I wanted to take a moment and talk about leaning in. Leaning in is this idea of taking a pause and finding connection. There may be no need to fight what is happening in your life, maybe what you seek is connection and allowing. It can be a HUGE  relief to take a breath and allow and lean into what is in front of you. I think of gentleness when I think about leaning in. Instead of trying to fix, lean in. Instead of arguing or trying to prove a point, lean in. Instead of fighting what you are feeling , lean in. Slowing down and taking some gentle moments for yourself is key. Be gentle to yourself and others, lean in and allow. 

This week I wanted to touch on isolation. Social Connection is important for mental health and overall well being. It is tough at times to stick to a routine, carve out time for things, or to stay connected with others. All of these things are so important. Isolation can be a slippery slope as well, disconnecting and staying in can lead to patterns and impact mental health. Isolation can start slowly as people start to withdraw.  It is a hard balance to keep active connections and also have time to recharge.

What would it be like to have grace for yourself and others? It is nice to take the perspective that people are doing the best they can. We never know what others are going through. If you can be anything, why not just be kind. Life is hard enough on a good day, the way the world is there are so many stressors and things can be so hectic. There seems to be an increase in symptoms of anxiety and depression overall for people. I think taking all of these things into consideration is key to living in a more graceful way. 

 It is good to be able to recognize thoughts that are distressing- such as intrusive thoughts/ negative thoughts or perspectives/ irrational thoughts – those that are based off of cognitive distortions. Cognitive distortions can be thought of as irrational thought patterns (like mind reading/ catastrophizing/ all or nothing thinking for example). Core beliefs are underlying beliefs we have about ourselves the world that we develop from a young age (such as “I am worthy/ I am loved/ the world is safe/ the world is not safe/I am not good enough”). All of this together- and also throw in temperament and our experiences in the world through this journey of life- and that impacts how we show up in the world and how we think/ react/ feel.

A coping mechanism is a behavior that a person uses to deal with stressful situations. Copimg mechanisms are intentional and develop over time. It is important to be able to know the different things that may be triggering for you in your day to day. There can be healthy coping mechanisms and unhealthy coping mechanisms. People can cope in an acitve / positive way or they can become avoidant and try to avoid stressors. Healthy coping mechanisms take time to practice and develop and it is possible to learn and continue learning coping mechanisms throughout life. 

What do you think of when you hear values? I think of "the things that are important to a person". Have you ever considered that values should define your boundaries? If not allowing your values to guide your boundaries then you may be out of alignment and you may feel conflicted. If not holding boundaries/ rules for yourself you are not protecting your physical and mental health. 

There are so many amazing resourves out there! The online world can be unlimited knowledge at our fingertips. I love finding things- blogs/ podcasts/ articles/ workouts...... so many things! 

How many of us check in with ourselves to see how we are doing? I love this concept and actually learned it from a therapist several years ago. It is so easy to get swept away on auti pilot throughtout the days and weeks. It is important to slow down and check in with yourself , I say several times a day. Doing so intentionally will help you with getting back in tune with your body and what you need.

What can we do when things are too much? 

Feelings can be so uncomfortable! Have you ever heard "Sometimes the only way out is through". Feelings are fluid and temporary, and if you stay with whatever feeling you are having it will pass. You can do hard things. We learn how to process and communicate feelings from our early experiences and from how others process - or do not process- things around us. People have different ways of expressing and processing feelings. Some people are very communicative and some people bottle things up. Others try to fix whatever may be going on and change the way they are feeling. 

Time to Talk Day - 2/1/2024- a day aimed to have  more open conversations about mental health and to talk about how you really feel. It can be hard to have open conversations about how you are feeling. Talking about mental health is good for your wellbeing. 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year. I notice it is easier to tell people we are fine than it is to express true feelings. 

Hello dear ones, this week I wanted to look at how to take the best care of yourself. It is so important to stay on top of self care and the things you do that keep you functioning at your best. It is good to be aware of triggers and signs that symptoms may be increasing or returning. I think the concept of prescription of self care and optimal mental health are unique to each individual. Knowing yourself and what you need to do to feel your best is so necessary- and following through with it. And do know, with mental health that there are times you are doing everything right and you still may have a recourse of symptoms, we are human and things will be up and down and cycles will happen.