#coping

#coping

I'm chatting to the man who fixes our lawnmowers in Tallanstown, Co Louth. Monaghan is only a few fields away and everyone comes to Denis Smyth - from there, from Ardee, from Louth village and Knockbridge and other such unshowy places - for a chat and a service. I realise a few minutes in that we're both cursing a lot.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed right now? We are all feeling it lately, personally and collectively as a society. You may be absorbing not only your own stress, but stress from those around you, as well as national stress. The world - and maybe your life - feels like it's turned upside down and may not seem like it makes sense anymore.

"Childhood experiences, particularly trauma, can shape our sense of self, our idea of home, and how we navigate adulthood, even when outward success has been achieved."