Rediscovering Myself After Trauma: Identity & Reclaiming Power

On reflection, I felt a lot of pressure to conform to fake happiness when I was a child - a girl child, Gen X, raised by boomer parents in a small community on a...

Since developing M.E. last year and learning how to navigate life with chronic illness on top of perimenopause and being deaf, my energy is a precious and carefully guarded resource. In 2026, protecting my energy isn’t a soundbite for trendy mindful culture. It’s mandatory, non-negotiable; the only way I will manage, survive and heal. This year, I am being intentional about what I give my time, attention and body to, and just as intentional about what I’ll no longer engage with.

Postponing love until some day which never actually comes is learnt self-cruelty. I’m rejecting self-cruelty and embracing self-kindness. How will I go about fully believing in his love for me? I don’t have all the answers, but I know I have to do the work dismantling my old belief systems.

New year weight loss plans are everywhere you turn in January, berating you for the pleasurable excess you enjoyed in December. Every year, as the wheel turns and we move from party to punishment season, I feel the same harsh judgement about eating habits and body image, and hear the cutting voice of my inner critic, shaped over a lifetime by family, media, and cultural pressure. Happy new year: your body is once again up for review.

I may not have a spine on the bookshelf, but I've got one in my body. And I'm freshly committed to writing with a backbone. Wherever my writing is published.