I had just finished a dinner shift at the restaurant. My feet hurt. I noticed my phone buzzing.

“Angela, where are you?! Let’s go drinking!” Amongst my friend’s voice, were sounds of conversation and music.

Part of me felt like going home and wrapping myself up in my blanket. Part of me thought, “Why not? Enjoy the night with your girls. Work is over!”

By 1am, I was at our usual club enjoying the atmosphere.

Among the crowd, I see a head pop-up in the distance. Our eyes make contact. I don’t recognise him, but he smiles and waves.

I’m…

1. Is a relationship what you want right now?

Each person is at different stages in life. Some are focused on their career, some are focused on family and some are rolling with the waves of life.

Is a relationship something you would like at this stage in your life? If so, continue reading.

If not, that’s okay. You can still keep reading.

2. What are your expectations in a relationship?

Being clear about each others’ expectations can be beneficial to long-term companionship.

For example, do you prefer cooking or shopping alone? Are you the team-type and like to get errands done together? …

In December 2019, I read a few articles about COVID-19 and how it might impact the world. In January 2020, it became official. Hundreds of residents in Wuhan, China had tested positive and we then found out that the spread was global.

My home state in Australia then went into lockdown around March. Most countries did, during this time.

The anxiety and fear within, began to rise.

I already had multiple strategies to manage my symptoms. It just took a little time to implement and get over the shock of what was happening around the world. …

I spent a good part of a decade as a waitress or front of house staff member. My favourite part of my role was having regular customers order their same coffee and meal. I’d ask how they were doing and their reply usually was, “Better now that we get to see your smiling face!”. It was an amazing experience.

I learnt to be resilient, I learnt to problem-solve in fast-paced environments, I learnt what customer service was really about.

As the years went on, the early starts and late nights began to wear my body down. I was often unwell…

Your social circle becomes smaller

When you realise that it is time to focus on your needs and your goals, your social commitments change. You begin to focus on things and people that truly matter. You prefer not to get caught-up in the drama.

Some people will be disappointed

Some may be happy for you, and others will be disappointed. You are no longer pandering to what they want or need. That change in dynamic may be surprising. That’s okay. Keep doing you.

Your boundaries will make people uncomfortable

You are not easy to access anymore. You are able to draw a clear line of what you can and cannot do. You say no more often…

It actually makes you strong.

Let me explain.

We all have our own stories: where we came from, what shaped our beliefs, who we consider family, who we consider friends and what we envision our ideal life to be.

Generally speaking, there is a story for every life lesson you’ve ever learned.

My story stems from childhood.

I was attending school and I loved to read. Subjects I did not excel in were maths and science. When I asked for help, I was met with this statement:

“You don’t know anything!”.

Now, some would say I shouldn’t have taken it…

Auditory hallucination (also described as hearing voices) is the perception of voices or sounds that are not there. It is usually described as an experience separate from one’s own thoughts and mental processes. Auditory hallucinations are typically found as a co-morbid symptom of a mental health issue, for example, psychosis, depression or schizophrenia.

Research tells us that 1 in every 200 Aussie adults will experience a form of psychotic illness. — sane.org

The 3 layers of stress

During this period in my life, there were a few challenges I faced. I call these the layers of stress.

These were:

1. Depressive symptoms

I noticed in Year 10, my…

1. Trauma is powerful, but so is healing

I did not know I had a lot of pain ‘pushed down’ until it came up. Like projectile vomit, it was a lot and it felt uncomfortable. In the beginning of the reframing session, I felt out of control and I could barely speak for a few minutes. Once the session was over, the relief afterwards, was indescribable. It was like a heavy weight had been taken from my shoulders after many years.

2. I am supported

I’ve seen a few counsellors over the years. I’ve learned at least one or two key strategies to cope with life stressors. The mental health professional I…