Love Yourself Counseling

It’s that time of year where you see a lot of gratitude posts. Gratitude is powerful and can shift anxiety or your mood in general.

The key to using the power of gratitude is to be super specific and start with the smallest things. Using the blanket terms such as “I’m thankful for my family” or “I’m thankful I have food on my table”, which can be 100% true, are too general. The more specific you can be the better.

For example, I’m thankful I found the mate to my favorite sock this morning. I’m thankful I didn’t push snooze on my alarm this morning. Focus your gratitude to the current day and be super specific. This will allow you to be more present and can help with grounding which can help with anxiety.

I’m thankful you took the time to read this entire post. What are you grateful for today? Be specific.

This is something we often forget. It’s ok to back off and slow down.

In my work with young adults and teens this comes up a lot. People thing because they weren’t physically or sexually abused they didn’t have trauma. This is trauma.

It’s ok to love yourself.
If that’s too much start with learning to like yourself.

Self care is more than getting a massage or taking a vacation. Self care includes paying bills, opening mail when it comes, cleaning etc. Think of something you have been procrastinating and complete it.

Celebrating the little things that are a big deal to you is important. Take the time to celebrate and honor your “wins”.

May is mental health month. What do you do to care for your mental health?

Often the issues we face seem massive and overwhelming. On a drive today I saw the pretty lady, she reminded me how big, powerful, and gentle the world is. Things will work out, they always do. Trust in yourself and your connection to higher power whether that be nature, a god, the stars, yourself, it will work out.

The always positive movement has caused more damage than most realize. It’s ok to feel things and express those feelings.

What is one simple thing that brings you peace? Spend 5 min today doing it.
For me it’s being outside.

Allow yourself to feel your feelings. Parents, allow your teens to feel and express their feelings.

The healing process is never a straight line, most of the time it is pretty squiggly with lots of turns. Be gentle and kind with yourself. You’ve got this.

What do you want to create this year? Where do you want your energy to go? Energy is a limited resource that has to be replenished often, be purposeful and intentional with your choice.

Repressing emotions is not a sign of strength. Normalize the expression of emotions for all genders.

Gratitude can be very powerful in shifting the mind away from anxiety. Have you thought about gratitude as an action rather the same words spoken in prayer each night? The shift happens when gratitude becomes a verb.

When was the last time you put your palm on your bedroom door (or curtain/room divider), truly feeling it, and thanked it for the privacy it provides you. How about doing a full body scan and thanking each body part as you visualize it in your head and feel it’s function. Sit in the sun and allow yourself to fully take in its radiance as expressing gratitude for the warmth and energy it provides.

Gratitude is more than words we repeat due to cultural norms. It is more than the thank you to our neighbors when presented with something. Gratitude is powerful and should be felt and honored with reverence and awe. Take time to make gratitude a verb and the shift will come.

Parents, celebrate the little accomplishments your teens make. Let them know you’re proud of them for the daily struggles they overcome. Little things lead to big accomplishments.

We are coming to the end of 2020, a year full of change, fear, isolation, and unpredictability. For many, emotional fatigue is setting in, maybe it’s already taken up residence. Burnout is real and it’s not just something that happens in a workplace. This podcast speaks to authors of the book Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, I found it insightful and encouraging. Have a listen and let me know what sticks out to you.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unlocking-us-with-bren%C3%A9-brown/id1494350511?i=1000494687584

‎Unlocking Us with Brené Brown: Brené with Emily and Amelia Nagoski on Burnout and How to Complete the Stress Cycle on Apple Podcasts ‎Show Unlocking Us with Brené Brown, Ep Brené with Emily and Amelia Nagoski on Burnout and How to Complete the Stress Cycle - Oct 14, 2020

Grounding is an action, it is a purposeful attempt to be present and feel centered. Our world is unpredictable and at times overwhelming. Grounding is a way to slow things down for bit. It is a way to reconnect with yourself. What do you do for grounding?