Fleur Bickford

Our nervous systems are not meant to cope with the current situation. Reactions like anger & rage, numbness or apathy, or feeling stuck and not knowing what to do are biologically normal ways that our bodies try to protect us. Be gentle with yourself, and be intentional with finding moments of joy.

Beautiful pictures. So sorry for your loss!

Be gentle with yourself. What we are living through is not normal! We can't expect to function/cope the way we used to. Give yourself permission to do less.

The world is a challenging place, especially right now. If all you're managing to do is survive, it's enough. Celebrate making it through the day and focus on the next small step forward. Sending love!

So important. ❤️

With everything going on in the world, it's easy to feel like joy & pleasure are wrong. Like having fun somehow means you don't care about what others are going through. Nothing could be further from the truth. Joy, love, playfulness, fun etc are a crucial part of healing both ourselves & our world.

I would shine it on their inner child and unfulfilled needs, but I would also shine it on their dreams and things that bring them joy. Important to look at both!

It's easy to feel helpless right now or that anything you can do isn't enough to change anything so why bother, but your actions DO matter. Remember, small positive actions from a large number of people adds up to a big positive change.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by world news, you're certainly not alone. Remember to take care of yourself by limiting your exposure to social media and the news, focusing on the things that are within your control and taking the time for rest and self care.

My son and I loved the movie but he says the books are better! ❤️

New Year resolutions often fail because big changes can feel threatening to your nervous system. Try focusing on smaller changes that you can build on to create good habits. If there's something you want to change, start by working on it 5-10 mins a day and build up as you're able.

A close up picture of a beautiful Christmas wreath made from green pine branches, green leaves, red berries, pine cones and big silver bells. The wreath is hanging on a beige door and it's a bright sunny day.

Happy Holidays! Sending love to all, especially those for whom the holidays are a challenging time. ❤️

Sending you love and hugs! Sorry you're having a tough time. ❤️

Being a "people pleaser" is not an identity. It's a trauma response. It's not who you are, it's what you've learned to do to protect yourself. With support, it can be unlearned to help you find your authentic self. #trauma #mentalhealth

If you're feeling like you have too many balls in the air and are overwhelmed, drop the balls that will bounce (housework, unnecessary outings, kids' activities etc.). You can pick them up again later. It's important to prioritize your #mentalhealth

It's important to recognize the difference between emotions, thoughts and behaviors when talking about #mentalhealth. We don't have control over our emotions, but we do have control over our thoughts and actions. Learning how to shift our thoughts & actions is a crucial part of #healing

Curiosity is a wonderful tool on the path to #healing. Getting curious about our feelings helps us create the space to move through them. #mentalhealth

Bluesky is a good example of what we need in society as a whole. Science, collaboration, community building, friendly and respectful discussion and disagreement and shuttering of hate and conspiracy theories.

Great article! My son has POTS and one other potential symptom is blood sugar dysregulation. He has issues with high and low sugars but it took ages for the Dr's to believe him because the patterns are unusual. So many accusations of faking, even with monitoring!! So frustrating.

The focus on Gay and Trans people is simply a convenient way to stir up hate and controversy and keep people's attention off of the other things the government is doing. It's a shame so many people fall for it.

A gray cat looking very relaxed and looking directly at the camera, is laying on a gray shawl on a black leather sofa.

Rest without guilt. It's a crucial part of self care and #healing.

In a healthier world, individual resilience would come naturally. The way the term is used at the moment is usually to mean learning to live with stress and trauma that is way beyond what is healthy or what our bodies can handle, in order to benefit a society that doesn't value us.

For anyone who might need a reminder, you are beautiful and worthy just as you are.

So sorry. Sending love and hugs!

Infuriating and so harmful. Guidelines like these are why rare or uncommon conditions take on average 25-30 years to diagnose.

Individual resilience is not something we should be working towards. Rather, the goal should be a healthy society where resilience is not a necessity. #trauma #mentalhealth

Pain is complicated. It triggers the fight/flight/freeze response which can make pain even worse. It's a tough cycle to break. I agree with you that the ableism in our society is an important contributing factor that needs to change.

An important thing to understand about our nervous systems is that they don't like change. We prefer what is familiar, even if it is unhealthy, because it is predictable (and therefore easier to respond to keep us safe). This is why sudden big changes can hinder rather than help in healing.

Emotions are signals from our bodies whereas I feel "mood" is more of a social construct in a society with low emotional intelligence. People who are in a "bad mood" often don't know how to move through more uncomfortable emotions, or are having a normal reaction to the world we currently live in.