http://www.abrasivekindness.com/

Abrasive Kindness, Galway (2025)

05/03/2025

𝟭𝟮 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝟱 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 ⏱

They're all small things that I do or have done in the past and you know what, sometimes, we overcomplicate things when all we really need is 5 minutes.

Just a short 5 minutes to reset, recharge, and get back on track. You don’t always need a full day of self-care, a small, powerful habit can keep you moving.

If you're feeling drained, stuck, or like you don't have your s**t together, that's a sign to do something with yourself. Get up and move, literally. Shake your dough, movement is health. Even a simple 5-minute tidy-up can clear your head and make space for better things.

Plan your day for 5 minutes, prioritize one thing, and do it. Unsure or feeling a bit faded, look in the mirror, like what you see, seriously. It's an order not a question.

The perfect time is always right now. Start with something small. These little 5-minute wins will build the momentum you need for the bigger stuff.

Don’t wait. Do it now. 5 minutes is all it takes.

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘄, 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝘆!

03/03/2025

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿

This is me, in my office, graciously pugnacious and always finding ways to laugh through the chaos.

Nearly two decades in social work across three countries, worked with teens, adults in crisis, families, homelessness. I helped open an injection site in Vancouver, co-founded a tenant union, was giving talks and trainings. I loved the work, the challenges, the impact, but the environment? That was a different story.

I was dealing with addiction, personality disorders, anger issues, narcissism, low self-esteem, violence and outta wack egos. Some were 14 years old emotionally, others were stuck trauma…

You’d think the toughest part of the job was to deal with all that, and you’d be mostly right.

But those were my 𝗰𝗼𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀! Not just the clients, the clients were why I stayed so long. I always thought, ‘They’re entitled to be fu**ed up, that’s why we’re here.’ But the staff? Come on. Now don’t get me wrong, there were also some freakin’ gems in the job.

Then add government bulls**t (data over people), overpaid CEOs, underpaid staff, a system set to fail.

I walked away.

I switched to a mix of elder home care and landscaping. But I missed the chaos, the people, the breakthroughs, the hands-on work of real change.

At that time, I had a friend who was struggling, someone I knew I could push if I were there. But there was the Atlantic pond between us.

How do I turn tough love into something practical?

The planner came to mind.

Months later, I saw a friend’s post about her new graphic design biz. We’d known each other for over 15 years, I knew she got my style. I asked if she could bring the idea to life and she was SO in. -->

From there, it was months of designing, testing, tweaking. I used the first version myself for six months, adjusted, then sent it to print. Now? It’s out in the world!

That’s how 𝗔𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 was born.

𝗔𝗞 is a kick in the ass disguised as a planner.

26/02/2025

Grit isn’t something you’re born with, it’s something you build. Your brain will beg for comfort, but success comes from resisting that urge.

Called Part X by Stutz, or call it inner resistance, or just laziness, it's the thing that whispers, “You shouldn't do this.”

The fix? Non-negotiable commitments to yourself! Small steps. Daily. And again, and again...

Swipe through and learn a simple way to shut down the quitters’ voice and build the kind of grit that keeps you moving forward, no matter what.

17/02/2025

You know how sometimes you hear something, and it just fu***ng clicks in your head? It often happens at the most random times, from the most random places or from the most random people. You might have heard it before, but now you're ready to listen. You can be in the middle of doing something, and then BAM, it hits.

For me, it happened when I was watching an episode of Black Mirror, yeeeaaars ago. I can't remember which one, but I do remember this guy telling another character, "Look around. Nobody is coming to save us." (Major paraphrasing here). Then, every time I got up after a s**tty minute of my life passed in front of me in like a second. That moment made me realize something I hadn’t fully grasped before: I had been the only person who had ever really been there for me, my whole life.

I don’t mean that no one has ever been good to me, but I’ve come from a background of insults, violence of different kinds, and humiliation, from the people who were supposed to protect me. People would see it happening, and they would do nothing. They’d know about it, and still do nothing. So I had to protect myself.

I grew up in the middle of bu****ck nowhere in the 90s, at a time where kids were seen but not heard. I was the issue , all the time.

I wasn’t going to wait around for anyone else to show up and hold my hand. Without even making the clear decision I had to grow up fast and honestly, that’s something I’ve carried with me ever since. I had to show up for myself, time and time again.

And when I heard that line in Black Mirror, I got it. I didn’t need to keep waiting for some miracle or for someone else to swoop in. The truth was, it had always been on me to take control. Nobody was coming, and although support is important, maybe that’s exactly how it should be.

It's on you. What's the first step you're gonna take?

Stay raw, stay tough.

13/02/2025

Eamon knows what's what! Excited to see the progress that'll come out of him!

Yours is waiting for you.

You go EK, build that grit, get s**t done!

Stay raw, be tough.

12/02/2025

30-day challenge - Following the Glucose Goddess hacks
Week 2 - Apple cider vinegar

You lucky bastards! New recipe for y'all and apart from the fact I had the wrong pepper it's good.

I'm already feeling a difference in my bod!

Wanna see results and atop doing yourself such food violence? Follow the hacks!

12/02/2025

Eamon knows what's what! Excited to see the progress that'll come out of him!

You go EK, build that grit, get s**t done!

Stay raw, be tough.

10/02/2025

I didn’t grow resilience sitting in comfort. I built it out there, on the clear-cut wastelands, planting trees in the middle of nowhere.

The first time, I had no clue what I was going to do. I said “alright why not” to a job, 8 months later I was in an apartment in Prince-George where I packed a sandwich, 500ml of water, and wore Aldo boots "ready" for a cut block. After an hour and a half of logging roads, we got dropped off in the heat, surrounded by stumps and relentless mosquitoes.

The weight of the trees on my hips and poor skinny legs felt like a punishment. Even more after the fourth kick on the shovel, the one that dug a hole in the sole of my s**tty boots. My mind wouldn’t shut up, and there was no one to talk to.

I worked for days in days on days, little time off, and then again. For 2 months non-stop. I wanted to quit every day. The constant tough work and my non-stop mind ruminating... For some reason I liked the violence I was doing to myself. And I could break things without consequences. Many times a day, I'd pick up my bags and keep planting anyway. Because the only way out was through. I was NEVER gonna quit.

The next year, I went back. It took me 10 trees in to ask myself "Why the f**k did I go back!?" But weirdly, I loved it. I realized how better I felt about who I was and what happened to me in the past. I kept thinking how much I've hated myself before, and now, not as much.

I kept thinking, I am the only person I have to live with forever. Better make sure I like who that is.

Resilience isn’t built in comfort. It’s built when you decide quitting isn’t an option. When you get up, even when nobody’s watching.

08/02/2025

This one isn’t.

But that doesn’t mean you get to sugarcoat your bulls**t. The exercises on values and Who the F**k Are You? are there for brutal honesty, no pretending.

The rest of the planner? Same deal.
Skipped your challenge? Say it.
Wasted time scrolling? Own it.
Lied to yourself? Fix it.

Your planner won’t judge you, but I will. HAHAHA! Kidding!

Remember self-accountability is step one to getting tougher. So stop making excuses and start writing it down.

06/02/2025

𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝘁, 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲

Big shoutout to Xavi Vazquez, Francis Kelly, and Conor O’Keeffe for hitting two years with their soccer academy at 𝗫𝗩𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗮, 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆. These guys aren’t just running an academy, they’re building something special. With 18 coaches leading the way, they’re shaping young players with skill, discipline, and a baller mindset!

I got to check out their open-door event a few weeks ago and left even more convinced of the work they’re doing. No fluff, no shortcuts, just real dedication to the game and the people they train. They’ve got my full support because what they’re building is exactly the kind of tough, committed, and driven environment that makes a difference.

Dropped off a planner for them too, because if anyone understands setting goals and putting in the work, it’s these guys!

Give them a little check out .ie

Here’s to many more years of smashing it!!!

**t

20/01/2025

𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝗲: 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗜𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗜𝘁

Did you know, Blue Monday was created by a travel company in 2005. They claimed a formula could pinpoint the most depressing day of the year based on weather, debt, and motivation. It’s pure marketing bulls**t, not real psychology.

Waiting for THE day to feel better won’t change your life.

A bad day is just a bad day, it's not "trauma", it's not "triggering" it's also not your fu***ng life.

Action beats apathy, every time. Even more when it's difficult to het over it.

So if today feels rough, a calendar date is no excuse. Grab a pen, write one small goal, and schedule when to destroy it. Your well deserved future self is right there!

07/01/2025

I first got into the habit of eating without a screen because of a study I joined in Vancouver in 2018. It all started with a raisin.

Yep, one gross, wrinkly, disgusting raisin. Dr Brotto had us hold it, stare at it, and examine the colour and texture. Then, we were supposed to eat it… slowly. Like, one raisin over ten minutes. I don’t like raisins and thought it was a bit silly at first, it was also weird and honestly, again yuk, a raisin.

After that week of raisin meditation, I decided to take the same approach with my regular meals. I wanted to break from infinitely scrolling on Netflix to find something to watch and finally go back to my one true love Arrested Development, and then eat my now cold food.

The rest of the story, tips to keep it up and the science behind it on my website in the 30-day challenges section. 𝗔𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦.𝗖𝗢𝗠

New year, same you, but boosté!

Will you dare try it this year? Comment 💣 if you are!

Abrasive Kindness

05/03/2025

03/03/2025

26/02/2025

17/02/2025

13/02/2025

12/02/2025

12/02/2025

10/02/2025

08/02/2025

06/02/2025

20/01/2025

07/01/2025

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