The Understand Yourself course is open. Self-paced, $49 AUD. || The Understand Yourself course is open. Self-paced, $49 AUD. || The Understand Yourself course is open. Self-paced, $49 AUD.
UNDERSTAND YOURSELF
For when you keep asking "why am I like this?" and you're too tired to keep pushing through.
A self-paced course by Tessa Lloyd, mental health occupational therapist and founder of Our Mindful Youth.
$49 AUD
You're spending your weekends recovering from the week, buying another app to help, and lying awake at 11pm googling "am I lazy or is something wrong with me?"
Does this sound familiar?
✦ It's Sunday night. You've spent the whole weekend recovering, and you still feel flat about Monday.
✦ You're fine at work, then you get home and can't do a single thing.
✦ You've tried every planner and every app. Each one lasts about a week.
✦ You cancel plans you were looking forward to, then spend the evening feeling awful about it.
Why I made this course
I'm a mental health occupational therapist, and I've worked with over 200 people to support their mental health. In almost every first session, I'd hear the same question. Sometimes it came out as "I think I'm just lazy." Sometimes it was "I don't have a diagnosis, is that okay?" Underneath, it was nearly always "Is something wrong with me?"
By the time people were sitting across from me at 25, 30 or 38, most had spent years blaming themselves. They'd tried the routines, the apps and the advice to just go to bed earlier. They'd pieced things together from late-night searches and videos that described their life a bit too well, but nothing tied it together.
Over time, I noticed that whatever people needed support with, it all began in the same place: understanding how your brain works, how you're wired and what your patterns are.
Because if you don't know why you keep ending up burnt out, exhausted, overwhelmed or numb, how will you know what to change?
What helped wasn't another system. It was slowing down enough to understand how they actually work: what drains them, what helps, where overwhelm starts and what they need. Once that started to make sense, the choices got easier, and for a lot of people the self-blame began to ease.
After my OT degree, I spent a year completing a Graduate Diploma in Art Psychotherapy, because I wanted to understand how creative activities can support people's everyday lives. The activities in this course are the ones I'd recommend as a mental health OT for understanding yourself. You can write, draw, map or use colour, whatever suits you.
I wanted that starting point to exist outside a therapy room, so you can begin wherever you are, at your own pace. That's why I made Understand Yourself.
Why I made this
I'm a mental health occupational therapist, and I've worked with over 200 people to support their mental health. In almost every first session, I'd hear the same question. Sometimes it came out as "I think I'm just lazy." Sometimes it was "I don't have a diagnosis, is that okay?" Underneath, it was nearly always "Is something wrong with me?"
By the time people were sitting across from me at 25, 30 or 38, most had spent years blaming themselves. They'd tried the routines, the apps and the advice to just go to bed earlier. They'd pieced things together from late-night searches and videos that described their life a bit too well, but nothing tied it together.
Over time, I noticed that whatever people needed support with, it all began in the same place: understanding how your brain works, how you're wired and what your patterns are.
Because if you don't know why you keep ending up burnt out, exhausted, overwhelmed or numb, how will you know what to change?
What helped wasn't another system. It was slowing down enough to understand how they actually work: what drains them, what helps, where overwhelm starts and what they need. Once that started to make sense, the choices got easier, and for a lot of people the self-blame began to ease.
After my OT degree, I spent a year completing a Graduate Diploma in Art Psychotherapy, because I wanted to understand how creative activities can support people's everyday lives. The activities in this course are the ones I'd recommend as a mental health OT for understanding yourself. You can write, draw, map or use colour, whatever suits you.
I wanted that starting point to exist outside a therapy room, so you can begin wherever you are, at your own pace. That's why I made Understand Yourself.
What's inside
A self-paced course with three guided workbooks and downloadable resources, built around one idea: understanding before change. You'll move through it in three steps.
Notice. Understand. Choose.
Start here
✔️ Downloadable resources you can use today, like a gentle pause plan and a flexible self-care menu for different energy levels
The workbooks: three parts, ten chapters, 17 guided activities
Part One: Understanding who I am
I help you explore your unique identity and strengths. We look at your nervous system, sensory triggers, and the subtle body signals that I recognise as early signs of becoming overwhelmed.
Part Two: Understanding how I became me
Together, we look back at the life experiences and formative relationships that shaped your learned roles. I help you consider what your patterns were trying to protect.
Part Three: Building a life that fits
I help you translate insights into practical decisions about boundaries and support. We create a personalised plan for a lifestyle that feels sustainable for you.
Imagine a world where…
…you notice the tight chest and short fuse on a Wednesday, cancel one thing, and Friday is fine.
…you leave a party early, or take a whole Saturday to rest, and don't spend the next day feeling guilty about it.
…you walk into a GP appointment with notes on what's actually going on, instead of "I don't know, I'm just tired."
You won't come out the other side of this as a different person, you don't need to be. You'll come out feeling more like yourself.
This is for you if
✦ You're tired all the time, and a full night's sleep doesn't fix it.
✦ You're good at looking like you've got it together, and it's costing you more than anyone knows.
✦ You've wondered if you might be neurodivergent, but you're not sure you'd "count" without a diagnosis.
✦ You know what you need to do, and you still can't make yourself start.
✦ You want to understand yourself, but you're not ready for formal 1:1 occupational therapy, want a more affordable option for now, or would rather explore on your own first.
This is not for you if…
✦ You're looking for a diagnosis or assessment. This course can help you notice and describe what's going on, but it can't tell you whether you're autistic, have ADHD or anything else.
✦ You need crisis support or 1:1 care right now. There are crisis contacts in each workbook, but it isn't a crisis service or a replacement for individual support.
✦ You want a productivity system to help you get more done. This is about understanding how you work and building a life that fits, not doing more.
What you receive
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a diagnosis to do this course?
No. You don't need a diagnosis, a label or a clear idea of what's going on. You just need to be curious about how you work.
Do I have to do the workbooks in order?
They're designed to flow from one to the next, but each one works on its own. You can start with whichever part fits where you are right now.
I'm already exhausted. Is a whole course realistic?
Yes, if you let it be slow. The course is split into three workbooks so it doesn't feel like one big thing. One page might be enough for a day or a week. Each workbook starts with a pause plan, and you can write, draw or use voice notes.
How do I get it?
As soon as you've paid, you'll get an email with a link to download the three workbooks and resources. The link also shows on your confirmation page. It stays active for 30 days, so save your files once you've downloaded them.