Irismar Lawrence

10/26/2026

Not knowing what’s next can be uncomfortable. Our minds naturally want to fill in the gaps.

What if this happens?

What if I make the wrong choice?
What if things don’t work out the way I hoped?

But uncertainty doesn’t always need to be solved immediately.

Sometimes we need to come back to what we actually know, recognize what’s within our influence & give ourselves permission to take one step at a time.

You don’t need the entire path mapped out today. And you don’t need to pretend uncertainty doesn’t affect you.

Come back to what grounds you. Then ask: What do I need right now, and what’s the next step I can take from here?

10/22/2026

Sometimes it’s not just about what happened.

It’s about what we’ve been carrying, what we needed in that moment, or something we haven’t quite recognized yet.

Instead of immediately questioning your reaction, give yourself permission to explore it with curiosity.

You might discover something worth paying attention to.

What tends to happen when you give yourself a moment to pause before judging your reaction?

10/20/2026

10/19/2026

Have you ever had a reaction that surprised even you?

Something happens and you find yourself thinking:

Why did that bother me so much?

I’ve had those moments too.

And I’ve learned that judging the reaction usually doesn’t help me understand it.

Curiosity does.

What is this touching in me?

Is there a boundary, need, fear or expectation underneath it?

Am I responding only to what’s happening now—or is something familiar being stirred up too?

You don’t need to analyze every emotion.

But when the same reaction keeps returning, it may be worth listening.

Sometimes understanding what activates us can help us understand ourselves a little better.

10/18/2026

Sometimes, the people who appear to have everything under control are the ones quietly struggling.

This was one of the important conversations we explored during the Whitby Chamber of Commerce Mental Health & Wellness Summit this past Thursday.

I was grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a discussion about burnout, mental health, asking for help, and how we can create more supportive environments in our workplaces, families, and communities.

One message I hope stays with us:

Just because we’re capable of carrying something doesn’t mean it’s sustainable to carry it indefinitely.

I’ve learned this through my own experiences, and I know how easy it can be to overlook the signs when we’re busy taking care of everything and everyone else.

Sometimes, the first step is simply recognizing that something needs our attention.

And perhaps asking ourselves a different question:

What is it costing me to keep going this way?

Thank you to everyone who contributed 🙏🏼 Shirley Wedderburn CMHADurham, Laura Boyko BeWell Therapy & Wellness | Whitby | Ontario Liz Jakoi Dr. Talia LaForest, DC | Family Wellness Chiropractor Candice Marie Holt Candice Marie Holt and Liz Gosse Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN) to these important conversations. I hope we continue having them, well beyond the summit.

Because taking care of our mental wellbeing isn’t something we should only think about when we’re struggling.

It’s something we all deserve to prioritize.

10/06/2026

Have you ever had a feeling take over before you’ve had time to think about what’s actually happening? I know I have.

A comment irritates you.

An email worries you.

Something changes unexpectedly, and suddenly you’re imagining what might happen next.

Emotions can move quickly.

But feeling something and responding to it are two different things.

What if, instead of immediately reacting to an emotion—or trying to make it disappear—you became curious about it?

That’s what I’m exploring in this week’s blog:

Your Emotions Are Information, Not Instructions

Your emotions deserve your attention. But they don’t always require your immediate action.

Read the full blog at irismar.ca. Link in bio. ↖️

10/05/2026

Sometimes the emotion arrives before we’ve had time to think.

Frustration. Fear. Anger. Sadness. Anxiety.

Our instinct may be to push the feeling away or to react immediately because of it.

But there’s another option.

Get curious.
What am I feeling?
What might this be telling me?
And what do I want to do with that information?

Your emotions deserve to be heard. They don’t necessarily need to make the decision.

Notice. Name. Listen. Choose.

10/03/2026

Kicking off another WMRCC Of Durham Mentoring Cohort!

It’s such an incredible & rewarding experience to support and guide other women as they work towards their visions and goals, stretch beyond their comfort zones & reconnect with the confidence that sometimes takes a back seat along the way.

There’s something special about witnessing someone begin to see what’s possible for themselves and take the steps to move towards it.

I’m looking forward to another great year of mentoring, growth & connection.

09/29/2026

How often have you told yourself:

I just need better balance.

I know I have.

But what if the goal isn’t to keep every part of life perfectly balanced?

Real life changes, and different seasons ask different things of us.

Maybe the more useful question is whether the way we’re living right now is still supporting us.

In this week’s blog, I’m exploring a different way to think about balance, how to recognize when something needs to shift, and what it can look like to find a rhythm that works with your life.

Find Your Rhythm, Not Perfect Balance

Read the full blog at irismar.ca. Link in bio. ↖️

09/28/2026

Maybe you’re not failing at balance.

Maybe life was never meant to remain perfectly balanced.

Different seasons ask different things of us. Sometimes work needs more attention. Sometimes our health does. Sometimes family, rest or simply getting through a difficult period takes priority.

The goal isn’t to divide yourself equally between everything.

It’s to notice when something no longer feels sustainable—and know how to adjust.

Find the anchors that help you return to yourself.

And if figuring out what needs to shift feels difficult on your own, that’s exactly the kind of conversation we can have.

Let’s talk. Book your Clarity Conversation at irismar.ca. Link in bio ↖️