These affirmations came to me one morning while doing my Morning Pages, on a day when I really needed support in slowing down and honoring my healing process. I was feeling rushed, frustrated, and overwhelmed with my progress, and these affirmations reminded me its ok to slow down, that healing isn’t linear, and that there are no such thing as setbacks.
Read MoreAffirmations didn’t cure my nervous system, but they regulated my distress. Saying these affirmations outloud, looking at myself in the camera, and feeling connected to others gave me a sense of safety, hope, and purpose. Which my brain needed. My brain needed to know I was safe. My brain needed to know I could trust people. And my brain needed the actual content from the affirmations to begin rewiring the communication between my thoughts and my physical body.
Read MoreHopelessness. Depression. Grief. Mourning. Anxiety. Trepidation. These are the feelings that cloud my morning wake-state. The slippery space between sleeping and waking. A fog and heavy cloud of doubt and desperation that oozes my subconscious. And the not knowing if it is my real existence or just a dream.
Read MoreSome people spend their lives focusing on mental wellness. They meditate, journal, go to therapy, read self-help books, practice active listening, understand how to identify and process their emotions, and have a breadth of coping skills. In the face of a crisis, they are as prepared as they can be to handle the toughest mental challenge of their lives.
Read MoreThis is an incredibly difficult post for me to write, because it’s an incredibly difficult topic. I’d like to talk about suicide. I will be talking about suicidal ideation, emotional abuse, and trauma. The nature and content of this material might be disturbing or upsetting.
Read MoreI laughed a little and said, “actually, I hate baths. I feel like everyone always suggests a hot bath, and I hate them. What feels good to me is someone saying I love you unconditionally, and a really solid, firm, hug. Pressured, physical touch soothes me so much, which is why it’s sometimes so hard for me to soothe myself. Last night I found a little stuffed animal in my closet, and I slept with that. For some reason holding it and hugging it soothed me, almost like we were hugging and holding eachother.”
Read MoreObama once said something to the effect of, “the fewer options I have in my day to day life, the easier it is for me to make the really hard choices.” I’m paraphrasing, but he was speaking to the fact that the more choices we have in life, the more struggle we experience. Choices take an immeasurable amount of energy, whether it’s choosing what dress to wear or whether to quit your job.
Read MoreI don’t know about you, but when I’m depressed, cooking breakfast is a chore, and showering is a marathon. P.L.E.A.S.E. is handy acronym and gentle checklist that is only asking you to do those bare minimum things daily, with the hopes of keeping you at a baseline that is manageable.
Read MoreDo you ever get lonely? I do. Like all the time. As in right now, and earlier today, and yesterday. I get lonely a lot. I often wonder what loneliness is. I know it’s a feeling, or maybe a state of being. But what is loneliness, and how do I get rid of it?
Read More
