“Did you see how that jerk just cut me off?! This is my lane, why did he have to pull out right in front of me?!” Do your passengers grind their teeth when you drive? Do you get so angry behind the wheel that you want to do something uncharacteristic to you, such as follow […]
In a past struggle with depression a friend who enjoyed gardening told me to, “Stop and smell the flowers.” My first thought was, “I barely have the time to do everything I need to do. Where am I going to find time to stop and smell the flowers? (I want to assure you TWD fans […]
Bob’s son Fred came out to him the other day. Bob did not hug Fred. He did not say anything. He made a distasteful face, turned his back on Fred and walked away. The family still eats meals together at the table, but Bob ignores his son for the most part. Bob is at the […]
Self-soothing is a wonderful coping skill to possess. It helps to calm us when we are anxious, afraid, or angry. It can help lower our blood pressure and helps us focus. People who have experienced trauma may get a special benefit from these visualizations, but you don’t have to have experienced trauma to benefit from […]
Some of you may be old enough to remember Reader’s Digest. When I was little I was so excited to be able to read the Laughter Is the Best Medicine pages; they always made me smile. What can laughter do? Release good endorphins that make you feel happy. Relax your muscles- a good bout of […]
You know those thoughts. They creep up on you and attach to your brain like a fishing lure, just hanging out, oblivious to your pain, they could stay forever. You try to make them go away, but then the fishing lure seems to embed itself even deeper in your brain and the pain becomes more […]
“My mind won’t shut up.” “I can’t focus to save my life.” When it feels like your mind is in control of you and you don’t know how to take back control, chances are you have monkey mind. Monkey mind is exactly what it sounds like; imagine your mind is an energetic monkey jumping […]
Jasmine was adopted into a family that she stated treated her well and loved her like their own. She said that nothing bad had happened to her as a child. Her family always stood by her and treated her with patience and respect, but sometimes she felt like she was a burden to them. She […]
“God*, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change. The courage to change the things I can. And the wisdom to know the difference.” *God, Goddess, the universe, or whomever your higher power may be. Many people who are atheists or agnostics find the Serenity Prayer helpful. Just finish the article […]
Affirmations are positive things that we tell ourselves to feel better about ourselves, or others, or situations which wipe out Negative Cognitions. What’s a negative cognition? Well, that’s all the crap that we and/or others put in our brain over the years that basically tells us that we’re bad, that something’s wrong with us […]
