Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Anxiety”
When we entered the Sapara community we were ceremonially cleansed, our faces painted, and given names. (Mine was Tobacco Woman, the healer.) Then we were welcomed by one of the Shamans. He said that the goal of the Shamans was to get into our heads and to teach us “that what you think is reality isn’t real.” I’ve thought about …
Have you ever found yourself doing something and wonder “how did this happen?” It usually happens to me when I discover I’ve scarfed a full bag of white cheddar cheese popcorn. Of course, I realize it after the fact, when I’m trying to artfully hide the bag in the garbage. What happened? I developed a habit unconsciously. Some habits are …
He has a brain tumor!!! My first thought as I examined the lump behind his left ear. “Did you bump into anything? Hit your head on a cabinet door? Is it tender?” I peppered him with questions, trying to identify a logical explanation for the bulge. My husband had been experiencing sharp intermittent pains in his left ear for a …
Most of us are oblivious to our repetitive thoughts until we experience the consequences of our actions.
Do you have an emotional vocabulary? Do you use a wide range of words to describe how you are feeling or do you rely on “fine” and “okay?” In our environment of rapid change and clipped conversations (verbal and through technology), most of us rely upon the expedient answer of “fine” when queried by someone, especially in a non-intimate environment …
I watched a short video a few months ago of the 2016 commencement address from Dean James Ryan of the School of Education at Harvard. His speech centered on five questions he thought were important to ask oneself when navigating life. I made a list of those questions. It sits on my desk and I review it regularly. The fifth question …
This week I’ve been struggling with doubt. Self-doubt. I was sitting in a meeting a few days ago and I wondered, “am I really contributing here?” “Am I the right person with the right skills to help? There is so much this organization needs and I feel so inadequate to help it move forward. Am I the right person? …
A friend mentioned that she was impressed that I could generate thought-provoking articles each week. I replied, “It’s just whatever I’m thinking about at the time.” I don’t believe I was trying to deflect the compliment, because I do write about what I’m struggling with, what I’m learning (or relearning), and/or what I’m noticing about myself and my environment. Lately …
I used to think that I had most things figured out. It took a serious health event a few years ago to quickly convince me that I didn’t. I hadn’t realized until that experience how important self-compassion is to resilience and recovery. Basically, self-compassion is a critical factor in well-being. In the initial stages of my recovery I was, fearful, …
Over the years, I’ve worked with many clients who try very hard to contain, control, repress, or ignore their emotions. There seems to be a belief out in the ether that some emotions are not okay, too difficult, or too embarrassing to experience. Or that one shouldn’t deeply feel an emotion that is not “positive.” We may even receive messages …
