Dear Reader,

This week, I've found myself navigating a bumpy personal landscape. And it got me reflecting on the delicate, ongoing dance of carrying the weight of the world while still allowing ourselves to live fully within it.

How do we notice the pain, suffering, and unfairness in the world without letting it completely dampen or strip away our permission to experience the joyful, frivolous, beautiful parts of life?

And on the flip side, how do we avoid shutting that pain out so much that it stays unprocessed and unfelt—only to leak out later as sudden overwhelm, a low hum of anxiety, or snapping at the people we love most?

I’ll be honest with you: I have experienced both of these extremes just in the last week.

And I've found it particularly tricky to navigate. But what I am remembering—or perhaps relearning—is that there is no perfect, static formula for this. There isn’t a single technique or balance point that we can find once and use repeatedly.

Our internal landscape shifts constantly. What you needed yesterday, or last month, to feel regulated and contained might not be what is required today.

Finding our footing isn’t a destination; it’s a constant dialogue. It’s a frequent, gentle tuning-in to notice and honour exactly what is coming up in the present moment, without judgment.

So, as we head into the weekend and the change of pace that the school holidays may bring to some, I invite you to check in with your own landscape:

• If you notice your nerves are a little fried as the school holiday routine begins, notice that.
• If you planned something social for the weekend, but your body is nudging you to curl up with a book at home instead, look at that.

Listen to those signals. Try not to suppress, ignore, or push through them because you "should." Instead, seek to understand what they are trying to communicate to you. And then, as best as you can, honour them. Honour you.

We don't have to choose between being deeply feeling humans and being happy ones. We can hold space for both.

With love and warmth, Zac ♥

Dr Zac Elizabeth Buchanan | Clinical Psychologist​
​The Return | Upcoming Events​
​drzacelizabeth.com @dr.zacelizabeth​