Sunflower Thinking

Sunflower Thinking Global training specialising in well-being and mental health.

A little bit more sunshine? Don’t mind if I do!This morning I spent the BEST thinking time with the ever-brilliant Sarah...
23/09/2026

A little bit more sunshine? Don’t mind if I do!

This morning I spent the BEST thinking time with the ever-brilliant Sarah Hopkins from BCHA talking all things training, mental health and staff wellbeing.

Lots to explore, lots to share and lots to look forward to.

And thank you for inviting me to explore the brilliant allotment too - what a beautiful location and a stunning start to my day.

Brilliant company + beautiful surroundings + good conversations = a pretty perfect morning!

Sunflower Thinking

Something new is growing at Sunflower Thinking…I’m really excited to introduce Pause. Reflect. Grow.Over the years, I’ve...
16/09/2026

Something new is growing at Sunflower Thinking…

I’m really excited to introduce Pause. Reflect. Grow.

Over the years, I’ve worked with so many people whose roles involve supporting others - in housing, charities, education, healthcare, policing and beyond.
And I’ve noticed something.
Sometimes people don’t need another training course.

They need space.
Space to pause.
Space to talk.
Space to reflect on the things that have stayed with them.
Space to celebrate what’s going well.
Space to think about the challenges.
And space to consider what they need to keep doing their work well without carrying everything home with them.

That’s the thinking behind Pause. Reflect. Grow. Professionally facilitated reflective practice for people who support others.

Sessions can be delivered individually or in groups and are designed around the needs of the organisation and the people within it.

Pause - create space away from the day-to-day
Reflect - explore experiences, challenges and successes
Learn - share perspectives and learn together
Grow - build confidence, wellbeing and professional practice
And because it’s Sunflower Thinking, we’ll finish with a little Sunflower Seed - one simple thought, reflection or action to take forward.

This isn’t counselling, therapy or clinical supervision. It’s a safe, confidential space for professional reflection, learning and growth.

I’m genuinely excited about this one. It feels like such a natural next step for Sunflower Thinking and for the work I already do with organisations.

Sometimes we don’t need to do more.
Sometimes we need to pause, reflect and grow.

If you’d like to explore Pause. Reflect. Grow. for your team, I’d love to hear from you 💛

All moments matter 💛I’m feeling incredibly grateful after two days spent with a brilliant client delivering:‘Understandi...
10/09/2026

All moments matter 💛

I’m feeling incredibly grateful after two days spent with a brilliant client delivering:
‘Understanding, Supporting and Enabling Neurodivergent Employees to Thrive’

Two days of learning, conversations and thinking about how we can create workplaces where people are understood, supported and given the opportunity to thrive.

And then, in between those sessions on World Su***de Prevention Day today, I was given permission to create a small drop-in space.

A space to pause.
To talk.
To share.
To listen.
To ask questions.
To find out about resources and helplines.
And to talk about the words we can use when we’re worried about someone.

It reminded me of something I think is really important:
We don’t always know when a moment might matter.

Sometimes it’s the five-minute conversation.
The question we almost didn’t ask.
The “Are you really okay?”
The “I’m here if you want to talk.”
The “You don’t have to figure this out alone.”

So, I’m grateful to this organisation for giving me permission to make that moment count.

Lots of important conversations. Two very different subjects.
But underneath both is something incredibly human:
Seeing people. Listening to people. Supporting people. And creating environments where people feel they can be themselves and ask for help when they need it.

Maybe today is a good day to think about the moments you have in front of you and how you might make one of them count. 💛

***dePreventionDay

Hold hope for someone who may have lost theirs. Thursday is World Su***de Prevention Day and I’m sharing the powerful me...
08/09/2026

Hold hope for someone who may have lost theirs.

Thursday is World Su***de Prevention Day and I’m sharing the powerful message from Samaritans :

Suicidal thoughts can be interrupted.

Every 90 minutes, someone in the UK or Ireland dies by su***de.
And yet, Samaritans’ research found that 60% of people with lived experience had their suicidal thoughts interrupted by someone close to them.

Someone noticed.
Someone reached out.
Someone listened.
Someone stayed.

We don’t need to have the perfect words or be able to fix everything.
Sometimes, we just need to notice, ask and listen.

And when someone can’t find hope for themselves, perhaps we can hold a little hope for them until they can find it again.

So, today, tomorrow, next week - pause.
Who could you reach out to?
Send the message. Make the call. Ask the question.

You never know what difference that moment of connection might make.

Find Samaritans’ World Su***de Prevention Day resources on the Samaritans website.

***dePreventionDay ***dePrevention

04/09/2026

Something to look forward to = a little boost for your wellbeing.

It doesn’t have to be a huge holiday or life-changing event. Sometimes it’s the small things that give us a lift - coffee with a friend, a favourite meal, a walk, a gig… or something big that’s been in the diary for months.

Anticipation can trigger feel-good chemicals like dopamine and endorphins, giving us that little boost of motivation, pleasure and excitement. 💛

So, what do you have in the diary that releases your happy hormones?
My top 2 this month:
🎂 Celebrating my best friend’s birthday
🏏 Watching the Men’s England Cricket Team play again!

What are you looking forward to?

Sleeptember 2026: Sleep Through ChangeSeptember is Sleeptember and this year The Sleep Charity is joining forces with Is...
01/09/2026

Sleeptember 2026: Sleep Through Change

September is Sleeptember and this year The Sleep Charity is joining forces with Issviva Menopause to shine a much-needed light on sleep, women’s health and menopause.
And honestly, this one really resonates with me.

Because when your sleep is disrupted night after night, it can affect so much more than how you feel the next morning.
Your mood. Your energy. Your concentration. Your resilience. Your relationships. Your ability to cope with everyday life.
And for women navigating perimenopause and menopause, sleep can become a particularly difficult part of the picture.

Hormonal changes can have a significant impact, with up to 60% of women experiencing sleep difficulties during this stage of life.
I know I’m certainly not alone in understanding just how much poor sleep can affect your wellbeing and how quickly those ripple effects can build.

But here’s the hopeful bit...
We don’t simply have to accept poor sleep as something we have to put up with.
Sleeptember is about starting conversations, understanding what’s happening to our sleep and discovering what might help.

Throughout September, The Sleep Charity and Issviva will be sharing free resources, practical tips and trusted advice to help women better understand sleep and make positive changes.

And perhaps this Sleeptember, we can remind ourselves of something really important:
Sleep isn’t a luxury. It isn’t selfish. And struggling with sleep isn’t something we should just learn to live with.
Sleep is part of our health.
Sleep is part of our wellbeing.
Sleep matters.

Let’s start the conversation, share what helps, support one another and make sleep a little more of a priority.

Because sometimes, better sleep isn’t just about feeling less tired... It’s about feeling more like yourself again.

And that's a wrap on Summer Lunch & Learn: Wellbeing in Action series!Four sessions. Four very different conversations. ...
27/08/2026

And that's a wrap on Summer Lunch & Learn: Wellbeing in Action series!

Four sessions.
Four very different conversations. And lots of wonderful people who chose to spend some of their summer making space for their wellbeing.

And honestly? I've loved it. 💛
I hoped these sessions would be useful, practical and enjoyable for everyone who joined, but they've been so good for me too.

There's something pretty special about bringing people together, opening up conversations, sharing ideas and watching connections happen.

I've come away with connection, purpose, curiosity and hope and a very big smile!

We talked about resilience, having conversations that count, navigating grief and loss, and the importance of looking after ourselves while supporting others.

But perhaps the biggest thing I'd like us to take away is much simpler:
We can make our wellbeing a priority.
We really can.
We can take the hour.
We can press pause.
We can ask for help.
We can set the boundary.
We can have the conversation.
We can take that little walk.
We can give ourselves permission to breathe.
And hopefully, these four sessions have reminded all of us that we're worth that time.

And here's the bit I don't want you to miss…
Although the Summer Lunch & Learn series has finished, these conversations don't have to end here and they don't have to wait until next summer!

The four sessions can be booked by organisations throughout the year, either as individual lunchtime sessions or adapted into a bespoke programme around the needs of your people.
Building Your Personal Resilience.
Conversations That Count.
Grief, Loss & Life Changes.
Looking After You While Supporting Others.
And I'm very happy to create similar sessions around the themes that matter most to your organisation.

So if you're thinking about your team's wellbeing, planning your learning calendar or simply want to create some space for meaningful conversations, I'd love to chat.

Let's bring Wellbeing in Action to your organisation.

And to my fantastic attendees - thank you for making my summer brighter.

It's been an absolute pleasure.
See you next time?

My first meeting this week was a gorgeous conversation with Dorset Menopause Support, and I was celebrating something th...
26/08/2026

My first meeting this week was a gorgeous conversation with Dorset Menopause Support, and I was celebrating something that had genuinely changed my world.

Back in May, my GP surgery offered me an appointment with a specialist menopause practice nurse. She was able to spend meaningful time with me, listen properly, explore my symptoms and help me understand my options. I felt heard, validated and really understood.

That conversation supported me to move onto suitable HRT, and the difference has been enormous. Some symptoms have become easier, others have disappeared completely. It has changed my quality of life.

So imagine how I felt when, at my check-up appointment today, I was told that this provision no longer exists.

No more women being able to access what I accessed through this surgery.

How, in 2026, are we going backwards in women’s health?

How, when we know more than we ever have about menopause, its symptoms and the sometimes catastrophic impact they can have on women’s lives, are we caring less?

I understand that money is a factor. Of course I do. But if I had been given a three-minute appointment rather than the time I needed, if I hadn’t had the opportunity to properly explore my symptoms and treatment options, surely that has a cost too?

A cost in pounds, yes. But also a cost in lost productivity, relationships, confidence, wellbeing and quality of life.

I consider myself incredibly fortunate that I “got in” just in time. But I know I will need support again at some point. And what about the many women I hear from through the work I do?

Where is their opportunity to be heard? To be validated? To explore their symptoms and treatment options with someone who understands menopause?

This isn’t about asking for special treatment. It’s about appropriate, informed healthcare.

So I keep asking:

When will women’s health become a sustainable priority, rather than something we invest in briefly and then take away?

Because meaningful time with a knowledgeable healthcare professional can change a woman’s world. I know. I’ve experienced it.

Some moments stay with you.Today was the third of my Summer Lunch & Learn: Wellbeing in Action sessions – Grief, Loss & ...
20/08/2026

Some moments stay with you.

Today was the third of my Summer Lunch & Learn: Wellbeing in Action sessions – Grief, Loss & Life Changes.

It's a topic that means a great deal to me personally and one that I never take lightly.

There is something incredibly powerful about bringing people together to talk about loss. To hear different experiences. To recognise the things we have in common. To realise that grief can look so very different, yet the need for connection, compassion and understanding is often the same.

And after sessions like this, I need a little time too.
So this little sit outside in stillness is part of how I decompress, breathe and decompartmentalise. I take some time to step away from the conversation, let my mind settle, breathe in some fresh air and reconnect with myself before moving on with the rest of my day.
Because looking after ourselves isn't something we should only encourage others to do.
It applies to all of us.

Thank you to everyone who joined me today and shared this space so openly and compassionately. It was a privilege to spend the hour with you.

And we have one more Summer Lunch & Learn next Thursday:
Looking After You While Supporting Others
Thursday 27 August
12:30–1:30pm
Live via Microsoft Teams
Our final session will bring the series full circle, looking at boundaries, compassion fatigue and the importance of caring for ourselves while caring for others.

If you'd like to join us for the final session, there's still time to book.
🌻 Take one hour for yourself.

Email [email protected] to book!

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Bournemouth
BH6

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