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The new year is here! is there a chapter of your life that needs a ‘reset’ or renewal? Festive period is typically a difficult season for someone who is experiencing the onset of grief . Humans are creatures of comfort. We are hardwired to seek pleasure and avoid pain, safety, and uncertainty. We tend to prefer familiar routines and security. However, significant human achievement, growth, and fulfillment often emerge outside  our comfort zones, requiring us to embrace challe

If you’ve been feeling the pressure from rising costs, creeping bills, or that nagging sense that your finances are out of control, you’re not alone. Recent financial data shows that unpaid credit card balances in Singapore have crossed S$9 billion — the highest level in a decade. Local financial counselling centres are reporting a 13 % increase in people seeking help as everyday expenses outweigh income and savings(Ng, 2025). And this is not just a Singapore story: According

Post Story Slam event reflection.   One of my Cliffton strengths is learner. In retrospect, I think it’s partly because I am an avid learner that aids in grounding me while I was battling with the grief of the sudden death of my late mother and also juggling duties as a new caregiver cum homemaker. While I was struggling a lot emotionally with the alien feeling of grief, researching for information on how to be a good caregiver cum homemaker to my father, who had terminal can

According to the recent news on CNA, Singapore is the fourth most expensive city globally for expats, 28th for locals. With the war, the costs of living have increased for many other nations too. For many women, the word budget stirs mixed feelings. It can feel like a restriction, a reminder of what we can’t do, or a guilt trip about what we should have done differently.  But what if budgeting isn’t about restriction at all? What if it’s actually a form of experiential learni

Sarah, Age 41, Married with 1 child. High Achiever, drawing a monthly 5 figure salary (successful, driven) Financial Binging  (uses high-end spending to cope with stress).   She's leaving a high-paying job  as a partner in a law firm to start a lower-volume consulting firm. Mindset Loop: Stress Spend, Guilt, Work Harder, Stress Old Money Story: "The Self-Soother" Core Belief:  Her value is tied to her achievement. She is constantly depleted by the demands of success. Money is

This article on mental health in the workplace reminds me of the time when I had to talk to one of my team members when she became a new mother. It’s not easy to balance work and her new role as a mother, something which many new parents can relate to. Some new mothers put immense pressure on themselves to be a "perfect parent", leading to feelings of guilt or failure when things don't go as expected. At one point, she felt stretched and was considering resignation. She spoke

I’m not a mother but I’m also involved in parenting. I’m my nephew’s PE ‘teacher’, part time pro bono tutor, managing school bullying issues, secondary school selection last year, game master. I am the ‘spoil market ‘Ah Yi’ (ie overcaring aunt in Chinese) according to my friends. This news above makes me recall my journey with him on his PSLE exam. Highlights ·       Supporting my nephew for the PSLE exam ·       Mental Wellness and Progress in his studies. ·       Balancing

More help should be given to them, say experts according to the Straits Times article. Caregiving is not a walk in the park. However, it’s so enriching. I was a full-time caregiver to my late dad, who had terminal cancer a few years ago. I decided to resign and be a full-time caregiver after losing my mother after a week in the ICU. I don’t want to lose the last chance to spend time with my dad. I learned how to cook and researched nutritious recipes in order to extend my da

How would you respond if someone told you that grief could be a good gift? “Are you crazy? “That was my first thought when I came across the video which challenge my thought that grief was a bad gift passed to me. I constantly threw it away initially. After watching the video, I was intrigued and began searching for the benefits instead. Grief made me more resilient. I recalled that I tried to snatch the ‘steering wheel’ from the Grief ‘monster’ (M) and drove the ‘bus’ ( symb

Money story Persona: Berna, 42 Years Old, works as an engineer in a successful tech company. She earns a comfortable salary. On paper, she is financially secure. However, her relationship with money is heavily influenced by constantly comparing herself to her peers/society. Her Unhealthy Money Story: Her belief that her self-worth is tied to her material possessions relative to her peers/society. That resulted in debt and affected her long-term financial health. I have been g

In the fast-paced world of meetings, and digital overload, finding balance can feel like chasing a cloud sometimes. That is especially so for professionals between the ages of 30s to 40s who are juggling multiple priorities. What if I tell you the key to a better work life balance is easily accessible. It is in your playlist. You can harness the power of music to enhance your productivity (Chamorro Premuzic, 2022) That will empower you to have more time for your family, frien

The Leaky Bucket Metaphor: Consider your income (salary and investment) to be like water flowing into a bucket. If you have a large water hose (i.e., a high income) but your bucket has holes (a limiting money story), the water will spill. The bucket (wealth accumulation) cannot be completely filled. However, if you have a consistent good source of income and a sturdy, sealed bucket (empowering money story), each full bucket can be utilized to fill a reservoir. Eventually, you

World laughter day is on 4 May 25. # laughter for mental wellness I am calm at managing my ex-patient’s dispute but I’m like a super anxious frog on a frying pan when I went for medical procedure. About 2 years ago, I’ve to go for a minor medical procedure. Before the procedure, I asked the doctor whether it’s possible to do it under general anaesthesia. Much to my dismay, it cannot be done. During the procedure, the nurse tried to calm me down and asked me whether I wanted