The Positivity Doctor

☘️ The Irish have a way of saying things…
that somehow make life feel lighter.

Not because it is lighter.
But because they don’t carry it all at once.

“Ah sure, it’ll be grand.”
“Don’t be borrowing trouble.”
“A good laugh and a long sleep…”

They’re not just sayings.
They’re coping strategies, passed down in plain sight.

A gentle reminder that:

💬 You don’t need to solve everything today
😄 You don’t need to take every thought seriously
🍀 And you definitely don’t need to carry tomorrow before it arrives

There’s something deeply regulating in that…

Less control.
More trust.
A bit of humour to soften the edges.

So today, just a small question to sit with…

👉 What are you carrying
that you don’t actually need to carry yet?

Happy St Patrick’s Day ☘️💚

New 10-minute meditation dropped today on YouTube 🌸 This one's designed to activate heart-brain coherence and help you become a magnet for calm, connected moments. Who needs a nervous system reset? 🙋‍♀️

Heart Coherence Meditation - Reset Your Nervous System in 10 Minutes Experience the transformative power of Heart Bloom Meditation - a scientifically-informed practice designed to activate heart-brain coherence and restore you...

💡 Have you ever noticed how your best ideas come when you're feeling calm, curious, or just in a good mood?

That’s not a coincidence.

Psychologist Barbara Fredrickson found that positive emotions, like joy, interest, and love, actually help us think more clearly, see more possibilities, and connect more deeply with others!

👩‍🎨 This is called the Broaden-and-Build Theory.

🤩 Basically, when we feel good, our minds open up. We're more creative, more curious, and more open to new ideas. And over time, these moments help us build lasting strengths, like resilience, emotional awareness, and stronger relationships.

Here’s how it can show up in everyday life:

✨ Interest might lead you to try something new… and discover a talent you didn’t know you had.
✨ Love or connection can make you feel safe enough to grow and be your full self.

This isn’t about pretending everything’s fine all the time.

It’s about noticing the good when it’s there and letting those moments expand you.

💬 Here are a few questions to reflect on… Ask yourself:
🌱 What emotions am I feeling today?
🌱 What’s one small thing that brings me joy or connection?

Because how we feel shapes how we grow, and those small moments of joy or curiosity really do add up.

Okay, okay… so it only took me 1,195 cups of tea, countless “quick scrolls” through Instagram, and a teeny-tiny detour through two entire seasons of Married at First Sight Australia... 😅

But I’m delighted to finally say:
🎧 My audiobook 28 Days of Positivity is now LIVE on Audible! 🎉

If you’ve been meaning to read it but, you know... life got in the way... now you can listen while doing the school run, folding socks, or hiding in the bathroom for 10 minutes of peace (no judgement). 🙃

Go on – pop it in your ears and soak up the feel-good. Your future self will high-five you for it. 🙌

🎧 Listen now on Audible – just search: 28 Days of Positivity

😴 Feeling drained by things outside your control?

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when life throws uncertainty our way, but there IS a simple mental shift that can bring you more calm, focus, and strength:

💡 It’s called the Circle of Control!

Imagine three circles:

1. ✅ What you CAN control – Your actions, mindset, effort, how you respond
2. 🤝 What you can INFLUENCE – Conversations, relationships, some outcomes
3. 🌪 What you can’t control– Other people’s choices, the past, world events

💪 When we spend too much time in the outer circles, we feel powerless. But when we gently bring our focus back to what WE can do… even small things… we begin to feel more grounded and empowered.

---

✨ Simple things in your control today:

- Taking a deep breath before reacting
- Reaching out to someone you care about
- Drinking water, taking a walk, and resting
- Letting go of a thought that’s not serving you

🧭 What’s one thing YOU can control today that might make a difference?

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”

- Jon Kabat-Zinn 🏄‍♂️

💫 Big news... I’m heading to Brisbane, Australia, this July to present at the International Positive Psychology Association 2025 World Congress! 🇦🇺✨

I’ll be sharing my research on how parents of children with ADHD can use positive psychology and self-coaching to boost their own wellbeing, because when adults thrive, children do too. 💛🧠

It’s such an honour to represent this work on an international stage and join a global community of changemakers, researchers, and practitioners championing evidence-based wellbeing, such as Martin Seligman, Robert Biswas-Diener, Dr Suzy Green, Lea Waters AM, PhD, Tal Ben-Shahar, Ilona Boniwell, PhD, and Barbara L. Fredrickson, to name a few. I may not come back! 😊

✨ If any Brisbane folks and Aussie adventurers read this, what are your must-sees, best coffee spots, or soul-filling experiences? I’m all ears!

Let the countdown begin… 🎤🌿

🚀Are you a parent of a child with ADHD? 🚀

Parenting a neurodivergent child can be incredibly rewarding, but it also comes with unique challenges. Research shows that parents of children with ADHD experience three times more stress than their peers, yet support often focuses solely on the child, leaving parents overlooked.

As a professional doctoral researcher, positive psychologist, and mum of two neurodivergent boys, I am conducting a study with Oxford Brookes University to explore how Self-Coaching using Positive Psychology can help parents reduce stress, increase self-kindness, and create a positive ripple effect in their family.

🔍Who should take part?

✅ Parents of children aged 5-18 with suspected or diagnosed ADHD
✅Parents looking for practical, research-backed strategies to reduce stress and improve well-being

🫵 Why participate?

🔸 Contribute to vital research supporting ADHD families
🔸Gain FREE access to ‘The ADHD Parenting Toolkit’
🔸 Discover how self-coaching can enhance your resilience and emotional well-being

Interested? Learn more and sign up here: https://sites.google.com/view/positive-self-coaching

Please share with anyone who might benefit. Let’s support parents in navigating ADHD with strength and positivity! 🌞

☀️ It was so great to visit the Seniors’ campus of Bruern Abbey School in Chilton, Oxfordshire, this afternoon on a beautiful sunny day to deliver a talk to parents on ‘Navigating the Teenage Years’.

🌈 Raising young people through the complexities of neurodivergence and societal norms can be challenging but positive psychology is offering a sustainable solution for the whole family to reframe the narrative from ‘what’s wrong’ to ‘what’s strong’. 💪

I so love my job!!! 🥰

🌦️ The calm after Hurricane Milton and in keeping with , it felt so good to be able to lead a gratitude meditation this morning at Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin for The Global Exchange 🙏🥰

What an immense pleasure it has been to be able to join the this year. 🥰 Even the weather could not dampen the spirits of this incredible event.