Hypervigilant Living: The Subtitle of Anxiety

Hypervigilance is a symptom of anxiety. Webster's defines hypervigilance as: Keenly watchful to detect danger. Wary. Ever awake and alert. Sleeplessly watchful. Hypervigilance is continually overdone awareness and it feeds anxiety. For the visual learner, imagine anxiety as a weed. Think of hypervigilance as the rain that cultivates the growth of a weed that eventually consumes your yard. If enough … Continue reading Hypervigilant Living: The Subtitle of Anxiety →

Maintenance

I took my daughter for an evening bike ride this week. For me, it's never just a bike ride. My mind can't help itself but drift to therapeutic analogies. As we took a ride, we quickly ran into a squeaky wheel situation. The single brake I had been relying on to not be squeaky, … Continue reading Maintenance →

Grieving

Grief can be loss, death, change, or disappointment. Each individuals' process is different yet the process remains the same. We lost our son 4 years ago to a horrific and rare bacterial infection. His name was Rory. Rory lived and breathed on this earth for a little over 3 hours, all of which he spent … Continue reading Grieving →

The Walls We Build Between Us, Part 1

There are many ways to get off track in a relationship. If we are honest, we can own our part in the failures we have experienced and mistakes we have made in relationships. The goal of this next series is to connect with common ways couples get off track. Today we will look at “Stonewalling.” … Continue reading The Walls We Build Between Us, Part 1 →

Myth: Being Successful in Relationships is Natural

It’s normal to experience struggle, conflict and disappointment in relationships. Part of our human experience comes through interacting, working through and solving conflict with each other. What is less normal is investing time, research and planning into relationships. Today I want to connect with the idea that we all are not always instinctively good at … Continue reading Myth: Being Successful in Relationships is Natural →

The Gift of Engagement

My last post was on fighting depression through deep connections and relationships. In following that post, I think it’s important to talk about a principle within deep connection, engagement. In contrast, to many surface and monotonous relationships, deep relationships connect with our being. Engagement connects with the idea of intentionally hearing and understanding those around … Continue reading The Gift of Engagement →

Fall Help: Depression

Ah!, I hate the transition from beach apparel to winter boots. Truly, I am grieving the vitamin D, being poolside with my baby and non-winter clothing. Moving beyond my summer grieving, in this transition to fall and winter, I am reminded of a common fall and winter problem, depression. This season may be an important … Continue reading Fall Help: Depression →

Releasing Regret

Releasing Regret Far too often I come across conversation, soaked in past regret. For example, a friend shares about bad choices, missed opportunities and wishful ideals from the past. I for one, have regrets, awkward high school memories and many things I wish I did differently. I am definitely not above throwing a pity party … Continue reading Releasing Regret →

Home, Work, and Play

Ever wonder how people really are? Are they really the same person you see? I do. I’m sure I am not alone in this. This idea is labeled congruence in the counseling field. Perhaps you remember this math concept: Congruence in counseling describes an individual’s harmony with themselves. For today, let’s focus on three areas: … Continue reading Home, Work, and Play →

Anxiety, Part 8: Solutions to Self-Talk

We have come to the last part in the series, I hope you have enjoyed it. Today we are going to end with solutions to self-talk. Similar to last week, I am going to be very practical. Self-talk. Self-talk is often located here on the anxiety cycle: If you didn't catch the first part on … Continue reading Anxiety, Part 8: Solutions to Self-Talk →