I exclaimed to my husband one night, “Way to take care of yourself!” And, though I was hoping he would laugh a little, I was also genuinely joyful in my praise of his effort to take care of himself. (For those of you who know me well, you can probably envision my wide-open eyes, outstretched…
Tag: joy
Evaluate Doing “More” This Holiday Season
I was flipping through one of my past journals and noticed an entry reflecting on my accident and all the ways I’d been changed because of it: I was journalling that before my traumatic brain injury etc, I could do a lot more than I could do now [the date that I wrote this entry]….
I am More Than Enough
In my recovery and post-recovery from traumatic brain injury, there’ve been numerous times when I’ve believed the lie that I’m less than. In my recovery, this feeling was mostly related to the mental and physical limitations I was experiencing. And in my post-recovery, this feeling has been related to some residual accident limitations but mostly…
I am Beloved
Could you hold onto the truth that… you are beloved, in this very moment. There are of course many reasons why we might not think this truth includes us– perhaps our thoughts or experiences or conversations with other people have given us a different message*. That being said, I believe with my being that our…
Identify What Can Wait
As I’m writing this, I’m looking at toys strewn across my living room floor as well as a laundry basket overflowing with clean clothes. This mess … can wait. (And for that matter, whatever else might be vying for my attention… can wait.) Those things—while in some moments, take priority— in this moment, they don’t….
Let Our “Curiosity” Flowers Bloom
Let’s be curious about …. whatever we are noticing in front of us!: Or, whatever it is for YOU right now or in this season. Curiosity is a beautiful thing that I’m learning to warmly welcome. Instead of being self-critical (or whatever it is for you), why not try(!) to be… curious? May we nourish…
My Authentic Self is Beautiful
Did you know that we ALL have a part of ourselves that is buoyed by calmness, curiosity, clarity, compassion, compassion, confidence, courage, creativity, and connectedness? These are the ” 8 c’s”. Please slow down with me for a second, and let me try to provide some hopeful psychoeducation: Even if we feel like trauma, hardship,…
Find Our Unique Basket of “10% Solutions”
When I worked on the Perinatal Wellness team at Providence St. John Hospital, I met a woman who is a certified laughter yoga instructor. Have you heard the phrase that laughter is medicine? Well, turns out there is a ton of research behind this. There’s even a science of laughter, it’s called gelotology. And get…
Calm Down By Paying Attention to Our Breathing
Did you know that literally paying attention to your breathing can really help calm you down? Moreover, intentionally trying to make your exhale longer than your inhale tends to be even more calming. Why, you might ask? Well, paying attention to your breathing (and especially making the exhale longer than the inhale) activates the vagus…
Learn this Brain Technique to Try to Believe Truth about Self
“Why can’t I just tell myself a truth/affirmation and then really believe it?” someone might say. Well, there’s actually a neurobiological reason why this is the case for many people. I went to a Havening training last year with Dr. Kate Truitt, a Havening Techniques Certified Trainer and expert on the connection between fear, information…