Published in Forge·Updated 4 days agoThe Power of Anti-PlatitudesWhy the way forward might actually be upside-down — Some things are said so often that they just ring true — “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all”, “Let’s agree to disagree”, “Good things come to those who wait”, and “M&Ms. Melts in your mouth. Not in your hands.” …Self Improvement6 min read
Dec 30, 2021The Real Virus is LimboHow to cure Covid uncertainty — You lift a rock. Underneath it may be a snake, or no snake. If there is a snake, you receive an electric zap. This was a test run by scientists in 2016, to measure what led to the most stress in its human participants. What was interesting about the test…Covid 196 min read
Published in Invisible Illness·Dec 4, 2021This Acronym Will Help You Understand Your Inner WorldWhy you and everyone you know is a PASTICHE — When you think about self-knowledge and inner work, you might picture a bearded guru or calm monk. But as I’ve started my own self-knowledge journey, through two focused years of therapy after being diagnosed with a generalised anxiety disorder and falling into recurring spikes of panic, I’ve found it’s far…Personal Development15 min read
Aug 21, 2021Black BeltMy brother‘s fall into psychosis, and his reemergence — “Hyah!” “Hyah!” “Hyah!” It’s Thursday night at the Hills District Martial Arts Taekwondo gym in the outskirts of suburban Sydney, where my 33-year-old brother, James, is undergoing his black belt grading. Sweat pours from his black curls down his reddened face. His feet move masterfully across the pastel pink and…Mwc Reentry19 min read
Published in Invisible Illness·Jul 25, 2021Thoughts For The Dark: How People Find HopeI spent a year collecting people’s go-to thoughts that help them in hard times. Here’s what I’ve learned. — We’ve all been to the dark before. The dark is that place in our minds where our worries loom large, where our anxieties are all-consuming, and where our sadness is enormous. Combined, they block out all the light in life. It’s a place we can fall into during times…Mental Health11 min read
Published in Forge·Updated Jul 26, 2021Life Advice, as Gleaned From ‘The Sims’What a computer game about life has taught me about life — The turn of the 20th Century to the 21st Century was marked with many things — Y2K, the Sydney Olympics, Beanie Baby hysteria and ill-fitting jeans. But none have impressed themselves as deeply into my psyche than the computer game franchise, ‘The Sims’. First released in…Technology13 min read
Published in Human Parts·Oct 19, 2020What Your Most Frequently Used Emoji Says About YouYour (over)use of a certain emoji may hint at your values and flaws — Here’s an instant personality test. Get your iPhone out and bring up the keyboard. Tap the emoji button and look to see what your most frequently used emoji is. It’s the one at the tippy-top of the list (unless you’re using an Android device, which will show your most recently…Social Media6 min read
Oct 5, 2020You’d Be Crazy Not To Be Depressed, Says a PsychiatristIt seems counterintuitive, but a pessimistic outlook may help. — “Well, you have a severe anxious depression,” the psychiatrist said to me. “Severe,” he reiterated. Tension hung. “But that’s great, because we know exactly how to treat that.” Instantly my temperament lightened. I felt assured on some primal level by the psychiatrist, Dr Ken (name changed for privacy). It was…Self Improvement6 min read
Jul 11, 2020‘Anxiety’ Is A Stupid WordWith misconceptions rife, perhaps we need an alternative… — As I laid awake in bed unable to sleep, worried that I may never fall asleep again, stuck in a state of panic so powerful it caused my heart to thud, my chest to clench, and my head to sweat, I couldn’t help but feel that the word ‘anxiety’ doesn’t…Anxiety4 min read
Feb 8, 2020This Simple Productivity Hack Will Completely Destroy Your LifeWhy the quest for productivity can be counterproductive — It was 7am in the morning and I was pulled over on the side of the road, weeping into my lap, having my third nervous breakdown that week. A guy had just cut me off and I couldn’t deal with it. My partner beside me patted me like you would…Stress9 min read
