Marlize Labuschagne-Educational Psychologist

09/03/2026

"𝑻𝒐𝒐 𝑭𝑼𝑳𝑳" 𝒂𝒏𝒅 "𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝑬𝑴𝑷𝑻𝒀" (𝑺𝒂𝒎𝒆-𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕)

Full versus empty. Logically, they sound like complete opposites, right? Yet when it comes to overwhelm and burnout, it is surprisingly easy to confuse the two. On the surface, they can look very similar: exhaustion, irritability, withdrawal, and snapping over small things.

But they are not the same, and they are not asking for the same response.

In this week’s blog, I explore what overwhelm is really telling you, especially when your system is carrying more than it can comfortably hold.

👉 https://mlabuschagnepsych.wixsite.com/marlize-labuschagne/post/when-your-system-is-full-what-overwhelm-is-really-telling-you

Let’s chat 🤭: I’m curious. When you are really stretched, does it feel more like you are too full… or completely empty?

Overwhelm... Is it stress? Am I just tired? Or is it, in fact, the sense that there is way too much going on, all at once? There is too much noise. We have to make too many decisions (not only for ourselves but often also for all of our family members!) There are too many expectations to try to meet...

06/03/2026

Were emotions welcome in your home growing up?

For many of us, certain feelings were minimised, corrected, or quietly discouraged. Maybe anger felt unsafe. Maybe sadness was brushed aside. Maybe anxiety was labelled as overreacting. Over time, we learn which emotions are acceptable and which ones are better translated into “I’m fine.”

That doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. It means you adapted to your environment.

𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭: What emotion felt unwelcome in your home? How does it show up for you now?

You don’t have to analyse or fix anything. Simply noticing is a powerful place to begin.

If this resonates, I’ve explored emotional literacy more deeply in this week’s blog: https://mlabuschagnepsych.wixsite.com/marlize-labuschagne/post/where-exactly-is-i-m-fine-on-the-wheel-of-emotions

05/03/2026

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation calendar's Day 4 task was to "Try a new food from another country. Bonus if you share it."

This wasn't new food, but it was the first time I tried making Scottish shortbread 😁 It's delicious!

Tomorrow's task: "Ask a classmate or co-worker about a family tradition they love."

I hope you will come and share your new knowledge with me!

04/03/2026

Today, I looked at task 3 task of the The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation March calendar. It was the following: "Compliment someone on a unique trait or talent that is different from yours".

I worked from home and had very little human interaction, so I could not directly compliment anyone. However, I thought I would share this amazing talent and skill with you.

This is Chef Amaury Guichon making magic! He currently has a show on Netflix, called School of Chocolate. Go check it out. It is unbelievable!

https://youtube.com/shorts/LhJx6soOkps?si=1KNPGQsl29EHDmNf

Tomorrow's task: "Try a new food from another country. Bonus if you share it."

Any suggestions for a new dish to try out?

A Chocolate Violin by Chef Amaury Guichon 🎻🍫What a true chocolate masterpiece. The precision. The artistry. The insane level of detail. Chef Amaury continu...

04/03/2026

Not all uncomfortable feelings are the same, even when they look similar on the surface.

Overwhelm can feel like too much input.
Anxiety can feel like something bad is about to happen. Shutdown can look calm, but feel like a disconnection.

When we label everything as “stress” or say that we feel “fine,” we lose the detail that helps us find the best response.

The more accurately we name our emotions, the clearer it becomes what we need to do next.

I’ve written more about emotional literacy and why the right word makes such a difference in this week’s blog: https://mlabuschagnepsych.wixsite.com/marlize-labuschagne/post/where-exactly-is-i-m-fine-on-the-wheel-of-emotions

03/03/2026

Who did the tasks today? Here is what I discovered:

𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝟏: 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 "𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨" 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬.
I will have to practice my pronunciation but here are my three languages.
1. Ukranian, spoken in Ukraine 🇺🇦: Greetings everyone ➡️ Вітаю усіх ➡️ Vitayu usikh
2. Hindi, spoken in India 🇮🇳: Greetings everyone ➡️ सब को नमस्ते ➡️ Sabko Namaste
3. Farsi, spoken in Iran 🇮🇷: Greetings everyone ➡️ سلام بر همگ ➡️ Sa-laam bar ham-e-gee

𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝟐: 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧.
I found a really cool website with stories from all over the world. The one I read today, is called 𝘚𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘴, and it is a story from Columbia.

https://www.worldstoriesbank.org/story/sofia-the-shepherdess/?source_page=/new-stories

Let me know if you did one of these tasks today 😃

Tomorrow's task is to compliment someone on a unique trait or talent that’s different from yours. You don't have to tell us who you complimented, but come and share what you noticed.

Join Sofia's adventure as she searches for her lost sheep in this short folktale for kids from Colombia. An adventure tale about bravery and hard work.

03/03/2026

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation shared the kindness calendar for the month of March. I LOVE these ideas! Our world needs more empathy right about now.

Because it's already the 3rd of March, I will try and do March 1st and March 2nd's activities today and give you all feedback tonight.

Who wants to join me?
Task 1: Learn how to say "hello" in three new languages.
Task 2: Read a children's book or short story from a culture different from your own.

I'm really looking forward to this one.

02/03/2026

“𝑰’𝒎 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆” 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.

“I’m fine” is often a shortcut. A comfortable, familiar way of saying “I am overwhelmed, or anxious, or disappointed, or overstimulated… or simply too tired to unpack it all.

When all of our emotions get reduced to “fine” (or “stressed” or “tired”), we lose the detail that actually helps us regulate. The nervous system can’t settle around vagueness. Sometimes “fine” is protective. It keeps things moving, and it avoids a longer conversation.

I get it! I’ve used it too. What if, just for a moment, we got curious about what might be hiding underneath the “fine”?

You can read why naming our emotions matters, and how it helps the nervous system settle, in this week’s blog post. You can read it here:
👉 https://mlabuschagnepsych.wixsite.com/marlize-labuschagne/post/where-exactly-is-i-m-fine-on-the-wheel-of-emotions

𝑳𝒆𝒕'𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒕 🤭: “What emotion do you default to when you don’t know what you’re feeling?

“I’m fine.”This phrase feels like the emotional equivalent of putting a jersey over a flashing warning light.Technically, something is happening. We are just not looking at it.I hear “fine” regularly in my practice. I hear it from teenagers and from adults. I hear it from high-achieving pr...

26/02/2026

Inclusive travel in action ✈️💙

“Wings for All”, is an initiative by Gateway Pensacola International Airport together with Delta Airlines. This programme offers a mock flight experience for children with autism and other intellectual and developmental differences, creating an opportunity to practise the airport journey without the pressure of real travel.

Airports can be sensory-intense and unpredictable. By allowing them the opportunity to prepare in a safe environment, their confidence can grow.

This is what it looks like when we adapt environments to people, not the other way around.

https://flypensacola.com/were-proud-to-host-a-wings-for-all-event-on-february-24-2026-a-mock-flight-experience-designed-to-help-children-with-autism-and-other-intellectual-and-developmental-disabilities-and

For the first time ever, Pensacola International Airport is hosting a Global Entry Enrollment Event in partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection — making it easier than ever for our community to access this trusted travel program right here at home.

13/02/2026

Yesterday, I completed a 5-session Leadership Development programme with the 2026 leaders at Laerskool Paratus Primary. It is a pleasure to be involved with the school, and I'm grateful for a relationship that started as a component of my internship. Here is a leadership poem one of the groups wrote. They are a special group of young people❤️ More pictures will follow soon.

05/02/2026

FREE online talk for teachers and parents:

Social media use with teens and children is controversial! With some countries banning it for under-16s, and others clamping down with legislation, what do parents and teachers need to know? Join Dr Vicky in this free short talk looking at social media from all angles.
Date: Wednesday 11 February 2026
Time: 7 pm
Register for the link and access to resources here:

In this 45-minute talk, we look at social media from different angles. We start with a walk through the evolution of social media and learn why teens and

04/02/2026

Someone I haven't spoken to in about 5 years, sent me a message about this email this morning.

If you ever get a message along these lines from me, please double-check first, using familiar (and reliable) channels.

🙄🙄