Posts

Building Self-Compassion: Strategy for Blah

-
Image
Dear Reader, I am having one of those days. I woke up feeling "blah". For me, "blah" is a feeling of heaviness, in my body and in my mind, no racing thoughts or specific feelings that I can pinpoint; just a general malaise and lack of motivation to do anything.  Have you ever felt this way? Here's a strategy that has been helpful for me on the days I wake up feeling "blah". I gently remind myself that it's okay to feel this way, it happens to everyone, it's happened before, and it will pass.  For today, lean into it, acknowledge it, and accept it.  For today, be gentle with yourself, just do what is necessary, focus on basic needs, drink water, eat (whatever feels good), get some movement in - even if it's a 2 minute walk or some stretching.  The key is to do. Move, one step at a time. Do anything, make a list, journal - write everything that comes to mind, do a load of laundry, make your favorite beverage of choice, cook something you look...
Post a Comment
Read more

Building Self-Compassion: Choosing Kindness

-
Hi everyone, Today, let's take a closer look at how we can choose kindness. Many of us may already be doing some of these and just have not consciously acknowledged it. Consciously acknowledging our actions, thoughts and feelings is a key step to choosing kindness and building self-compassion.  Here are a some ways we can choose kindness: - Kind self-talk. Stop the unhealthy, automatic, self-talk. "Ugh I'm the worst", "Worst mom ever", "I'm crazy", "I'm lazy", "I don't belong", "My life sucks", do any of these sound familiar to you? Many of us have had these thoughts, however, if we pause and really analyze these not so helpful statements, are they really true? If so, is it 100% of the time? No they are not. Remember, we are human and will make mistakes, no one is perfect, no matter what you see on Instagram! - Kind self-touch. Sometimes this is helpful for us to connect to our body, get out of our mind and...
Post a Comment
Read more

Building Self-Compassion: Learning to Detach from Self-Judgement

-
Together in this post, we will learn how to detach from self-judgement.  I did not anticipate it would take me this long to write a post after my last one, alas life happens, and I am finally back at it again. The ability to detach from self-judgement was helpful for me when the thought of my "tardiness" showed up. Being able to detach from self-criticism or self-judgment is an important step to building self-compassion. There is no quick fix to stop self-criticism/judgment, however with practice, these thoughts will have less power on us. To do so, we need to notice and name these thoughts, to let them show up without trying to push them away or distract from them.  With time, we will recognize the pattern of these words and the stories we tell ourselves. Some common examples of automatic thoughts that show up are "my life sucks", "I am not good enough", "I'm the worst parent", "what's wrong with me?". Sound familiar? It happen...
Post a Comment
Read more

Building Self-Compassion One Step At A Time

-
In this post, let's explore together one step we can take to develop loving kindness to ourselves.  Many of us have probably heard or been encouraged to utilize self-compassion. But what does it mean and what does it entail? It can be overwhelming to figure out where to begin and how this looks like for you. Self-compassion involves noticing and acknowledging your suffering and responding with kindness. To develop self-compassion, I encourage you to begin slowly and with curiosity.  There are many components to building self-compassion and I will introduce them one blog at a time. For this week, let's focus on acknowledging our suffering.  Find a safe space and with intention, notice and acknowledge your pain. Notice the painful thoughts, feelings, emotions, images, urges, and/or memories that are showing up for you in the present moment. The ACE skill from Acceptance and Commitment therapy, introduced in my previous blog, may be helpful with this. Name the thoughts and f...
Post a Comment
Read more

ACT Skill: Anchoring

-
Are you looking for a valuable skill to help you manage racing thoughts and overwhelming emotions or situations?  Allow me to introduce a technique I frequently incorporate early in therapy sessions. This technique, known as ACE or Anchoring (alternatively referred to as Dropping Anchor), has proven to be an invaluable tool to many of my clients. This technique was introduced to me in one of Russ Harris’ courses on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Anchoring, at its core, entails engaging with A.C.E principles, which encompass: A cknowledging your thoughts and feelings: In this step, you are encouraged to observe your inner experience without judgment. You might simply utter to yourself, “I notice a sense of sadness", or "I am experiencing frustration", or even "My mind is attempting to protect me again". C onnecting with your body: This action serves as a reminder that you are in control of your body, even if your thoughts and emotions remain unruly...
Post a Comment
Read more