Finding My Way Forward: A Personal and Professional Update

As I prepare to step into a new role, I’ve been reflecting on what the past few months have really asked of me. Navigating a significant personal loss while managing the realities of work, family life, and change has been one of the most demanding chapters of my life so far. Despite the emotional weight, it has also offered moments of deep clarity. Grief has stripped things back to their essentials, revealing what truly supports me, and what no longer does.

What has kept me steady throughout this period has been a return to fundamentals: moving my body, eating well, reducing alcohol, lifting weights, stretching, reading, laughing, and intentionally noticing the small pockets of joy that appear throughout the day. These practices are simple, but their impact has been profound. They reinforce what we know from research on behavioural activation (Martell et al., 2010): that structure, routine, and movement help protect us from emotional overwhelm by reconnecting us with meaningful action.

Alongside this, meditation and journalling have become essential tools in helping me regulate my nervous system. They offer a space to slow down, step back, and separate emotion from thought, what cognitive therapists call decentering (Segal et al., 2013). This ability to step out of the swirl of feeling and observe what is happening internally has given me room to breathe, respond, and remain present with my grief.

Self-compassion has woven through this process too. It has meant letting go of the expectation to “bounce back” and instead recognising that transitions take time. Bridges’ Transition Model (2004) describes how every change begins with an ending, a letting go of what was familiar- before we find our way through the in-between space and into a new beginning.

I share all of this because periods of change often invite us to recalibrate. They ask us to anchor the body, steady the mind, and pay attention to the tiny decisions we make every day. These habits have helped me stay grounded, connected, and human.

References:
Martell, C.R., Dimidjian, S. & Herman-Dunn, R. (2010) Behavioral Activation for Depression: A Clinician’s Guide. New York: Guilford Press.
Segal, Z.V., Williams, J.M.G. & Teasdale, J.D. (2013) Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. 2nd edn. New York: Guilford Press.
Bridges, W. (2004) Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes. 2nd edn. London: Nicholas Brealey.