Staying Grounded During a Pandemic

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Staying Grounded During a Pandemic

The novel coronavirus (COVID19) has taken the term “viral” to a new level. In viral fashion, it has spread quickly throughout the media, bringing with it waves of anxiety and panic. At these times we need the media in order to stay informed of the latest measures that are being taken such as school closings and containment zones. But it can be difficult to keep perspective when there is so much news unfolding in real time and various opinions about how to respond to the outbreak…

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The Importance of R&R

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The Importance of R&R

Living in a culture that emphasizes the importance of hard work and hustle leads many to prioritize their work over their well-being. Our society tells us that if we work hard, we will become successful. But that “work hard” mentality leads to sleep deprivation, overwhelm, stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout. This is why making time for R&R in our busy work schedules is important…

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How to Deal with Overwhelm

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How to Deal with Overwhelm

As the year begins to progress, the feelings of the post-holiday season and New Year spark are beginning to fade as we find projects and deadlines at work piling up. Friends and family are coming out of hibernation and wanting to socialize more and some people are beginning to feel overwhelmed as the goals they set for themselves at the beginning of the year grow ever-seemingly tedious or impossible.

With so many life responsibilities at hand - work, friends, family, loved ones, not to mention the desire to schedule some much needed “Me Time” - life can begin to feel a bit overwhelming. After all, you are only one person…

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How to Get Past Your Holiday Slump

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How to Get Past Your Holiday Slump

The holidays are over and it’s back to the real world.  For many people this means getting down to business. Perhaps during the holidays you overindulged a bit on food and drinking, let your exercise routines go, and generally were on a mental vacation from many of your responsibilities. While the merriment and busyness of the season can all be a bit much at times, when that dies down you might find yourself suddenly left in the stark naked January quiet with your resolutions and your neglected to-do lists staring you down…

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Evaluate Your Life – The Benefits of Taking a Quick Inventory

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Evaluate Your Life – The Benefits of Taking a Quick Inventory

As the end of the year approaches, it’s a natural time to take stock and see where you are in your life.  Even if it’s not something you tend to do at a particular time of the year, taking a quick inventory can be beneficial in many regards.  

For one thing, it can give you a chance to celebrate your accomplishments and acknowledge your growth.  Take a look back to the beginning of the year and jot down some wins you have had. This could be anything from getting that promotion at work to finding peace around an issue that had been causing you strife…

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How to Deal with Frustration – Ways to Cope in the Moment

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How to Deal with Frustration – Ways to Cope in the Moment

Let’s face it, frustration is a part of life.  There are times when things aren’t happening as fast as we would like, or people are not behaving the way we think they should.  Or we are trying to learn something new and it is confounding us. Essentially, our expectations aren’t being met. But if you are quick to lose your temper when things aren’t working out or tend to give up easily, then you might want some tips to deal with frustration.  The good news is that frustration tolerance can be learned, and there are simple ways you can better cope in the moment…

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What is Psychotherapy Anyway?

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What is Psychotherapy Anyway?

Funny you should ask.  If you have never embarked upon a therapeutic journey, you might have some questions and/or reservations.  For years there has been a stigma around psychotherapy based on misunderstandings, the primary misunderstanding being that psychotherapy is for “crazy” people.

We think that the rest of us high functioning adults don’t need such a thing because then we might be admitting that we are “crazy” – to ourselves or to others. Ironically…

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It's OK to Unplug

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It's OK to Unplug

We live in uncertain times.  So did the generation before us, and the one before them, and on and on and infinitude.  It seems an unavoidable part of life on earth that there is always a devil at large.  There have always been tyrants, wars, disease, torture, natural disasters, and any number of threats to our lives or way of life.  Makes things interesting, doesn’t it?  

There have always been world problems, but it is only in very recent history that we have been so immersed in them.  The 24/7 news cycle and social media feeds keep us informed of every tragedy and political battle unfolding in real time.  There is nothing wrong with…

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Burnout: Where is the Tipping Point?

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Burnout: Where is the Tipping Point?

Stress and burnout have been in the news lately, largely due to their near epidemic proportions.  This BBC feature details the story of a neonatal nurse who later chose to leave the profession due to burnout.  Many others tolerate chronically stressful jobs until something gives (usually their health).

If you saw the Showtime series, Nurse Jackie, you might have thought it was the story of a woman suffering from addiction.  I would argue that it was the story of a woman suffering from burnout who turned to…

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Are You Stressed Out or Burned Out?

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Are You Stressed Out or Burned Out?

I recently came across this newsletter from Michael Neill about how to care without burning out and thought it worth revisiting.  Stress and burnout have been on my mind lately, in light of the current socio-political climate and also in regard to the workforce, changing working conditions, and an uncertain economy, among other related topics.  In times when people feel called to step up with…

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