Dr Amber Andrews

Feeling the post-holiday blues?

You had a great holiday. So why do you feel flat now?

The truth is, returning to reality after time away can be an adjustment. It's more common than you might think to feel a little deflated, unmotivated, or overwhelmed after a holiday.

It doesn't mean the holiday didn't work. It simply means you're transitioning from one pace of life back to another.

So if you're feeling a little "off" after your time away, try being curious rather than critical.

Ask yourself:

💭 What do I need as I settle back into everyday life?

Sometimes the goal isn't to jump straight back into full productivity mode.

Sometimes the goal is simply to readjust.

☕📖💙

At the start of every counselling relationship, I ask, "How will you know that counselling helped?" It is my way to gauge clients' expectations and understand their needs. And the most amazing thing I notice - at the end of counselling, clients feel exactly what they were aiming for, and sometimes more. But because the change is so gradual, gentle, and deep, this shift goes unnoticed.

Broken harmful pattern, calmer presence, deeper self-confidence, and even better sleep. Or simply quiet peaceful radiance.

I, as a therapist, can also be blind to this change. The other day, I spoke with a friend, ranting a little about the challenges I experience. And their response made me stop and look closer. I chose my path, I worked so hard to be where I wanted to be, and now I was exactly there without even noticing, still caught up in minor life details, not noticing the big picture.

💙 I am living the dream I once was striving for. 💙

Even this brief moment of realisation can completely change perspective. Current challenges can become easier once you know it is a part of the transformation. But also, taking that moment to praise yourself can be so therapeutic. You have grown into this different version of you. And I bet it took courage, patience, and time.

💭 If your younger self met you today, what do you think they would be most proud of?

🧭 Do you keep beating yourself down? 🧭

Imagine speaking to a friend the way you sometimes speak to yourself.

"You should be doing better."

"Why can't you get it together?"

"Everyone else seems to cope."

"You're falling behind."

The problem is that stress, overwhelm, and exhaustion often change the way we speak to ourselves.

But just because a thought is familiar doesn't mean it's true.

So here's a question:

💭 If someone spoke to you the way you speak to yourself, would you feel supported? Or would you feel beaten down?

💭 "I'll rest when everything is done."

💭 "I just need to push through."

💭 "Everyone else seems to manage."

Sound familiar?

When we're overwhelmed, the way we speak to ourselves often changes before we realise it.

We become more critical.
Less compassionate.
More demanding.

This week's check-in isn't about judging those thoughts.

It's about noticing them.

Because sometimes the most important conversation you'll have all day is the one happening inside your own head.

💭 Which phrase do you catch yourself saying most often?

☕📖💙

"Today I want to create pretty things and enjoy my time..." I said to ChatGPT's PTB Master Doc. It's my accountability buddy, helping me plan my tasks and even set them up in Pomodoros. Yes, I am that kind of girl who likes organising her time and squeezing the best out of every minute.

In our society, we glorify productivity like life is only worth living if you achieve...gym goals, life goals, relationship goals, and whatever other ambitious goals you may have. I have a lot of those and sometimes feel like one lifetime is not enough.

For some (like me), constant achievement is a comfort blanket, giving purpose and a sense of value. And there is nothing wrong with that.

But there are days when our bodies may say "not today". Tiredness, sleepless nights, emotional overwhelm, and pounding headache. I used to fly through those body clues to keep pushing, to keep ticking off my to-do list. Until I realised my drive wasn't creation. My drive was anxiety. I used to run myself down until I had nothing to give.

Now, when I am older and (relatively) wiser, I collaborate with my body. So today I want to stop running, I want to slow down and create. Because charging my battery is not a waste of time. It is actually a necessary phase in the productivity cycle.

💭 What helps you recharge when your mind feels full?

🧭 What's draining you right now? 🧭

Not what's on your to-do list. Not what you should be doing. What's actually draining you?

Is it work?
A difficult decision you've been avoiding?
Trying to keep everyone happy?
Constantly being "on"?
A situation you can't control?

Sometimes we focus so much on getting through the day that we forget to ask where our energy is going.

Before you think about how to get more energy, try asking yourself:

💭 What is taking my energy away?

Awareness won't solve everything.

But it can help you understand what needs attention.

⚡ Quick check-in: ⚡

How are your energy levels lately?

Not your workload.
Not your productivity.

Your energy.

💭 What's draining you right now?

No judgement. No fixing. Just awareness. 💙

☕📖💙

A wish to be "the best person I can be" sounds harmless.

In fact, it often sounds admirable. But lately I've been wondering how much pressure it can quietly place on the mind.

The best parent. The best partner. The best employee. The best version of ourselves. Always on the run to self-improvement (hence I stopped listening to 'gurus').

The finish line keeps moving, and the mind never quite gets permission to rest, breathe, be. To recognise that we can be a work in progress and still be worthy of kindness, compassion, and rest.

What if I don't need to become a perfect version of myself? What if I can just be? It is very uncomfortable...but the longer you sit in it, the more you know it is the right place to be (at least for me).

💭 What would become lighter if you gave yourself permission to be enough, exactly as you are today?