From Surviving to Thriving: A No Tools, No Techniques Shift from Stress and Overwhelm to Fulfilment

Psychological misunderstandings are causing most human suffering. The problem is that we don't know how we work. We don't understand the information in a feeling. We don't know not to take our thinking so seriously. And when these misunderstandings merge, it is a perfect environment for suffering to grown. Once you understand these misunderstandings are at play, life gets simpler and easier. Join...

Self-esteem is a hot topic. Seems it is vital for our wellbeing. It is defined as confidence in one's own worth or abilities; self-respect. Join me as I explore this topic from a new perspective. Get full access to From Surviving to Thriving at claredownham.substack.com/subscribe

Once we know our true nature, it changes everything. We start to see our potential. We feel more connected to each other and the world. There is a trust which emerges that all is well. We are part of nature! Get full access to From Surviving to Thriving at claredownham.substack.com/subscribe

It is possible to feel less bothered about life. It doesn't matter who you are or what seems to be bothersome. Once you realise that you feelings are about your state of mind and not the outside world, this starts to happen naturally. If I can go from stressed out, burnt out Headteacher to Queen of Calm who is not bothered about much, that is available for you too. Get full access to From Survivin...

My story is one of huge transformation. From stressed out headteacher to Queen of Calm. But this transformation is not exclusive to me. It is possible for everyone. Find out about my journey by listening to this episode. Get full access to From Surviving to Thriving at claredownham.substack.com/subscribe

What if all the things you feel stressed about stopped feeling stressful? What of nothing needed to change for you to see them differently? What if freedom from stress was only a change in perspective away? It is possible to have a different experience of life without anything needing to change. You don't have to wait to feel content every day. Get full access to From Surviving to Thriving at clar...

When we see that something is causing suffering, we tend to stop. Removing a stone from our shoe, loosening a belt after a heavy meal or getting up and moving when we have been sat too long. It's so simple but first we have to know where the feeling is coming from. Often we do not realise that our emotional suffering is coming from thought in the moment but when we do, we begin to make different c...

Laughter is a great stress reliever but have you ever wondered why. I had an insight about this recently. Laughter is helpful because it helps us naturally fall into the present moment. Laughter only really happens there. And when we are present we just work better. Get full access to From Surviving to Thriving at claredownham.substack.com/subscribe

Bringing some awareness to the noise in your head can help relieve stress. Just awareness mind you - not judging it as wrong. With awareness we can start to choose. Do we really need to be thinking that right now? When we start to see that it's that awful thinking which is making us feel off and nothing else it makes less sense to go there. Get full access to From Surviving to Thriving at claredow...

There is a big, fat lie about where your feelings comes from. It surrounds us all day every day. The lie that our feelings come from outside us. They fundamentally don't. Feeling are generated inside us and when we see this out relationship with them changes. Get full access to From Surviving to Thriving at claredownham.substack.com/subscribe

It seems there are a lot of things to be bothered about doesn't it? There always has been to be honest but perhaps it has reached a peak in the last few years. But how would your life be if less things bothered you? If the people, circumstances and situations no longer had so much impact on how you felt. It is possible for all of us to experience this and all it takes is seeing things differently!...

Wisdom is always guiding you no matter how you feel. In fact the off feelings might be the most vital because they let you know that your state of mind is off. What a wonderful thing to have - something which lets you know when you have stinking thinking! That has to be the most helpful thing in the world! Get full access to From Surviving to Thriving at claredownham.substack.com/subscribe

Perhaps we can be utterly content with a boring life. Maybe simple is a better word but you know what I mean. When we realise that doing stuff doesn't not create our feelings, it makes less sense to keep doing loads of stuff and life gets simpler. We can still have fun but we know our wellbeing doesn't depend on it. Imagine the freedom in that. Get full access to From Surviving to Thriving at clar...

How worthy do you feel? I used to think I was not good enough. I did not feel worthy. Have you considered where this idea of worth comes from.  Get full access to From Surviving to Thriving at claredownham.substack.com/subscribe

There is something which falls away when you realise that your ability and your thinking are not connected. That they have nothing to do with each other. It's like magic. Firstly you learn to ignore the voice in your head. Then 'negative nelly' turns up less. Finally you are free and can go full steam ahead! This is available when you understand the nature of thoughts and feelings! Get full access...

Have you noticed that the meaning of words can create stress. A couple of the ones I don't like are 'hate' and 'should'. But I end up thinking people shouldn't say 'should' and hating people for using 'hate'. It's actually laughable when you think about it. We give words energy that the person saying them might not have done. We create the meaning. Worth watching out for if you want to feel less s...

The thoughts which are causing your stress work like an algorithm. The more you focus on them, the more they turn up. And that focus can even be your attempts to change your thoughts. Then you feel that thinking in your body. The more attention, the more horrible the feeling. Just like an algorithm, when you starting letting them pass, they just don't show up so much. Simple but true! Get full acc...

Planning or presence - which is the least stressful? Of course we have to plan. I have dates in my diary and things booked in. But there is something wonderful which happens when we let go a bit. When we allow things to unfold from the present moment. Get full access to From Surviving to Thriving at claredownham.substack.com/subscribe

Suffering is not coming from where you might think. By suffering I am talking about stress, anxiety, unhealthy behaviour, anger to name but a few. It's the suffering which comes from a misunderstanding about where our feelings are coming from. That is the ultimate misunderstanding after all. Once we see the way things really work, which is inside out, not outside in, the suffering falls away. Do y...

We are made of love and once we know this everything changes. It's what is underneath our conditioned thinking. Seeing this can change all your relationships. As our thinking looks less real to us, we connect to love which is our essence! Who we really are. Imagine being in this place of love more of the time. Get full access to From Surviving to Thriving at claredownham.substack.com/subscribe

We are being told a lie about the source of stress. At the moment it is the cost of living. Previously it has been lockdowns and before that ... well the list goes on doesn't it? We are being told a lie but not knowingly. People really think stress comes from the outside world but it does not. Stress comes from thoughts about things not the things themselves and once you understand this, you exper...

Workaholism works like any other addiction! Like all other addictions, it comes from a misunderstanding about where your feelings are coming from. It's the reason why we feel compelled to do anything. It looks like a feeling can be added or removed by doing something in the outside world so we do that thing. Simple when you realise. And when you realise that your feelings don't come from the outsi...

Your comfort zone does not exist! It is only a collection of thoughts. Something magical happens when you start to take it less seriously. It begins to simply falls away. The thoughts might still be there for a while but they get easier and easier to dismiss. It's simpler than you might think to experience this. Get full access to From Surviving to Thriving at claredownham.substack.com/subscribe

Why is the Gazelle so calm? Because she doesn't think like us. She doesn't worry, 'what if' or time travel in her head.  What if you could be more gazelle? Get full access to From Surviving to Thriving at claredownham.substack.com/subscribe

There's a confusion which pervades our world right now and it is causing a lot of suffering. Someone recently asked me to talk about why people feel bad but cannot understand why. They can’t quite put their finger on it and, as a result, can’t fix it. I suppose the word here that would be good to address is “ confusion” It's a great question with seems like it might have a complicated answer but r...