mental health

All of This

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.

Summer Swan Song

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.

ACT for Beginners, Part II

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.

ACT for Beginners, Part I

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 …

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Seeking Solitude

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.

9 Steps to Soothe a Troubled Mind

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, …

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FOMO? Embrace JOMO

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.

Write a Letter — to Yourself

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.

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