July 02, 2017

Exciting times ahead (and the future of Road to Zest)

July 02, 2017/ Johanna Galea

As I published my recent blog post, Dermot and I knew some (or most) of you would understand what I was referring to when I said that the path to reaching one of our long-term goals will be slightly different from the way we initially thought it would be but that we’re so excited that we are eventually going to get there. I’d love to eventually be able to show anyone on similar journeys that they’re not alone. But as exciting as our next steps are, with everything that’s going on, I’ve decided that rather than continuing to publish a blog post every Sunday, I will post as and when the time feels right. Here’s why.

June 18, 2017

How to be a little bit kinder to yourself

June 18, 2017/ Johanna Galea

As I was recovering after being chronically ill, I realised that in general I really wasn’t kind enough to myself. I tend to be my own worst critic and I’m usually quite hard on myself. I think so many of us are compassionate towards others but not as much to ourselves. Which is wrong. Why shouldn’t we be a little bit gentler with ourselves too? Especially when we’ve got a lot going on. So here’s some advice on how to be a little bit kinder to yourself.

Photo by Sean Mallia

June 11, 2017

Some advice for those days when things seem to be falling apart

June 11, 2017/ Johanna Galea

A year ago Dermot and I were in Italy for our first holiday in a very long time. And in that moment it really felt like everything was falling into place. But we actually received some difficult news about 6 months later which made it feel as though one long-term goal would never materialise after all. I can’t deny that for some time I felt crushed. But now things seem to be falling into place again. The path to reaching this goal might turn out to be slightly different from the way we initially thought we would get there. But the beauty is that we’re going to get there and we’re so excited about it. And here’s some advice for those days when things seem to be falling apart.

April 23, 2017

How did I suddenly become able to eat only 8 foods in 2015?

April 23, 2017/ Johanna Galea

A friend recently told me that someone asked her how it’s possible for a person to become able to eat only a handful of foods. And I can totally see where that question’s coming from. Because now that I can eat anything again, even I find it hard to believe that there was a point when I could only eat 8 foods. But having learned about the brain’s ability to adapt and change itself – both for the better or for the worse – how I suddenly became able to eat only 8 foods actually makes “perfect sense”. Here’s how it happened.

April 16, 2017

How being chronically ill taught me to really live in the moment

April 16, 2017/ Johanna Galea

I was out for a run in Bournemouth a couple of weeks ago and as the sun was rising, the scene was so beautiful that I kept stopping to take photos. I kept promising myself that each photo would be the last and that then I would get on with my run. But I just couldn’t do it. And I laughed at myself for stopping so many times. But I also laughed a bit at my old self: the person who wouldn’t have allowed herself to stop. Who would have wanted the run to be so “perfect” that she would hardly even have noticed the beauty of the sun and the sea. And so in a strange way I’m grateful for having been chronically ill. Because it really taught me how to slow down – or even stop – and be in the moment and enjoy the beauty around me. Here’s how things changed for me and how you too can start to really live in the moment.

April 09, 2017

My experience at the life-changing DNRS seminar in the UK

April 09, 2017/ Johanna Galea

I was at the DNRS seminar in the UK two weeks ago when 16 people who had collectively been suffering from debilitating and poorly understood chronic illnesses for a total of 280 years started to believe and understand that recovery is actually possible after all. It might sound too good to be true – but I remember so clearly when it happened to me too. I had accepted the reality of my chronic illness and had stopped dreaming before DNRS. So the fact that I can now travel again with ease and actually get to be at the DNRS seminar as a coach is beyond anything I could ever have dreamt of. And here’s what being at this life-changing seminar meant to me and what it could mean to anyone suffering from a mysterious, chronic illness.

March 19, 2017

9 things I'm grateful for as I celebrate my 3rd birthday since the onset of my chronic illness

March 19, 2017/ Johanna Galea

I wrote this blog post as I was celebrating my 32nd birthday, which was also my 3rd since the onset of my mysterious chronic illness. As it was also my 1st birthday since recovering fully through DNRS, I thought it was a good time to make a list of things I'm grateful for, since the whole journey made me realise how many things I took for granted before my illness started. So here’s my 32nd birthday gratitude list.

March 12, 2017

10 ways to make overcoming obstacles easier

March 12, 2017/ Johanna Galea

I can still remember driving home from the first fitting for our bridesmaids’ dresses for Corinne’s wedding after having been housebound for months. I felt so free and empowered and realised in that moment that I could actually recover if I kept at it, although I knew that I still had a LONG way to go. Still, trusting the process and believing I could do it wasn’t easy. But there were 10 things which I believe really made things easier for me and which can help anyone overcome most obstacles that life might present.

March 05, 2017

Chronic illness to 13 mile race in 13 months

March 05, 2017/ Johanna Galea

When I think back to what my life was like just over a year ago when I was chronically ill, I still find it hard to believe that by the time you read this, if all goes well, I’ll have completed a 13 mile race. Before I started DNRS just over a year ago, I would go to sleep wondering whether I would be well enough to get out of bed the next morning. So as I write this today I still can’t quite believe that I’ve prepared all my stuff to get up for a half marathon tomorrow! Here’s all about what this means to me and what it could mean to others suffering from mysterious, chronic illnesses – even if they have no intention of ever running a half marathon down the line (I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea :) ).

Photo by Alan Falzon

February 12, 2017

Here’s why I can’t wait for the BRND WGN & University Ring Road Races (and 10 reasons you should be there too)

February 12, 2017/ Johanna Galea

Don’t let this photo mislead you. I won’t be taking part in the BRND WGN & University Ring Road Races this year. This photo actually shows the only time I ever actually ran in one of the races on the day. It was tough having to switch back to organiser mode as soon as I finished my leg of the relay and tagged my colleague Louis, who was up next. So this year, much as I’d love to run it again, I’ll “just” be sticking to the role of organiser. But being able to plan the races last year and then even getting to be there was a big defining point in my recovery. So here’s why I can’t wait for the BRND WGN & University Ring Road Races (and 10 reasons you should be there too).

Photo by Jeffrey Cassar

February 05, 2017

How to overcome perfectionism in 9 simple steps

February 05, 2017/ Johanna Galea

Before I started this blog, I remember thinking I didn't have the right photos for my website. As a perfectionist, I must admit that sometimes I want things to be so “perfect” that I just don’t get them done. But I finally made the decision that I’d start the blog with the photos I had and eventually try getting some proper photos taken. While my best friend Becky – an amazing photographer – travels the world, last weekend Sean Mallia, another really amazing photographer, took my photos for the blog. This photo shoot reminded me of that moment when I wanted to wait to have the right photos before starting the blog. I’m so glad I didn’t put off getting started for so long. And here are 9 simple steps which can help you overcome perfectionism too.

Photo by Sean Mallia

January 22, 2017

My parents' views on my journey and recovery

January 22, 2017/ Johanna Galea

For this blog post I wanted a photo taken before my illness started. When it never even crossed any of our minds that difficult times might lie in store. And I don’t mean difficult times just for me. I always say that I believe it was actually worse for those around me. 5 months ago, I wrote about my journey through Dermot’s eyes. And because some of you had asked and because my parents walked with me through the storm in every way possible, here’s my journey and recovery from a chronic illness through my parents’ eyes.

January 15, 2017

A year ago I hoped to improve by 10%: here’s what happened instead

January 15, 2017/ Johanna Galea

To say I had hit rock bottom by the start of 2016 was putting it mildly. But exactly a year ago, I sat down to watch the DNRS DVDs for the first time. I still had huge doubts about the whole thing but I remember saying that if it at least helped me improve by 10%, it was worth giving it a try. Little did I know how my life was going to change! Rather than improving by just 10%, here’s what happened in the year since I started neural retraining.

January 08, 2017

The top 10 uncanny things that happened when I had multiple chemical sensitivity

January 08, 2017/ Johanna Galea

Today I feel so grateful that things which made me so ill when I had multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) are now so normal again. Apart from so many other things, I can now hug my loved ones again without worrying about reacting to any of their perfumes or toiletries. When I had MCS, I was lucky that although such strange things were happening, everyone around me was extremely supportive. But since unfortunately that isn’t the case for so many sufferers, hopefully this might make you smile and might also help to raise awareness about such a poorly understood condition. So here are the top 10 uncanny things that happened when I had MCS.

Photo by Rebekah Kamsky Photography

January 02, 2017

9 steps for turning New Year’s Resolutions into achievable goals

January 02, 2017/ Johanna Galea

I started 2016 housebound, which is why this photo of me and Dermot in Italy last June means so much to me. In fact, being able to travel again was one of my recovery goals when I started DNRS in 2016. I believe setting tangible goals is really important not only when it comes to recovery from chronic illnesses through DNRS but also for life in general. And when it comes to setting New Year’s Resolutions, I really believe that turning them into actionable and achievable goals rather than leaving them up in the air as something you hope to one day achieve is the way to go. So here are 9 steps which can help you to keep your resolutions and achieve your goals in 2017.

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