I traveled to Seattle for the first time seven years ago, my love affair with the city having begun well before then. I could blame Nora Ephron and her 1993 classic, Sleepless in Seattle, for making me fall head over heels in love with a place I knew only from its romanticized on-screen portrayal, or my affinity for moody weather. But let’s not point fingers.
The halcyon days of summer are ripe with carefree ease: sunlight lingers like an old friend; long work weeks are interspersed with seaside escapes; and time outdoors is sacred.
We all can benefit from learning to be more present; more in touch with our values; more able to make room for the inevitable difficulties of life; more able to distance ourselves from unhelpful thoughts, beliefs, and memories; and more able to take effective action in the face of emotional discomfort. Psychological flexibility brings all of these advantages, and more.
Note: This is part one of a two-part post. When our anxious thoughts interfere with our ability to engage with the world around us, we quickly become overwhelmed, driven by fear of what might happen instead of a desire and willingness to experience each moment as it unfolds. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental …
Lyla, my pint-sized Australian Shepherd mix, loves to acknowledge everyone, and I mean everyone, when we’re out for a walk. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is or what type of shoes you’re wearing: no one is immune to her insatiable drive to greet any non-threatening, unsuspecting, this-could-be-my-new-best-friend human. If we pass someone …
I recently came back from Mexico with a sun-kissed nose, sand between my toes, and… a COVID infection. It’s not my first, and while I hope it’s my last, there’s really no telling. Three years into a pandemic that took the world by storm, much has changed.
Sometimes it feels like rather than being able to control our thoughts, they control us: our emotions, our behavior, and more. Negative thoughts in particular can leave us wrapped up in self-criticism and self-doubt, their seeming urgency compelling us to believe them. But not all thoughts are true, and when we buy into their falsehoods, …
It’s Friday night, and after a long week, you can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief that the weekend has arrived. While your friends may celebrate by going to the movies or checking out a new restaurant in town, you’ve decided to honor this highly cherished night of the week with a solo evening in. Whether that means popping open a bottle of wine or ordering in, the night is yours to savor.
Nearly a decade ago, I began to write letters to myself. It was a practice suggested by my therapist, one that has been a saving grace on many occasions and continues to be a powerful avenue to self-reflection.