Noticing & Releasing Tension
Just a little bit of mindfulness. Doing a quick body scan can be so helpful in connecting with our bodies in a nurturing way, noticing any tension we are carrying, and releasing it if we can. I typically find tension in my shoulders, jaw, forehead.
Your Feelings Are Valid! Don’t Qualify Your Emotions
I catch myself qualifying my feelings all the time. “I’m a little bit upset” or “I just wanted to say.” Thankfully I’m at a place where I catch it (most of the time!) when it’s happening and correct my language on the spot.
Compassionately Accepting our Experiences
In any situation, we have the experience of the situation- and then our minds kick in with their INTERPRETATIONS of what just happened. And then they kick in with a judgement of our interpretation. And so on. Our minds produce billions of thoughts all the time, we are constantly thinking- we are just not aware of most of our thoughts.
Take A Small Step Towards Change NOW
You don’t have to wait for January to make the changes you want...you can start right now.
Affirming Ourselves (With a Text Message!)
I wanted to send this text to my husband, and noticed right before I sent it that I was about to send it to myself by mistake, instead of him. I was about to change the “recipient” to him...when I had the thought- why don’t I send this to myself? When was the last time I sent myself a message (text or otherwise) that I’m checking in, saying hi, and by the way- I love you?
What is Secondary Bullying?
Bullying is a complex dynamic. There is the person engaging in the primary bullying- and sometimes there are others, though not the instigators, that go along with the actions of the bully either actively or passively. Ignoring, unfriending, or listening to toxic gossip and accusations are implicitly giving the bully the green light to keep on victimizing the victim.
Choose to Focus on What is in Your Control
If we affirm something each day...those daily affirmations will turn into our life’s philosophy. The small steps pave the road for the big journey.
Self Care When We Need It Most
These is such an irony when it comes to self-care and our relationship to it. It’s often one of the first things to go when we’re anxious, depressed, or having an otherwise hard day YET that’s when we need it the most.
Adult Bullying Part 3
I posted in stores a couple of days ago asking what people would like to be addressed with adult bullying. The number one response was “how to deal with bullying at...” Job, social media, families.
So I created a little highlight sheet of things to think about in these different situations. They are not all inclusive by any means - I’d love to hear what you would add.
Adult Bullying Part 2
Many of us give other people a lot of power- too much power- over our mood and choices. It’s something I see all the time in my work, as well as in my personal life. How so many of us allow someone else’s grumpy mood, poor choices, baseless assumptions, amongst other things, take hold and impact how we feel- sometimes even shaking our confidence at a core level.
Adult Bullying Part 1
I know the word “bullying” is a big and often ambiguous word. It can be used in many different ways. There is no one set definition for this word nor any sort of diagnosis around it. It’s a dynamic, a pattern of behavior- and I think it’s pretty gray.
Social Media & Mental Health
Just thought I’d drop a little social media mental health reminder this morning.
I think if we’re honest with ourselves, most of us (myself included!) get a bit too wrapped up in the likes/shares/comments aspect of social media. Whether you’re sharing professional content, personal content, or both- the dynamic is pretty similar.
Burnout Part 2
Burnout is a very real thing that can happen when we hold sustained stress that overwhelms our coping/managing resources. It’s most commonly talked about as work related burnout...but it is not limited to work. It can arise from full-time parenting, or trying to be your kids’ teacher right now. It can come from over-use of technology. It can certainly stem from work.
Burnout Part 1
Burnout is the cluster of feelings/thoughts/behaviors that come about when we’ve held sustained stress for a long period of time. It can come about personally and professionally, and usually starts with small signs that grow and fester unless they are attended to.
I think a lot of people are dealing with some form of burnout lately. Whether it’s related to the election, the pandemic, or something else...we’ve all been holding a lot of stress these last several months.
