How to Survive an Anxiety Attack

How to Survive an Anxiety Attack

Anxiety attacks suck. Maybe you’ve been there: the sweaty palms, difficulty breathing, the increasing sense that something terrible is about to happen… They’re anything but fun. Maybe it’s because of all the pressure you’re under at work, or that upcoming presentation you have to give, or the prospect of conflict with that person you just can’t face.

When you’re caught in the grip of an anxiety or panic attack, it seems like it will never end and nothing you do will make it stop. In this week’s blog I talk about some tips for surviving an anxiety attack and bringing yourself back down to Earth so that you can get on with your life.

Focus on What You CAN Do, Not on What You Can't

Focus on What You CAN Do, Not on What You Can't

When life gets us down it’s so easy to give into the negative spiral that leads to the couch, Netflix, chocolate, or our beds. It’s easier to focus on what’s not working and what we can’t do, rather than focusing on what we still CAN do. (You can thank our evolutionary negativity bias for that one).

But when we give in to our tendency to focus on what’s wrong, we miss all of the things that are still working, all of the avenues we still have available for digging out of whatever hole we might be in. In this week’s blog, I talk about how shifting our perspective can have huge benefits. And I’ve included an inspirational video of my wheelchair dog to show the possibilities when we choose not to give up.

Depression is Not a Lack of Willpower

Depression is Not a Lack of Willpower

There is a misconception floating around our society that people suffering from depression are just lazy or weak, and that if they tried harder, they could will themselves out of depression. This simply isn’t true. That’s not how depression works.

Yes, it is true that many people recover from depression without taking a medication. But that doesn’t mean that willpower alone is what got them there. Clinical depression is a problem with the neurochemistry of our brain not properly regulating our moods, and just willing yourself to feel better isn’t going to cut it.

But all is not lost. There are many things that do help with treating depression. In this week’s blog I discuss what depression is, what it is not, and some effective ways to treat it.

Stress or Anxiety - What's the Difference?

Stress or Anxiety - What's the Difference?

In today's busy modern world, it is not uncommon to hear someone talk about how stressed or anxious they feel. We often use the terms interchangeably, but they are not actually the same thing. Why does it matter you ask? Stop being the grammar police, you say!

The truth is that it matters because the path to relief is different depending on whether you are suffering from stress or anxiety. To learn more, check out this week’s blog to find out the key differences and how to relieve symptoms of each.

Screw Gratitude! What to Do When You're Not In The Mood.

Screw Gratitude! What to Do When You're Not In The Mood.

Do you ever have one of those days when you’re just in a crummy mood, for whatever reason, and you want to punch anyone who smiles at you and tells you to try and think of something you’re grateful for? I know I do. Research in recent years has touted the benefits of gratitude for both our physical and mental health. But sometimes you’re just not in the mood. So what do you do?

In this week’s blog I offer an alternative strategy for shifting out of a bad mood when you just can’t muster the energy for gratitude.

Will My Depression Ever Get Better?

Will My Depression Ever Get Better?

We all have moments in our life when we lose hope, when change seems impossible and we just want to pull the covers over our head and go back to sleep. We ask ourselves if the pain we are in will ever get better.

The truth is…probably not, unless we choose to do something about it. In this week’s blog I talk about some proven strategies to try that will help you heal if you are in a dark place.

Perfection is a Myth that Sets Us Up for Failure

Perfection is a Myth that Sets Us Up for Failure

Do you procrastinate/put off certain projects because you don't know how they'll turn out?  Are you unwilling to call something "done" until it's just right?  Then you might be suffering from perfectionism, and it's probably adding unnecessary stress to your life.   

In this week's vlog, I talk about the dangers of perfectionism and how perfection is a myth that sets us up for failure.

Why Prioritizing Yourself Isn't Selfish

Why Prioritizing Yourself Isn't Selfish

We so often go above and beyond when it comes to other people, but forego our own needs until they get so loud we can't ignore them anymore.  For many of us, if we treated our vehicles with the same philosophy we treat ourselves, we'd end up broken down on the side of the road in need of a tow truck.  Why do we do this?  Because terms like "self-care" are often equated with selfishness or self-indulgence.    

But what if I told you that's not what self-care is at all?  This week's vlog talks about how prioritizing yourself is actually an act of service, no only for yourself, but also for everyone else who depends on you.  And it will help you stay in it for the long haul, rather than ending up a hot mess on the side of the road.  

You Are Not Broken!

You Are Not Broken!

We are often hard on ourselves anytime some trait or aspect of our being (either physical or psychological) falls outside of the norm or the societal ideal.  Maybe we are not skinny enough (for girls), or muscular enough (for guys), or outgoing enough, or positive/upbeat enough, or mentally tough enough.  We label the non-conforming part of us as “bad” or “broken”, and consequently try to fix it.  But what if it doesn’t need fixing?

In this week’s blog I discuss how we often mis-label certain traits as “bad” or “broken” and then make ourselves even more miserable when we try to fix something that doesn’t need fixing.

How to Handle BIG Emotions

How to Handle BIG Emotions

Have you ever caught yourself feeling really worried, scared, angry or upset about something? When we get sucked into those big emotions, they call that getting "hooked" by our emotions. And sometimes when we’re hooked, we end up saying or doing something that we later regret because we are coming from a place of reactivity.

If this has ever happened to you, check out this week’s vlog for a great mindfulness technique that can help you get unhooked so that you can look at the situation calmly and make an intentional choice about how to handle it.

What to Do When the What-If's Crawl Inside Your Ear

What to Do When the What-If's Crawl Inside Your Ear

Do you tend to be one of those people who has a hard time sleeping or concentrating because of all the different things that they're worried about? One of my favorite childhood authors, Shel Silverstein described this phenomenon perfectly in his poem about Whatifs crawling inside a young boy’s ear. But the problem is that these what-ifs follow us into adulthood and make it difficult to relax or enjoy what we’re doing because we’re so busy worrying about other things.

In this week's video I will teach you how to handle the What-if's when they crawl inside your ear, so that you are able to sleep or to concentrate or be present and spend time with loved ones when you want to.

3 Tips for Taming Your Inner Critic

3 Tips for Taming Your Inner Critic

Everyone has an inner critic that sits on our shoulder heckling us like Statler and Waldorf (the two old guys in the balcony from the Muppets). In a strange sort of way, it’s just trying to protect us or perhaps to motivate us to do better. But the critic often turns out to have the opposite effect. If we take that critic too seriously, we can end up feeling down and demotivated.

In this week's vlog I talk about 3 tips for taming your inner critic before it gets out of hand.  So, if you have a strong inner critic, try these simple tips to ease the critic’s grip so you can get back to feeling confident and capable again.

How To Manage Stress Calmly Without Making Things Worse

How To Manage Stress Calmly Without Making Things Worse

If you are a human being living on this Earth then you know that avoiding stress completely isn't a realistic goal.  But what we can do is make sure that we get through it with as little pain and suffering as possible.  In this week's vlog, I'm going to talk to you about how to handle stress calmly without making things worse, so that you can spend your time and energy doing what you really love, rather than wasting it on worrying or stressing! 

So, if you tend to be one of those people like me who has a very busy mind that runs around like Chicken Little screaming that the sky is falling, then this video will show you how to face stressful events in your life more calmly without all the fuss.

Increase Your Happiness By Letting Go of Judgments

Increase Your Happiness By Letting Go of Judgments

Sometimes our brain’s ability to make snap judgments is incredibly useful for our survival, not to mention our ability to navigate our day without dedicating endless hours to evaluating every situation before making a well-informed decision. But sometimes our tendency to hold onto judgments can trap us and leave us feeling miserable and focusing on the negative.

Learn how to increase your happiness by letting go of judgments and accepting what is actually happening using these 3 simple tips.

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Denying Your Authentic Self Might Be Making You Anxious or Depressed

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Denying Your Authentic Self Might Be Making You Anxious or Depressed

There are many factors that contribute to someone's experience of anxiety and/or depression.  But sometimes the disconnect between what we think we should do and what we actually want to do can add an unnecessary strain on our systems that results in increased anxiety, and if left unattended, can eventually lead to depression.  

Find out how the disconnect between your Authentic Self and your Social Self might be sabotaging your happiness.

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A True Story: 5 Myths About Mental Health That Get in the Way of Happiness

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A True Story: 5 Myths About Mental Health That Get in the Way of Happiness

Think you know what someone looks like when they have a mental health condition? Think again! There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about mental health conditions and what they really look like. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm going to share some true stories with you to illustrate what struggling with mental health really looks like, what gets in the way of asking for much-needed help, and how treatment can really make a difference.

Discover the 5 myths about mental health that might be getting in the way of your happiness or the happiness of someone you love.

How Checking Out Hurts Us & What to Do Instead

How Checking Out Hurts Us & What to Do Instead

We all have the desire to check out sometimes: watch a couple shows, scroll through our Facebook feed, forget about whatever is stressing us out for a while. This is a completely normal urge. But if we’re not aware of why and when it’s happening, then it might be doing more harm than good.

Next time you feel like checking out, try checking in with yourself instead using these three simple questions.

5 Tips for Calming Your Mind When Stress Hits

5 Tips for Calming Your Mind When Stress Hits

Sometimes our minds swirl around a stressful event making a difficult situation even worse, like Chicken Little running around yelling that the sky is falling.  If you are one of those people like me who has an over-active mind, this weeks tips will help you restore calm to your busy, stressed-out mind. 

12 Signs You Have Too Much Stress & What To Do About It

12 Signs You Have Too Much Stress & What To Do About It

Everybody has stress, so why fight it, right? Well, the truth is that there are different kinds of stress, and while a mild to moderate level of occasional stress can help motivate us to get things done, keep us alert when we drive or help us navigate a dangerous situation, there is such a thing as too much stress and it may be affecting you more than you think. 

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