I’ve recently moved from Switzerland to Spain. This rather controversial choice as seen by many, has been my attempt to listen to my inner voice and follow my joy rather than success, money or expectations of others. Being here now with more free time on my hands due to the choice of reducing my working hours as well, I found myself coming back to the eternal question of how to find happiness.
advice
Why focusing on where you are won’t get you anywhere
Imagine that you are walking with your eyes down on the ground, focusing intently on where you currently are, studying the path you are on. If you never look up to establish the direction where you should be heading or decide on a destination, where do you think you will arrive?
Continue readingHow to heal your childhood wounds – according to my dream
All of us, without exceptions, carry subconscious childhood wounds into our adult life. These, if unattended, can guide our behaviours and opinions without us even realizing it. One of the greatest Swiss psychologists, Carl Jung, believed in the importance of integration of our unconscious with the conscious as a way to get closer to our true self. One of the methods he proposed for doing this was dream analysis which he believed to be a very personal thing. Dream interpretation, as he pointed out, has to come from our inner feeling about various dream symbols rather than generic definitions as many modern dream interpretation guides suggest. It seems reasonable given that the same object can mean many different things to different people depending on the culture or associated memories and experiences.
Continue readingIs your past holding you back?
We live in a world in which people define each other and themselves based on accomplishments, titles, things we have heard about others or their circumstances. Even in therapy, the emphasis is put on talking about our childhoods or past experiences. We are made to believe that the events that happened in our past define us and forever shape our lives. But is it really true? Does the past have to be this chain dragging us down our whole lives? Is there a way to free ourselves from it?
Continue readingProductivity hacks for your home office
This year many of us have been thrown for the first time out of their comfort zone when it comes to work. Work from home might be a challenge for many people, especially when they have to do it every single day of the week. There is something about offices, that fact that we see people around us focusing as well, that association we have with the place itself as a space to work, that might be missing when we have to do our tasks from the comfort of our home, surrounded by numerous temptations and distractions. Personally, I enjoy this type of work, being a person who needs complete silence when focus is needed. However, either one likes it or not, no one is immune to distraction unless we actively ensure our environment encourages productivity. Here are some productivity hacks, backed by studies, that I have found most helpful in increasing my efficiency and enjoyment when working from home.
Continue readingHow to overcome obstacles and frustrations and make the best out of them
Sometimes in life we find ourselves faced with obstacles or situations that we don’t agree with but cannot necessarily do much about. It can be a decision someone else has made that affects you in some way or an unfavorable circumstance. If you’re feeling stuck or frustrated in a situation like this and it seems like your world is falling apart, be aware that regardless of what’s happening, you have control over how you choose to react and therefore, how quickly you pull yourself out of the negative feelings. Below are the steps I use to pull myself up and stay calm and happy whatever obstacle comes my way. Continue reading
Quarantine survival guide – 10 tips to turn the curse into a blessing
The past weeks it seems that the topic of coronavirus has inserted itself into every single aspect of our lives. It appears to be the only thing everyone is talking about, it’s all over the news and what is more, it’s directly affecting our lives by governments recommending (or in some cases – forcing) their citizens to stay in their homes in order to cap the rapid spread of the disease. While many people are complaining how this is destroying their social lives or stressing themselves out about contracting the disease or worrying about where this is all leading, I would like to present maybe a somewhat controversial view on the whole situation. What if this could actually be a blessing for many of us? Continue reading
On chasing happiness
The 4th season of one of my favorite series (“The Good Place”) has just ended and I found that it touches on something that was on my mind for quite a while now. What if we were able to get everything we wanted in exactly the way and time we wanted? Isn’t it actually the things that we don’t expect and don’t even imagine they could happen that bring us the most joy and wonder in life?
Continue readingUs against the world
I used to be scared. I used to think most people are mean, want to scam me or hurt me. And thus, I isolated myself. I avoided too much human contact. I was afraid to meet new people because I expected them to judge my behaviour, my looks, my personality.
Continue readingCan you be an optimist without expectations?
Sometimes when we think about the future, we can find ourselves lost in pessimistic visions that create nothing but unnecessary fear and worry in us. Since no one can really predict what is going to happen, I believe such thoughts are better to be avoided. They will not prevent anything and just worrying about something that may never even occur seems pointless if you look at it from a rational point of view. Continue reading