Hi. I’m Cindy Ettienne-Murphy.
Teacher by background. Psychology student by choice. Dyslexic by wiring. Currently working towards a PhD while figuring out how to live well with a busy brain. Alongside my work in education and my training in psychology, I currently volunteer with a mental health charity, supporting parents and young adults around anxiety, productivity, and wellbeing.

This work reflects my interest in how nervous systems respond to pressure, how overload is often mislabelled as lack of motivation, and how small shifts in understanding can make everyday life feel more manageable.

My approach is grounded, reflective, and human, focused less on fixing and more on helping people make sense of their internal experience with compassion and clarity.

A bit of context

This site exists because I got tired of pretending learning, wellbeing, and life are neat, linear processes. They’re not. They’re messy, emotionally loaded, and deeply human, especially if your brain doesn’t follow the standard instruction manual.

I spent years in education, including senior leadership, surrounded by people who were capable, caring, and quietly exhausted. I watched how systems affect nervous systems. How burnout sneaks up on good people. How “coping” often just means holding your breath and hoping for the best.

Alongside that, I’ve always been dyslexic. Which means I’ve had to learn how to learn in my own way. Slowly. Visually. With a lot of self-talk and coffee. It also means I notice patterns, emotions, and unspoken dynamics that don’t always show up in textbooks.

So I went back to study psychology. Not to fix people. Not to become a motivational slogan. But to understand what’s actually going on beneath the surface, neurologically, emotionally, socially, and why so many intelligent adults feel like they’re constantly behind.

I’m now working towards doctoral research, with a particular interest in wellbeing, emotional regulation, and how modern life (especially online life) interacts with our nervous systems.

What Dyslexic Diaries is…and isn’t

Dyslexic Diaries is part personal diary, part learning log, part quiet rebellion against the idea that you have to be polished to be credible.

Here you’ll find:

• Reflections on studying psychology and preparing for a PhD

• Honest notes on teaching, leadership, burnout, and recovery

• Psychology and neuroscience explained in plain English

• Nervous system tools that are realistic, not performative

• Reduced-sugar and dairy-free food hacks that support energy and focus

• Thoughts on rest, boundaries, and why “doing less” is sometimes the most intelligent move

What you won’t find:

• Hustle culture

• Toxic positivity

• Miracle cures

• Perfect routines

• Advice delivered from a place of superiority

This isn’t medical advice. It’s education, reflection, and lived experience, shared thoughtfully and with receipts where it matters.

Why I write like this…

Because learning doesn’t happen when people feel stupid, overwhelmed, or judged.
And wellbeing doesn’t come from being told to “just manage stress better”.

I write the way I needed things explained when I was overwhelmed, tired, and still expected to function at a high level. Calm. Clear. Honest. Occasionally funny. Always human.

If you’re wondering whether this is for you

This space might resonate if you:

• Have a dyslexic or neurodivergent brain

• Work in education or caring professions

• Are studying later in life

• Are interested in psychology without wanting a lecture

• Care about mental health but are allergic to fluff

• Want to understand yourself better, not “fix” yourself

If that sounds like you, you’re very welcome here.

Make a coffee. Read what helps. Leave the rest.
That’s kind of the point.

Cindy