Tag: anxiety

It's been an... interesting week.  If you had told me last week Tuesday or Wednesday that, here in Michigan, all schools would be shut down, businesses closed, events canceled, and people confined to their houses until further notice, I would not have believed you.  This type of rapidly spreading, deadly virus is something I'd expect to read about in apocalyptic literature, not the news. And yet, this is the situation in which we find ourselves.  As a counselor and, more importantly, a human being, I am asking myself the best way to process through these events and my own thoughts and feelings. 

I've seen several ideas and recommendations for "how to socially distance" and the best way to structure your day if you're stuck at home.  Many in the medical profession have offered advice as to what supplies we should be stocking up on and how to care for those who are sick.  These types of information are va ...

This blog post is brought to you by the 2004 Anna Nalick single, “Just Breathe,” made especially famous by a fantastic episode of Grey’s Anatomy involving Meredith’s premonitions, a live bomb inside a patient, and Kyle Chandler…

Have you all heard this song? Check it out:  Just Breathe This is a song about darkness, resiliency, and one of the most helpful and versatile coping skills we have — deep breathing.  The song tells the stories of three individuals who are struggling in different ways: first, a friend who is deeply unhappy in a relationship; second, a man who is trapped in the throes of addiction and substance abuse; third, the songwriter who is feeling anxious and vulnerable at the thought of sharing what she’s created.  Three very different stories, one refrain: “Breathe, just breathe.”

As a counselor, I talk about breathing with almost ev ...

When I was 23, I had an exceptionally difficult year.  If you want to know more about what happened, come talk to me… but suffice it to say I was in rough shape, mentally and emotionally.  I recently came across some writing (in the form of secret blog posts!) from that year, and it was so crazy to look back on some of the things I was thinking and feeling.  I learned a few things about enduring suffering from revisiting my younger self and wanted to share those things with all of you.

1. Feel your feelings — These blog posts are dripping with emotion, to a point that is almost embarrassing (one delicious phrase: “look me in the eye and see the despair in my soul.”).  I truly believe that if I didn’t have an outlet to express what I was feeling, those emotions would have exploded in much ...
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   Posted in:

   • Anxiety
   • Change
   • Control
   • Mindfullness
   • Presence
   • Self-Care
   • Story

   Tags:

   • Emotions
   • anxiety
   • breathing
   • change
   • mindfullness
   • relaxation
   • story