It’s been an emotional week.
One of those weeks when life hit you with a huge truck…
I don’t talk about this anywhere online. But I want to be honest and transparent with you.
Basically on Tuesday morning, I got news that one of the patients in the ward passed away suddenly while on leave.
I built a good rapport with her and she was the life of the music therapy group. She opened up to me during the Friday session, just 3 days ago.
On the same afternoon, we got news that the National Disability Insurance Agency will cut funding for art and music therapy from 1 Feb 2025 onwards.
We have enough to worry about – how our clients are getting supported, our financial positions and so on – but my main concern is the status and recognition of music therapy in Australia, and among the world.
This is from the NDIS statement released on 26 Nov:
“While art and music therapy remain permissible, they do not meet the evidentiary standards required to be classified as a ‘therapy’ under the definition of NDIS supports.”
I had no words for that.
If you know me enough, you’d know I worship the hustle culture (alright I’m recovering from that).
This was the first time I wanted to take a “mental health day”.
I felt like shit.
Ironically, I couldn’t really take a break as I might not be seeing my private clients very soon.
To make things worse, I stayed up until 4am on Wednesday night chatting to someone I recently met.
Just about violated my own rule of putting sleep a priority.
Sleep deprivation made me feel annoyed, weak, and more prone to making stupid decisions.
And I hadn’t worked out for 4 days.
Well done Venus. What a week it’s been.
So this weekend, as I’m writing this, I’m determined to give myself space to reset my physical and emotional health.
Can someone manage career, health and relationship crises all at once?
We’ll find out.
It’s a long preamble.
But I want to drive home the point that despite writing ideas to inspire you to live a happier, healthier life every single week, life isn’t all sunshines and rainbows.
I don’t have all the answers.
But you can take a page from my book and not to repeat the mistakes I made.
Email me if you’re also going through some shit and you want someone to listen. I’m here for you x
Today in 3 minutes or less, you’ll learn:
✔️ The quick brain dump method
✔️ How you’ve grown and evolved in 2024
✔️ Simple grounding techniques
Doable ideas 💭
Take control of your mind when stress hits you like a truck:
Write everything stressing you out on paper for 2 minutes.
Don’t edit, just release.
The quick brain dump allows you to see exactly what’s in your head, what’s under your control, and what you should discard.
Reflections 🪞
What are three things you learned about yourself in 2024 that surprised you?
Mindfulness 🧘🏻♀️
When life feels overwhelming, remember that mindfulness isn’t just about meditation – it’s about finding what brings you back to centre.
Some people listen to music.
Some go back to the nature.
Some prefer journalling.
I stopped listening to anything on the way home this week.
It’s just me, on the road, with my thoughts.
Despite everything that happened, I was okay.
Physically safe.
We often don’t realise how our body reacts to psychological threats until we pause and get out of our head.
What brings you back to the centre?
What aligns your body and mind?
Remember: There’s no “right way” to practice mindfulness. The key is finding moments of peace that resonate with you.
These small acts of self-care can become powerful anchors during turbulent times.
What matters most is consistency, not perfection.
Ideas Worth Pondering 🧠
It only takes five minutes to break the cycle. Five minutes of exercise and you are back on the path. Five minutes of writing and the manuscript is moving forward again. Five minutes of conversation and the relationship is restored. It doesn’t take much to feel good again.
– James Clear
Video This Week 🎥
I revealed how it’s like getting my dream job in the mental health unit as a music therapist this week. Filmed this last weekend, ironically scheduled on the day I got the NDIS news.
Got the dream job, but career is still uncertain.. 🙂