The idea that we have to “earn” rest is deeply ingrained in many of us, whether we are aware of it or not. Productivity is so heavily valued and a center of focus in our society, slowing down and taking breaks can feel uncomfortable, even...
Taming the Thought Spiral: A Pathway for Quieting Your Mind As a counselor, one of the most common complaints I hear is the challenge of thought spiraling. We experience something hard, we feel big feelings, and our mind tries to fix them or escape from...
“You don’t always have to be doing something. You can just be and that’s plenty,” Alice Walker. Over the summer, while looking over the cheese selection at a local farmers market, a woman came around with a basket filled with little pieces of paper and...
We have all been there – in our youth, as students, oversleeping and missing the bus for school. As adults, getting a flat tire that causes us to be late for work. These everyday moments are stressful, but when do daily stressors become cause for...
We often focus on the negative. What don’t we have? What is still lacking? What if it never gets better? There are times we should focus on what’s wrong. Ignoring it isn’t going to help anything. A life without reflection is likely one without learning...
I have a nine year old son who loves to read. Before bed, we’ll often grab a classic tale to read together. As I’m writing this, we’re deep into Treasure Island, enjoying the harrowing tale of a young boy named Jim Hawkins who winds up...
Our ability to manage logistics can often be overlooked when we think of our mental health. But logistics (planning, doing regular, boring life tasks like cleaning, paying the bills, etc) are an important factor for our stress and anxiety levels. For many people, trying to...
You are sitting on a bench at your local playground. It’s sunny (despite Michigan’s temperamental weather). Your gaze begins to wander and settles on children climbing. They are climbing everywhere. It’s amazing, actually, how many things children can climb on. You further notice how they...
Turning off endless thoughts and rumination can be a difficult task for many people (in fact, 6.8 million people across the US). So, it should not be shocking that we all may experience similar instances, or even times of day when we find it difficult...
Recent decades have seen an increasing interest in the healing and therapeutic potential of nature and the perspective of various nature-based interventions for the benefit of mental health. The field of nature-based therapies is expanding in line with this interest. During the formative years of...