week for my...
What’s making me smile?
Let me preface this by saying that I am not spending my days with a big smile plastered onto my face. However, there are a number of things that have been lifting my spirits over the past few weeks and I wanted to record these here. More time with my immediate family...
Awe
For as long as I can remember, I have been awed by a beautiful singing voice. Certain song/voice combinations stop me in my tracks, pull me in like some sort of powerful vortex (does a vortex suck people in? that may be scientifically inaccurate, but you get my...
Your workspace and well-being
The physical space in which we work matters--a lot. Yet, it isn't necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when we think about career satisfaction. I have noticed my workspace affects my mood, my productivity, my sense of calm (or lack thereof), and my overall...
Catastrophizing (do you remember 1999?!)
I was thinking back 20 years to December 1999--do you remember the "hysteria" leading up to that month?! Back then, my spouse and I ran a disc jockey (DJ) business; December 31 had us worried because we weren't sure how Y2K would play out. Anyone who is old enough to...
Anorexia, gelato, gratitude
Letter to Uno Gelato, a Vancouver-based business. Dear Paddy Mahony (Owner), Mike Raffan (Managing Partner) and staff at Uno Gelato in Kitsilano, Last summer, our 13-year-old daughter, Nayeli, was suffering intensely with anorexia nervosa. This mental health condition...
How to deal with our weaknesses
I grew up with the belief that 'fixing' my weaknesses was something I should consistently work on. Given I have no shortages of weaknesses, I had my work cut out for me. 😕 It was only a few years ago, when I was introduced to "StrengthsFinder"1 and trained to become a...