Personal Development

Forging through the lockdown – Part 17: Life lessons the pandemic will (hopefully) teach us

by Queen D, August 26, 2020

The beginning of 2020 has felt just like a Hollywood blockbuster. All those movies we’ve watched about a virus spreading across the world, and experts scrambling to find a cure, has become our reality. But there is a silver lining, if you’re willing to look for it. Life’s adversities also offer the opportunity to learn […]

Read more
Attitude & Lifestyle, Mental Health & Well-Being

Forging Through The Lockdown – Part 16: Dealing with pandemic-related depression and anxiety

by Queen D, July 30, 2020

Having to stay indoors for the past few months is taking a toll on a lot of people. For those who thrive on social contact, being in nature, or just being out and about, the protocol for isolation as dictated by this pandemic is mentally debilitating and emotionally draining. It reminds me of the way […]

Read more
Love & Relationships

Forging Through The Lockdown – Part 15: Jedi Mindfulness

by Queen D, July 8, 2020

I am not a fan of Star Wars, but it’s filled with life lessons I think we can all live by. And I can fully appreciate the concept of using the mind to achieve strength, courage, centeredness, and tranquility. “Your focus determines your reality.” Qui-Gon Jinn “A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most […]

Read more
Mental Health & Well-Being

Forging Through The Lockdown – Part 14: More insights into how people are dealing with the pandemic

by Queen D, June 17, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best, and in a few cases, the worst, in people. There are helpers and there are hoarders. There are philanthropists and there are profiteers. There are people who are cautious, and people who are careless. As I mentioned in my previous blog, in spite of the fallout of […]

Read more
Mental Health & Well-Being

Forging Through The Lockdown – Part 13: Insights into how people are dealing with the pandemic

by Queen D, June 4, 2020

COVID-19 isn’t just physical health issue. It has been a test of resilience, tenacity, and patience, as people try to protect themselves against an enemy they can neither see nor hear. This new, unprecedented reality of isolation and social distancing, of governments and medical officials learning on the fly, has left people wondering what tomorrow […]

Read more
Love & Relationships

Forging Through The Lockdown – Part 12: Parenting young children during the pandemic

by Queen D, May 28, 2020

My 4-year-old nephew is a proficient FaceTime user, although he seems to forget that I can see him, even when he’s picking his nose. He’s been giving me weekly updates about all the things he’s learned (his numbers and colors in English, French, and Italian), all the projects his done, including making Easter eggs, bread, […]

Read more
Love & Relationships

Forging Through The Lockdown – Part 11: What to do when you’re feeling frustrated, bored, sad, or anxious

by Queen D, May 13, 2020

May is Mental Health Awareness month. With most of us stuck indoors, isolation will start to take a psychological toll. This is probably less of an issue for introverts like myself, but I sometimes feel compelled to go outside, if only to break the monotony a little. Frankly, my biggest concern is that spending so […]

Read more
Love & Relationships

Forging Through The Lockdown – Part 10: Practicing Patience

by Queen D, May 6, 2020

Life is a constant test of patience. From traffic, to annoying people, to waiting, waiting, waiting for something you want. If you lack patience, if you don’t allow things to unfold, if you don’t learn to give things a chance, if you don’t compel yourself to stop, breathe, and think, you can lose out on […]

Read more
Mental Health & Well-Being

Forging Through The Lockdown – Part 9: Regaining a Sense of Control

by Queen D, April 29, 2020

One of the things we crave more than anything else during a crisis is a sense of control. We want to be able to plan ahead. We want to feel prepared. We want to be as sure-footed as mountain goats, as we take steps forward. But how the heck do you deal with an invisible […]

Read more
Mental Health & Well-Being, Personal Development

Forging Through The Lockdown – Part 8: Coping with Isolation

by Queen D, April 15, 2020

I need a break from people. Often. When I go on a group vacation, within two days I am already fed up with everyone’s presence. I have to resist the urge to tell them to stick a cork in their jabbering yapper. I am not a mean person, honestly. I am a charming, funny, and […]

Read more
Mental Health & Well-Being

Forging Through The Lockdown – Part 7: More tips for controlling negative, fear-based thinking

by Queen D, April 8, 2020

In a previous blog, I talked about how easy it is to get caught up in negative thinking in response to the current pandemic. After all, the number of infected people is rising exponentially, as is unemployment, and the economy is just barely chugging along. That doesn’t mean, however, that things won’t get better. If […]

Read more
Mental Health & Well-Being, Personal Development

Forging Through The Lockdown – Part 6: Tips for controlling negative, fear-based thinking

by Queen D, April 3, 2020

Allowing negative thoughts to run rampant in your mind unchallenged, is sort of like trying to raft down the Amazon River without a paddle: Soon enough, you will be submerged in negativity. As a ruminator, I can understand the difficulty of breaking a vicious cycle of thoughts, especially in the midst of the current crisis. […]

Read more