This is an unexpected episode on account of the pain the news is causing so many survivors (myself included!). How do we continue to function let alone thrive when the messages we keep on getting is that perpetrators rights to do whatever they feel like doing trump our basic human rights including safety?

I realise that this is a very sensitive topic and it is also a topic that impacts an enormous amount of people, huge amount of people, not just women but predominantly women and girls.

An enormous amount is coming up for healing. Sunlight is a wonderful disinfectant but if you’re feeling raw, tender, hopeless or anything else right now, know that you’re not alone. Know that you looking after yourself (and accessing all the available supports and resources you want and need) and not giving up is a radical act.

You deserve love. You deserve safety. You deserve care. You deserve pleasure. You deserve ALL good things and I hope the resources I share in this week’s episode will help you reconnect with your own favourites, too.

Let me know how you’re getting on by email or in the comments.

le grá (with love),

Eve

CHAPTERS [these may be a little off this week due to episode order changing]

0:00 News, sexual violence and collective triggering

0:27 Podcast intro, resources, and newsletter

3:04 Bandwidth, dysregulation and the Feel. Love. Heal. framework

4:46 Feel – nervous system regulation and embodied safety

5:45 Love – radical self-acceptance in painful times

6:15 Heal – community, accountability and collective care

7:39 Reclaiming your body and sensory self-regulation

10:06 Healing is not linear – from despair to thriving

13:19 Co-regulation, belonging and survivor communities

16:24 Survivor stories, activism and the power of solidarity

18:49 Power, oppression and not giving in to despair

19:45 Choosing gentleness and imagining a better world

20:47 Episode closing and next week’s episode

LINKS

7 Simple and Effective Self-care Tools for Trauma Survivors

https://selfcarecoaching.net/2018/09/28/7-simple-and-effective-self-care-tools-for-trauma-survivors/

https://selfcarecoaching.net/trauma/ Access more self-care, Self care and collective care resources

https://selfcarecoaching.net/feline Find out more about the Polyvagal Purrs approach

FULL TRANSCRIPT

We’re basically being given the message time and time again with Irish headlines about [convicted] sexual predators getting less [time in prison] than speeding offenders, with the whole Epstein files… So many examples of sexual predators getting away with it and that can be incredibly triggering.

Hi, I’m Eve Menezes Cunningham and you’re listening to the Feel Better Every Day Podcast.

You can find out more and access older episodes at thefeelbettereverydaypodcast.com and you can also access loads of free resources and find out more about the book 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing and the column I write for Platinum every month, other titles I contribute to, my work, loads of free resources I’ve...

“We get a lot of meaning from creating spaces where people can come and connect, and feel like they’re in a place where they’re welcomed, and that some good things can happen.” ~ John Wilson, Co-director, Online Events

It was SUCH a joy to talk to Online Events’ co-director, John Wilson. As well as talking about his own ideal and actual self-care, Self care and collective care practices, he shares some of what he’s learned through co-creating such a nourishing online community for therapists, counsellors and supervisors.

Chapters

0:01–2:26 Introduction, movement and nervous system support

2:26–3:38 Welcoming John Wilson of Online Events

3:38–6:22 John’s work, community building and setting the context

6:22–9:10 The Feel part: movement, walking, and self-regulation

9:10–12:16 Sleep, flexibility, and adapting self-care when plans change

12:16–14:04 Letting go of perfection and allowing partial practices

14:04–16:59 The Love part: nature, presence, and remembering connection

16:59–19:01 The Heal part: community, meaning, and shared purpose at work

19:01–22:38 Leadership, slowing down, and staying connected under pressure

22:38–24:04 Advice to a younger self and sustaining long-term projects

24:04–26:39 Closing reflections, where to find John, and final notes

Links

Where to find Online Events:

Website:

https://OnlinEvents.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Online Eventscpd/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Online Events

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/Online Events/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Online Events_saz

Episode 86: Tracy Otsuka on the 43% of ADHDers with Excellent Mental Health

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Definitely movement is helpful for me. I’m not really a stationary person so anything that has movement in it is helpful for me. And that’s both physically and psychologically.

Hi, I’m Eve Menezes Cunningham, and you’re listening to the Feel Better Every Day Podcast. You can find out more, and access older episodes, at thefeelbettereverydaypodcast.com, and you can also access loads of free resources, and find out more about the book 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing, the column I write for Platinum every month, other titles I contribute to, my work, loads of free resources I’ve created over the years.

I really hope you enjoy this episode, and if you haven’t already signed up for my free newsletter, it goes out on a Monday, Míle Buíochas Mondays. Míle Buíochas means a thousand thank yous in Irish, which I’m very slowly learning.

It’s polyvagal informed journal prompts, to help you each week. There’s the gratitude practice element, figuring out more of what brings you joy on a daily basis, what helps you feel in that ventral vagal, what I call Purr! when I use the rescue cats, with the Polyvagal Purrs approach and I also share some of my own gratitudes, some of the things that have helped me feel more in the ventral vagal that week. Some of those will be resources that might benefit you.

I also share news about upcoming events, special offers, things like that, but the journal prompts also include encouragement to look at what is creating sympathetic survival responses (that Hiss! with the Polyvagal Purrs approach) and, potentially, the dorsal vagal (Freeze!).

It’s really helping you learn to map your own nervous system, get to know yourself, and get to support yourself, and it’s

Sensory Soothers for Trauma and AuDHD this Brigid: Episode 96 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast

Do you want to learn to soothe and support your extra sensitive (whether through trauma/s, AuDHD (autism and ADHD) or anything else) nervous system?

The Goddess Brigid (we had a bank holiday yesterday to honour her, as well as her namesake, St Brigid, yesterday) is associated with so many wonderful qualities. Use her inspiration, healing and wisdom energies to protect and work with your sensitive nervous system instead of pushing through.

I share some of my personal journey with swimming and sensory challenges, offering practical strategies for finding activities that bring you joy (glimmers) as well as triggering more challenging sensory issues. Navigate sensory triggers with self-compassion and create a self-care practice that honours your AuDHD brain.

#brigid

#sensorydifferences

#sensitivenervoussystem

#audhd

#trauma

CHAPTERS

0:00–2:24 Introduction, AuDHD, balance, and nervous system support

2:24–3:13 Honouring Brigid and working with an extra-sensitive nervous system

3:13–6:03 Swimming as sensory soothing, regulation and coming home to the body

6:03–8:16 Glimmers, play, balance and how swimming supports ADHD symptoms

8:16–10:23 The Feel part: identifying glimmers, benefits and sensory blocks

10:23–12:28 The Love part: self-compassion, adaptation, and working with sensory needs

12:28–14:04 The Heal part: community, co-regulation and choosing when togetherness helps

14:04–15:50 Closing reflections, encouragement and next episode

FULL TRANSCRIPT

I love the balancing elements in terms of ADHD, balance is really helpful in terms of working with the cerebellum part of the brain and that’s really helpful in terms of some of our symptoms.

Hi, I’m Eve Menezes Cunningham and you’re listening to the Feel Better Every Day Podcast. You can find out more and access older episodes at thefeelbettereverydaypodcast.com and you can also access loads of free resources and find out more about the book, 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing, the column I write for Platinum every month, other titles I contribute to, my work, loads of free resources I’ve created over the years.

I really hope you enjoy this episode and if you haven’t already signed up for my free newsletter, it goes out on a Monday, Míle Buíochas Mondays. Míle Buíochas means a thousand thank yous in Irish, which I’m very slowly learning. It’s polyvagal informed journal prompts to help you each week. There’s the gratitude practice element, figuring out more of what brings you joy on a daily basis, what helps you feel in that ventral vagal state (I call Purr! when I use the rescue cats with the Polyvagal Purrs approach) and I also share some of my own gratitudes, some of the things that have helped me feel more in ventral vagal that week.

Some of those will be resources that might benefit you and I also share news about upcoming events, special offers, things like that. The journal prompts also include encouragement to look at what is creating sympathetic survival responses (that Hiss! with the Polyvagal Purrs approach) and potentially the dorsal vagal (Freeze!). It’s really helping you learn to map your own nervous system, get to know yourself and to support yourself and it’s all free. If you haven’t already, you can sign up at selfcarecoaching.net and if you have any questions again, let me know eve at selfcarecoaching.net. I hope you enjoy this episode.

Welcome to episode 96 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast and this week we’re honouring the Goddess and Saint Brigid. It’s a new bank holiday in Ireland the last few years and Brigid has enormous associations with many, many things but particularly healing, inspiration, wisdom and protection.

I thought that for today’s...