anxiety, depression, digital health, family, gratitude, meditation, mental health, parenting, positive thinking, relationship issues, relationships, thoughts, trauma, young adults, young women anxiety, depression, digital health, family, gratitude, meditation, mental health, parenting, positive thinking, relationship issues, relationships, thoughts, trauma, young adults, young women

It’s Okay to Feel what You’re Feeling

How I first imagined using this time social distancing has had to change and evolve as news and my own reactions have changed (translation: I have NOT cleaned my baseboards). The effects of this pandemic are hitting everyone, and it affects people differently depending on different stages of life, personality types, family structures, socioeconomic status, occupation, living alone or with others, what was already going on in your life, etc.

It’s okay to feel what you’re feeling.

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anxiety, communication, goals, gratitude, mental health, millennials, mindfulness, positive thinking, therapy, thoughts, women, young adults anxiety, communication, goals, gratitude, mental health, millennials, mindfulness, positive thinking, therapy, thoughts, women, young adults

Befriending Our Ugly Parts - Part II

Last week we talked about how to identify & befriend those unsightly reactions in us that we’d rather not have. Today we’ll dive a bit deeper, using imagery to foster deeper compassion & understanding. Get yourself comfortably seated, then slowly work through the questions below. You can mindfully walk through this imaginatively or journal through your responses.

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anxiety, communication, depression, family, forgiveness, goals, gratitude, meditation, mental health, millennials, mindfulness, parenting, positive thinking, shame, therapy, thoughts, trauma, women, young adults anxiety, communication, depression, family, forgiveness, goals, gratitude, meditation, mental health, millennials, mindfulness, parenting, positive thinking, shame, therapy, thoughts, trauma, women, young adults

Befriending Our Ugly Parts

The best way to manage those unsightly parts of ourselves is actually to befriend them. Yes, even that one you hate. Hating ourselves for a certain reaction rarely creates change. 

“Parts” language comes from a therapy modality called Internal Family Systems. We can really get into the weeds on this, but the basic theory is that we all have many parts of ourselves that are performing different tasks for our overall good. The parts always intend well for us, even if their actions seem to backfire. Often these parts of ourselves are working to protect us in some way and fear that if they don’t do what they are doing (pleasing others, being critical, being a perfectionist, acting suspicious, etc.) that something bad would happen. 

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boundaries, communication, faith, family, goals, holidays, marriage, meditation, mental health, mindfulness, positive thinking, therapy, thoughts, young adults boundaries, communication, faith, family, goals, holidays, marriage, meditation, mental health, mindfulness, positive thinking, therapy, thoughts, young adults

Setting Intentions for The New Year

A few year back, I wrote a blog post about claiming a word for your year. Unlike previous resolutions, this is a practice that I’ve maintained! But beyond my success rate, this tradition has surprised me in its impact. It’s even a practice that others have adopted & adapted for themselves. Beyond surface goals around weight or health, claiming a word or phrase for your year is a discipline of setting and honoring intentions. I’ve noticed this practice has anchored me and kept me mindful in a way other goals or resolutions have fallen short.

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communication, depression, meditation, mental health, millennials, mindfulness, positive thinking, recovery, shame, therapy, thoughts, women, young adults communication, depression, meditation, mental health, millennials, mindfulness, positive thinking, recovery, shame, therapy, thoughts, women, young adults

Playing Opposite Day with Depression

Remember when you were a little kid and you’d have opposite day? Whatever someone said to do, you’d do the opposite. This fun (sometimes annoying) little game may offer some insight into how to battle depression.

Stick with me here…

Depression is tough. During a depressive episode you feel down, hopeless, critical, unmotivated, tired. You desperately want connection and understanding with others, but you also want to stay in your bed watching Netflix and not see anyone at all. When you’re in a grounded place, you can battle the negative thoughts, but when you’re feeling depressed they sound so compellingly true.

Enter - Opposite Day.

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