Deep Sighing

Deep Sighing When stressed, people are often told to breathe deeply. When I have suggested this to my clients, they often say to me that they do it and it doesn’t work. Maybe it isn’t the magic pill we are all still looking for (including myself), but a solid...

When Actions Speak

  When Actions Speak   It is not uncommon to consider our actions with respect to others.  Sometimes this looks like a willingness to do for others, to go above and beyond for the sake of a relationship.  Sometimes this means much thought and effort put into...

Positive self-talk

We all talk to ourselves, believe it or not you’re probably talking to yourself right now. It’s called self-talk. Self-talk is your inner voice of the thoughts that we normally don’t say aloud, but when that self-talk spills out, it can have a big...

How to Start a Difficult Task

HOW TO START A DIFFICULT TASK   When you have difficulty starting a task, large or small, follow these steps: 1. Give yourself 5 minutes to start working on the task. Set a timer on your phone (or an alarm clock) for 5 minutes.  You will allow yourself 5 minutes...

When Self-Care is Doing the Dishes

When Self-Care is Doing the Dishes   When the words self-care are spoken, visions of things like bubble baths, chocolate cake, and massages come to mind.  Self-care has become to many this fantasy of self-indulgence, a “get out of chore free” card that justifies...

Anger Management

Anger is a normal human emotion, but losing control with hostility and rage can endanger yourself and others. This type of anger can be extremely unhealthy and might cause some detrimental consequences, for example, physical health problems, legal entanglements and...

Mindfulness

Have you ever noticed that when you are doing familiar or repetitive tasks, like driving a car or cleaning, that your mind is often miles away thinking about something else? You may be thinking about work, bills, an upcoming vacation or event or simply daydreaming....

A Perspective on Mental Health

What does it mean to be mentally healthy? There are as many ways to define mental health as there are people attempting to proffer a definition. Among mental health professionals, mental health is synonymous with well-being, the state of being healthy and happy. The...

Promoting Relaxation through Melody

In the battle against stress and anxiety, there are a number of great tricks and skills that can be used to help us feel safer and more comfortable.  While many may immediately come to mind (breathing, exercise, a good night’s sleep, etc.), the use of music as a...