As the festive season is slowly approaching, this is a bit more light-hearted article. During this autumnal period, filled with conferences, professional achievements, and the usual challenges, I woke up one day early at 4am. It was still dark outside, so I remained in my warm bed, kept the eyes closed and reflected. As it … Continue reading One of the big changes I consciously made in my life
Self-help, Stress and Anxiety Management
Managing pain without popping pills?
Life can be painful. Sometimes, existence itself feels painful. Those of us living with a serious condition know this all too well. From an early age, we’re taught that any kind of ache is bad, so we instinctively try to avoid it or eliminate it as soon as it appears. But I’ve discovered a different … Continue reading Managing pain without popping pills?
Last minute Christmas present ideas
As I've mentioned several times, I love reading. For the past couple of years, I've been participating in the Goodreads reading challenge. The app then creates this beautiful collage of books that I've read in 2024. You might find it useful as a last minute Christmas gifts idea! My 2023 reading challenge can be found … Continue reading Last minute Christmas present ideas
How has mindfulness literally saved my life
The brainstem, where my tumour hides, is right at the bottom of our heads, above the spine. It controls all the essential, automatic functions, including heartbeat, breathing and swallowing. As all these functions have been affected, in my case, in order to survive, I had to modify the way I breathe, and swallow food and … Continue reading How has mindfulness literally saved my life
People in my life for a season, a reason and a lifetime
In our lives, we meet unbelievable number of people. Some encounters are pleasant, others not so much. We can classify all the relationships we made into three categories: those for a reason, a season and a lifetime. The principal notion behind the phrase “reason, season, lifetime” is that all relationships, regardless of their duration, have … Continue reading People in my life for a season, a reason and a lifetime
Role of confidence
I often think where I would have been if I wasn’t self-confident. Idea for this article came when I was sitting alone in a coffee shop. My mind went to the beginning of December, month ago. The weather was really cold and it snowed. As a result of that I didn’t leave the house for … Continue reading Role of confidence
My two saviours
I wrote extensively about managing my mental health and how extremely lucky I am, being surrounded by loving, supportive and understanding people. I also shared the struggles, such as my aim to live a meaningful life, seasonal depression, ... I believe your environment is an important variable on the long and winding road to tranquility. … Continue reading My two saviours
How to deal with a seasonal depression?
The festive season ought to be festive, right? All in the non-stop joy and laughter culminating on the New Year's Eve. The cold, short, dark, and gloomy days can be particularly hard for those bereaved or others having some mobility issues. The ice and snow make it especially challenging. I noticed it myself, that due … Continue reading How to deal with a seasonal depression?
You are dust, and to dust you shall return
I've come across an interesting Japanese wisdom: during your lifetime, each and everyone of us is assigned a specific amount of food we can eat. And when we reach our number, we die. Recently, I've encountered a similar saying but regarding breath. Everybody has their number of inhales and exhales they take during their life. … Continue reading You are dust, and to dust you shall return
Finding the small joys
Two days ago, I had an early morning call with Andrew. He mentioned that a person who we both knew, (also had a brain tumour) passed away. When he told me, a single song popped up on my mind. When we finished the video call, I played the tune loud on the radio. As it … Continue reading Finding the small joys
Anna's Brainstorm 