Going Back to a Simpler Life
Why I Can’t Always Be the “Strong One” and What I Do Now Instead
“She was strong and weak and brave and broken… all at the same time.” ~Unknown
My mom was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder when I was seven years old. It’s a chronic condition that doctors say can be managed but not cured. The symptoms included manic high energy, depression, delusions, hearing voices, reduced need for sleep, and loss of touch with reality.
There were many times of stability for her, when she was on the right medication, taking it routinely, and attending regular psychotherapy. But if any of these elements were missing, those moments were often short-lived.
She was the …
How to Face Uncertainty: Why We Don’t Need to Press the Panic Button
“This time, we are holding onto the tension of not knowing, not willing to press the panic button. We are unlearning thousands of years of conditioning.” ~Sukhvinder Sircar
This morning I awoke feeling uncertain about the direction my life was taking. Was it what I wanted in all areas? Was I right to be living where I wanted to, in London, away from family? Was I doing the “right thing” restructuring my business, and was I doing the “right thing” going away for two months next year?
I’ve had a few days like this recently, and while I’d like to …
How Social Media Is Helping Me Cope with Grief
“Grief, no matter where it comes from, can only be resolved by connecting to other people.” ~Thomas Horn
We had just landed in Chicago. I had spent the last three hours on a flight from New Jersey sitting next to grown-ups who didn’t ask me fifty questions every two minutes, while my kids watched a movie with their dad, two rows behind.
I was looking forward to spending one whole week in Chicago, despite the freezing temps. This was my first real break in eight months, and boy, I had plans! Sleeping in, long baths, reading, and no laptop!
I …
What To Do When the Voices in Your Head Disagree
“Ego says, ‘Once everything falls into place, I’ll feel peace. Spirit says, ‘Find your peace, and then everything will fall into place.” ~Marianne Williamson
Muse: I’d love to get another job one day. One where I can feel inspired and give my best gifts to the world! One where they have a casual dress code and summer Fridays. Ah, I can just feel it now!
Critic: What are you, crazy? You’re always talking about quitting and starting over. Do you remember how hard we worked to get the job we have? (That you’ve only been at for one year, may …
Anxiety Is Not My Enemy: How I’ve Learned to Accept It And Cope
“You are strong for getting out of bed in the morning when it feels like hell. You are brave for doing things even though they scare you or make you anxious. And you are amazing for trying and holding on no matter how hard life gets.” ~Unknown
I couldn’t take it anymore. I no longer wanted to answer to the heart beating on my ribcage, my sweat on my palms, or the breath that got caught in the upper part of my lungs. I wanted the swirling thoughts in my brain to settle. I imagined them falling like leaves finding …
The Difference Between Love, Lust, and Attachment: Why We Have It All Wrong
“Try not to confuse attachment with love. Attachment is about fear and dependency and has more to do with love of self than love of another.” ~Yasmin Mogahed
The feelings we get when meeting someone new are hard to understand at times. We have biopsychosocial and even spiritual responses and interactions with people we come into contact with.
We’ve all met someone and felt like we just want to be around them. They make us nervous (butterflies), we can’t think straight, we’re self-conscious, we just feel an overwhelming… pull toward them.
I have (like many before me) spent my life …
How Practicing Patience Can Relieve Stress and Anxiety
“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” ~Joyce Meyer
I used to say, “Patience is a virtue I don’t have.” So, of course, that is how I lived my life. Hurried, exasperated, impatient, and stressed out.
Not only was I a creating a world where I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off—because everything had to be done now, and anything that got in the way of that had to be removed immediately—but I was creating this world for those around me.
My children often …
5 Psychological Strategies to Ease the Stress of Perfectionism
“Striving for excellence motivates you, striving for perfection is demoralizing.” ~Harriet Braiker
The last three months I’ve been trying an experiment. It’s something that I’ve never done before, and in a certain way, it’s been a huge challenge. However, in other ways, it’s been an enormous stress relief, and I would say a largely successful effort.
What I’ve done seems to go against conventional wisdom, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a wise choice.
So what exactly is this challenge? Well, I have actively gone out of my way to be average.
Yep, sounds a little weird, doesn’t it? …
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