|
As my life changes, the one constant remains; self care is my life line. Without it many of us, including myself, begin to sink. With mounting responsibilities and a desire for rest, it can become difficult to imagine adding another ritual to your life. But the ritual of self care is paramount. It offers rejuvenation and respite. I often refer to self care as a break for the brain. It's easy to train our brain to be mindful of our worries. It takes consistency and intention to train our brains to be mindful in self care. I'd like to offer some easy new year tips to reinvigorate a new or old self care practice you've been meaning to do.
1 Comment
It's not uncommon for people to experience they're lowest moment during the holiday season. But, if you have noticed that it's difficult to get unstuck in a pit of painful emotions, you may want to consider practicing these few tools.
With all the natural and unnatural disasters our country is experiencing, you may have found yourself reflecting on past shame or regret, or future worries. Some of you may even feel so affected by recent natural disasters and or devastating shootings as to be experiencing guilt for having survived these horrific events. This guilt can sometimes manifest in negative thoughts about the self and world; in painful emotions; or in disturbing dreams about recent events. These manifestations can exacerbate overwhelming emotions and lead to poor attention and concentration; distracting people from being effective in their here and now life experiences. Additionally, overwhelming emotions can cause distress in our relationships and occupational interactions leaving people feeling more lonely and isolated over time. Real or imagined isolation can ultimately lead to dysphoria, panic, or other difficult to manage symptoms, like dissociation.
Let's talk about "it"-- therapy, psychotherapy, treatment, sessions. Can you imagine the first time someone openly shared with you that they were in therapy? Or maybe they simply blurted out some new brilliant insight beginning with the phrase, "well, my therapist said..." Or perhaps someone suggested you "see someone ". Who is "someone" and what are you suppose to be "seeing" in them? This article may not give you all the answers to this seemingly mysterious amorphous interaction, but it'll sure help you feel a bit more grounded in understanding what psych treatment is not.
In reference to psychotherapy treatment, recently a friend ask "how do you start?" It was then that I realized that I had never thought about how it all got started. How mindful could that be?
Now yes, there are informative ethical and legal discussions in the first meeting, but what's a person to say in their first moments of a psychotherapy session: Do I just jump in? Do I talk about my mom? Should I talk about the worst thing that's ever happened to me? Happy New Years! Tonight we will be reminded that the only constant in our life is change. This can be an exciting, painful, overwhelming, and or a welcomed occasion for many. For Ojuri Psychology Practices (OPP), it is all of the above in this moment. Come the stroke of midnight we embark on a new journey towards growth while reinforcing healing and recovery for others.Happy Holidays. And in the spirit of the holidays, for all the positive and difficult memories it may bring, I offer you a tool to invite peace in. As you reflect on this past week, you may have been reminded by those around you to consider all the people, places and things you are grateful for. Perhaps you took one mindful moment to consider the aforementioned nouns, or perhaps you scuffed at the opportunity to take a break from pain.
No matter what you chose in the past moments of this week, in the here-and-now consider the possibility that gratitude does not have to stop on Thanksgiving Day. One of my favorite mindfulness practices to regulate emotions includes creating and WHY THIS BLOG. Not Your Average Diary (NYAD) was born out of the desire to provide information to those who are interested in improving well-being and their mental health.
|
Call 925.482.6554 for a free treatment consultation any time!
I am a psychologically-minded, licensed clinical psychologist looking to share the science behind the study of emotions, behaviors, and the thoughts. I have a passion for psychoeducation, and spend much of my time educating patients, psych trainees, and students on the most current evidence-based treatments and practices. Archives
January 2020
Categories |
RSS Feed