Nurturing Hearts Therapeutic Services

Holding space today for all of this👇🏻 as Mother’s Day can be a wonderful day, but also a very difficult and emotional one 💜🌷❤️‍🩹.

I’d also add- those hurt by their mothers (particularly those abused, neglected, abandoned, or traumatized in some form by their mothers).

My new website launched today- www.nurturingheartstherapy.com. It looks AMAZING! Click below 👇🏻

Nurturing Hearts Therapeutic Services | Online Therapy - United States Nurturing Hearts Therapeutic Services is a place of healing, transformation, and empowerment. Offering online counseling in NJ. Book online now or call at 856-209-3049

ꜱᴇʟꜰ-ᴄᴀʀᴇ ɪꜱ ꜱᴏ ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ!

𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 4 𝒕𝒊𝒑𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆:

1. 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. If you don’t then it probably won’t happen. That is a no-no. Prioritize it like you do with other important things in your life. Hey, 5 minutes is better than 0 minutes!

2. 𝐃𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬. Do something in the moment that is fun, which will give your brain a nice boost of good-feeling chemicals. Go for a road trip, try a new hiking path, get dressed up and go out on a date, or watch something funny. You get the point. The possibilities are endless.

3. 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐬. Self-care is needed on a daily basis. I understand that it can feel challenging to find the time, but if you keep thinking that way then you are more likely to NOT do it. Surely, you can find 5-10 minutes a day to do some deep breathing, stretches, or watch a funny video. 👉🏻 Remember- just because it feels like there is no time, doesn’t mean that’s true. Reframe or change your thinking about time constraints.

4. 𝐓𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝. Try something out of your norm, something new. Try a new hobby or art. Take dance classes. Can you say Zumba?! Use the creative side of your brain. Make a list of things to try.

𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙥? 𝙒𝙝𝙮?

ʜᴇʟʟᴏ! ɪ’ᴍ ᴍᴇʟɪꜱꜱᴀ ᴡᴇᴛʜᴇʀɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ- ᴀ ᴛʜᴇʀᴀᴘɪꜱᴛ ɪɴ ɴᴊ.

🦋 I started my private practice- Nurturing Hearts Therapeutic Services, LLC in 2019 and it’s been quite the journey- full of twists and turns.

👏🏻 I feel so fortunate to have worked with so many courageous and resilient people throughout their personal journeys.

𝓦𝓱𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓷𝓪𝓶𝓮?
💜 I noticed that many clients that I have worked with were missing nurturing in their lives, particularly 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 and 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝-𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. I also believe 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞
is the foundation of optimal mental health and well-being. I wanted to create a space for clients to learn how to develop these essential qualities.

⭐️ My vision for my practice was for it to become 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝, which I am so freaking excited about! I believe this will help so many more people. I completed training on 𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞- 𝐚𝐤𝐚 𝐄𝐅𝐓 (which is such an incredible experience!). I am also working on becoming certified as a 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 (𝐂𝐌𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐏). Did I mention that as of 2020 I am a certified 𝐊𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐘𝐨𝐠𝐚 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫?! I have so many trainings and ideas that will be integrated in my practice in 2021. Stay tuned!

👉🏻 The journey to having my own private practice hasn’t been all smooth sailing. I mean, after all, being a business owner has its share of challenges. However, I learned so much in the process and I am very thankful for the experiences that are helping me to grow.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓?

Ｙｏｕ ａｒｅ ｗｏｒｔｈｙ ℕ𝕆𝕎 ａｓ ｙｏｕ ａｒｅ．

You are worthy because you are worthy, period. Worthiness is not about your job title, how much money you have, your level of success, or any other external factor.

💟 You are worthy of love and belonging because you are, period. You were born and that is the reason. There is a purpose to your life.

Even if you don’t think you are worthy, it doesn’t mean you aren’t. ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ: ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ɴᴇᴄᴇꜱꜱᴀʀɪʟʏ ꜰᴀᴄᴛꜱ. Thoughts can change. Beliefs can change. They are not permanent, but your 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 is.

👉🏻 So why not choose to believe 𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮, 𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓷𝓸𝔀 that you are worthy?!

🧳 You have nothing to lose besides a whole lotta baggage that is too heavy to carry anyways 🤷🏻‍♀‍.

𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 💜 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒚 𝑵𝑶𝑾.

𝓢𝓮𝓵𝓯-𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓷𝓮𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓪𝓻𝔂 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓸𝓹𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓪𝓵 𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓪𝓵 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓽𝓱.

Self-love is needed in order to have healthy relationships with others. If you don’t 💜 yourself, there is a 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓉𝓉𝓎 good chance that you will attract people, who treat you poorly. People tend to feel most comfortable with what they are familiar with.

In my work as a mental health therapist, I have noticed that many people, who experience mental health struggles, often have poor relationships with themselves. This typically means having a low self-esteem and poor self-confidence.

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆, which like most things is a process. It takes work and can be extremely challenging. Therapy can be extremely helpful as you will have the support that you may need.

𝔸 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕕𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕠𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕗-𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕚𝕤:

✅ 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀. It’s important to communicate your needs and say “no” when it’s necessary.

✅ 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲. You are human and mistakes will happen. Being critical of yourself, will only make you feel worse.

✅ 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀. This can vary from person-to-person. Some general examples are- exercise, nutrition, and sleep.

✅ 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. Aka try to maintain positive self-talk. Talk to yourself like you would a loved one. Give yourself praise.

💜 I feel very passionate about this topic, so I wrote a blog about it. Copy and paste the link 👇🏻 to read more.

https://www.nurturingheartstherapy.com/post/how-to-heal-mental-health-struggles-through-self-love

I am personally continuously working on developing more self-love for myself. I’ve experienced tremendous growth in this area 👏🏻.

💜 ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ꜱᴇʟꜰ-ʟᴏᴠᴇ? 💜

ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ɪɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ.

Your feelings are there for a reason. They are your guiding system that provide you with more information.

Tune into your feelings, rather than ignore them. Ignoring or 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 them will not help you in the long-term.

👀 When you feel anxious, sad, upset, frustrated, etc. notice your feelings, as an observer, and remain curious about them.

𝒜𝓈𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓁𝓁𝑜𝓌𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓈𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈:

1. What is causing me to feel this way?
2. What is this feeling trying to tell me?
3. What is a healthy way to handle this feeling?

⭐️ In order to achieve optimum mental health, it is important to understand yourself (aka build 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴) and understand what is causing you to feel the way that you do.

👉🏻 For instance, it may be that you felt disrespected, invalidated, or misunderstood. Someone or something may be triggering a negative experience from your past.

🙇🏻‍♀‍ Being triggered by a person or event from you past may be a sign that you have some unresolved issues. This is especially true if you notice a pattern. The feeling(s) may be communicating with you to look at a particular situation more deeply and work on healing it.

💜 Another example- if you feel overwhelmed or stressed because you have not taken care of yourself. This could mean that you would benefit from implementing self-care practices.

ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜʏ ᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴍᴀʏ ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅᴇ:

✅ Talking to a friend or support person.
✅ Writing about your feelings in a journal.
✅ Moving your body through some form of exercise.

ᴜɴʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜʏ ᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴍᴀʏ ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅᴇ:

❌ Getting drunk or using drugs
❌ Becoming 𝘴𝘯𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 or easily annoyed with people.
❌ Adding more things on your plate to keep you distracted.

It’s normal to feel anxious about this process. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐 𝒔𝒐 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅. This can feel scary, but it can get better.

𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.

𝓐 𝓶𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓼𝓱𝓪𝓴𝓮, 𝓨𝓮𝓼 𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮 🙋🏻‍♀‍ !

This is so delicious! I just 💜 the coconut milk and cream. It has a thicker consistency- much like a milkshake. I made this for breakfast one morning and it was extremely satisfying. I also made it another time for an afternoon snack.

🥤 Don’t be fooled by this mood shake just having a few ingredients, as it’s quite filling. I ended up sharing it with my husband because well, he wanted to try it and it was also too much for me to drink as a snack. He also 💜 it.

😀 My mood and energy improved after drinking it. Hey, I understand this may be due to a placebo effect, but I’ll go with it anyhow.

Give it a try! It’s easy to make.

ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇɴᴇꜰɪᴛꜱ-

🥑🥥 Healthy fats are good for your brain.
🍫 A mood booster
🍌 Vitamin B6- helps with serotonin

Ⓓⓘⓡⓔⓒⓣⓘⓞⓝⓢ :

• Add all the ingredients, except the chocolate, to a blender. Process until smooth

• Add chocolate and stevia to taste.

• You can add half of frozen banana if you’d like.

Credit: Dr. Leslie Korn

𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵.

ᴅᴇꜰɪᴄɪᴇɴᴄɪᴇꜱ ɪɴ ᴠɪᴛᴀᴍɪɴꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍɪɴᴇʀᴀʟꜱ ᴄᴀɴ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀɪʙᴜᴛᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ ɪꜱꜱᴜᴇꜱ.

😔 People with depression are often deficient in vitamin B, vitamin C, calcium, cooper, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc.

𝕴𝖙’𝖘 𝖎𝖒𝖕𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖆𝖑𝖘𝖔 𝖙𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖇𝖔𝖉𝖞 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖔𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖆𝖑 𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖚𝖑𝖙𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖆𝖑 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖑𝖙𝖍 𝖙𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙.

👩🏽‍⚕‍💉 You can take a blood test to determine if you have a deficiency. Please talk to your medical provider.

𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣 & 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 👇🏻

🥚 Vitamin B: whole grains, meat, eggs, milk, cheese, legumes, seeds, nuts, dark leafy vegetables, and fruits

🍊 Vitamin C: oranges, peppers, strawberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and potatoes

🥛 Calcium: milk, cheese, yogurt, green leafy vegetables, and sardines

🍫 Cooper: liver, oysters, spirulina, shiitake mushrooms, nuts, seeds, lobster, leafy greens, and dark chocolate

🦪 Iron: oysters, white beans, dark chocolate, liver, soybeans, lentils, spinach, tofu, and sardines

🥑 Magnesium: black-eyed peas, tempeh, soy nuts, beans, tofu, almonds, cashews, flaxseed, dark chocolate, avocados, salmon, and whole grains

🛁 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐮𝐦.

👉🏻 (See my previous post for a super relaxing detox bath!)

🍌 Potassium: bananas, oranges, cantaloupe, honeydew, apricots, spinach, broccoli, potatoes, sweet potatoes, mushroom, peas, and cucumbers

🥔 Zinc: shellfish, legumes, mushrooms, garlic, kale, seeds, nuts, eggs, whole grains, oysters, crab, beef, and pork

This is meant to be a general guide so please do your own research. For several food sources that can be eaten raw or cooked, it is suggested to cook them in order to absorb more nutrients. I.E., spinach and broccoli.

Source: Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health by: Dr. Leslie Korn

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝕒𝕤 𝕚𝕥 𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕝 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕥𝕙?

ɴᴀᴅɪ ꜱʜᴏᴅʜᴀɴᴀ ᴏʀ ᴀʟᴛᴇʀɴᴀᴛᴇ ɴᴏꜱᴛʀɪʟ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴄᴀɴ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ꜱᴛʀᴇꜱꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀɴxɪᴇᴛʏ.
🧘🏻‍♀‍Breathing exercises are common practices in therapy because they help to signal the brain and nervous system to calm down.

✅ Sometimes people struggle with breathing exercises because they can’t focus, or they dislike the feeling of stillness. I like this breathing technique because it is an active one.

Alternate nostril breathing can help with present awareness, which is beneficial for your overall wellbeing. This means that it helps take you out of your head and into your present surroundings.

💭 This is especially effective for mental health issues because present awareness can be difficult to achieve. For instance, someone with anxiety may have racing thoughts that they can’t control. So, with this present awareness they are giving their brain a job to do, which allows them to focus.

𝚃𝚘 𝚙𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝙽𝚊𝚍𝚒 𝚂𝚑𝚘𝚍𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚊 (𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚕 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐):

1. Sit in a comfortable seated position.

2. Using your thumb, close your right nostril and inhale through your left nostril.

3. Using your ring finger, close your left nostril. Your right nostril should be open. Exhale slowly through your right nostril.

4. Inhale through the right nostril and then close it again.

5. Open your left nostril and exhale slowly.

6. Try this for several minutes.

Tip: Make sure your nose is clear before trying this.

Source: Yoga Journal

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚎𝚡𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚜? 𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 👇🏻

🅆🄷🄰🅃 🅃🄷🄴 🄵🅄🄲🄲🅄🄻🄴🄽🅃!

I think I’m going to use this in my daily vocabulary. It’s so catchy.

I 💜 this tee for several reasons:

🤬 I like the implied cursing. It’s edgy. Cursing can feel cathartic.

🎍 I have developed an affinity for succulents and enjoy caring for them.

😂 Having a sense of humor is a must for my mental health (and yours!).

Sometimes you just have to say f*** it! Another way of putting this is- sometimes you just have to surrender and release control of things. It can feel difficult, especially if you struggle with anxiety. Just remember that it’s about progress, not perfection.

👚 This shirt is a perfect reminder of self-care. Self-care can take many different forms. It can be fun to 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝓀 𝑜𝓊𝓉𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝑜𝓍 and use the creative side of your brain.

Tee: championstee.com

ɪ’ᴅ 💜 ᴛᴏ ʜᴇᴀʀ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜰᴀᴠ ꜱᴇʟꜰ-ᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴘʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴄᴇ. ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛ 👇🏻

ＹＯＧＡ ＝ ＨＥＡＬＴＨ ＆ ＷＥＬＬＮＥＳＳ

𝟧 𝑀𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒶𝓁 𝐻𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓉𝒽 𝐵𝑒𝓃𝑒𝒻𝒾𝓉𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝒴𝑜𝑔𝒶:

1. Reduces symptoms of anxiety, stress, trauma, and depression.
2. Helps you to focus on the present moment.
3. Improves attention and concentration.
4. Creates a sense of belonging and purpose.
5. Helps you to build a stronger relationship with yourself.

🧘🏻‍♀‍ Yoga is a combination of breath and movement, which is optimal for your mental health. It’s also a great way to socialize (another ➕, especially for depression).

🧘🏻‍♀‍ Yoga helps you to shift into your parasympathetic nervous system, which helps you to feel calmer. This is especially helpful for someone, who struggles with anxiety or trauma.

🧘🏻‍♀‍ Yoga can help increase the GABA level in the brain, which is helpful for mental health disorders.

🧘🏻‍♀‍ Yoga helps you to build a stronger relationship with yourself. Non-judgement and compassion are imbedded in the practice. As you improve in your practice, yoga can help you to build more self-confidence.

🧘🏻‍♀‍ Yoga can also help you to build healthier relationships with others. Feeling calmer and more centered can help you to be more patient, understanding, and compassionate. This, in turn, is likely to improve your relationships.

𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒈𝒂.

Here is an example 👇🏻

“A study by researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada and Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School found that participants in a kundalini yoga program showed greater changes in measures of sleep, positive affect, perceived stress, anxiety, stress, and resilience than those who didn’t do yoga.”

(source: https://asutra.com/blogs/asutra-life/top-5-yoga-mental-health-benefit

Yoga is a wonderful way to connect your mind with your body. It is a positive outlet to help your mental health.

Photo credit: Photo by Carl Newton on Unsplash

༺How has yoga helped you?༻

𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝕎𝔸𝕐 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕋ℍ𝕀ℕ𝕂 𝕄𝔸𝕋𝕋𝔼ℝ𝕊.

⃤ Thoughts, feelings, and behavior are connected.

To illustrate this 👇🏻-

Let’s say you find yourself feeling anxious. (feeling). There’s a pretty good chance that you were thinking about something that made you feel anxious (thinking). Now because your anxious, you start biting your nails, pacing, and can’t fall asleep (behavior).

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒕𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒙𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔, 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑻𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺 𝒅𝒊𝒅.

🚫 So, if you don’t want to feel anxious (or at least want it to go ↓), then you need to change or “reframe” your thinking.

ɴᴏᴡ ʟᴇᴛ’ꜱ ᴛʀʏ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ꜱᴘᴇᴄɪꜰɪᴄ ᴇxᴀᴍᴘʟᴇ👇🏻:

𝓑𝓮𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮:
You think, “I can’t stand my boss, he’s an idiot.” (𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉). You feel angry and frustrated (𝒻𝑒𝑒𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈). So, you yell, curse, and kick the door (𝒷𝑒𝒽𝒶𝓋𝒾𝑜𝓇).

👏🏻 👏🏻 You then decide to work on your thinking 🙇🏻‍♀‍ in this situation.

𝓐𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓻:
You think, “My boss has been frustrating to deal with, but also has his strengths.” (𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉). You feel frustrated but not as angry. Maybe you are more accepting and calmer (𝒻𝑒𝑒𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈). You speak with an irritated tone, but you don’t yell, curse, or kick the door. Instead, you decide to go for a run and later ask a friend for advice (𝒷𝑒𝒽𝒶𝓋𝒾𝑜𝓇).

🙇🏻‍♀‍ The SITUATION is still the same, but your THINKING changed. In turn, your feelings and behavior changed (in a positive way ➕).

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙯𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙨.

💜 People, who struggle with mental health issues, often struggle with their thinking patterns.

👉🏻 For instance, someone who has depression 😔 often has negative thinking 🙇🏻‍♀‍ patterns. Someone with an anxiety disorder 😬 often has thoughts that produce anxiety. They may “catastrophize” or think of worst-case scenarios. That is an example of what is known as a “cognitive distortion.”

Improving your thinking, has the power to change your life for the better.

༒• Double tap if you found this post helpful. •༒

https://www.instagram.com/p/CL4rYDADwtR/?igshid=s5jrtsqmg5sb

💫 TRAVELING HERE WAS A DREAM COME TRUE. 🇧🇲 Here I am in beautiful Bermuda. Soaking up the sun. Enjoying the most turquoise water 🌊 I’ve ever seen in my life. Eating delicious food and drinking their signature cocktails 🍹. I even overcame a ＭＡＪＯＲ ＦＥＡＲ Snorkeling that is… I am absolutely terrified of sharks 🦈!!!(👈🏻 even posting this image creeps me out 😳) Before we get to Bermuda, my husband tells me that he wants to snorkel 😬. I am freaking the f*** out, but I decide to conquer my fear and do it ✅. I̲ ̲a̲m̲ ̲f̲r̲e̲a̲k̲i̲n̲g̲ ̲r̲e̲a̲d̲y̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲d̲o̲ ̲t̲h̲i̲s̲ ̲t̲h̲i̲n̲g̲.̲ 🏝 When we get to our resort, the guy who gave us a tour, tells us that sometimes they see sharks 😳. 🏊🏻‍♀‍ So, we spent a few days swimming and I started to feel pretty confident. I was preparing for the BIG DAY. On the BIG DAY, we took a kayak out to a floating dock platform. I stepped onto the dock and stood there a while until I mustered up the courage to lower myself in the water (while holding on for dear life, of course). While near the dock, I eventually got into my snorkel rhythm. After some time, I felt ready to leave the dock, so we swam further out. I had some panicked moments and thought about going back. I fought it. The water was also rough that day, so it made swimming more difficult. Of course, right 🤦🏻‍♀‍?! At times, I was just in the moment. I saw the most beautiful, colorful fish and coral. I even used my underwater camera and snapped pics 📸). I snorkeled for much longer than I would have ever imagined. 🙌🏻 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝑺𝑶 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅! 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓! ⭐️ If you are waiting for the 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 to make a change or face a fear, it may never happen. Don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to not be ready to do something (Heck, it took me over 10 years!), however, it is only an illusion if you think you will ever be truly ready. I took it one step 🩴 at a time, handled each stressful moment as it came, and focused on my goal (seeing beautiful fish and coral). 𝙄 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮. 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙?

𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋 𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐆!

🛁 One of my favorite self-care practices is taking a detox bath. It is unbelievably relaxing and beneficial for your mental health.

🎶 🕯 If you like ambiance, then I recommend listening to relaxing music, lighting candles, and leaving the lights off.

ωнαт уσυ ωιℓℓ ηєє∂:

🧂 2 c Epsom Salt
🍎 1 c Apple Cider Vinegar
🌋 1/2 c Bentonite Clay
💧 5-10 drops of an essential Oil

☆꧁Benefits꧂☆

Epsom salt- has magnesium, which is an essential mineral. It can help with stress, anxiety, and depression

Apple Cider vinegar- helps with dry, itchy skin, as well as other skin conditions. Helps restore the pH balance of your skin.

Bentonite clay- has magnesium. Draws out impurities and toxins, including metals from your skin. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐱 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐡. ➕ An added bonus- you can use it as a face mask, as well as for other uses. Do some research to find the best one.

Lavender Essential Oil: promotes relaxation. Helps with anxiety. Reduces inflammation and promotes hormonal balance. You can use other essential oils also. I’d pick a relaxing scent. My fav brand is .us

Clary Sage Essential Oil: helps your mental health. Can help with depression, fatigue, tension, and stress.

Ⓓⓘⓡⓔⓒⓣⓘⓞⓝⓢ :
Run your bath water, add ingredients, and soak for 20-40 minutes.

Bring a glass of water to sip as you will most likely get thirsty.

This would be great to do before bed as you will be nice and relaxed.

𝐓𝐢𝐩: try using a bath pillow to relax your head.

Photo credit:
Photo by Taryn Elliott from Pexels

Sources:
https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/ultimate-detox-bath/
https://herbsformentalhealth.com/clary-sage/

👉🏻 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕗𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕪 𝕥𝕠 𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕩?

🧑🏻‍🍳 This recipe, “𝑀𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑜 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒞𝑜𝒸𝑜𝓃𝓊𝓉 𝑀𝒾𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓉,” is from the book “Crazy Sexy Kitchen” by Kris Carr & Chef Chad Sarno.

💜 Kris Carr has an inspiring background story about how improving her diet has helped her to manage an uncurable cancer that she was diagnosed with in 2003.

📖 You can read about her story by copying and pasting this link 👉🏻 https://kriscarr.com/meet-kris/ or visit her website kriscarr.com.

🚫 Due to copyright laws, I can’t share the exact recipe, BUT the good news is that I am allowed to share the ingredients.

🌾 Whole grain (quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat, or millet)
🥛 Nondairy milk (I like almond milk)
🥥 Coconut milk
🍭 Sweetener (I used stevia because I had it on hand)
🍦 Vanilla bean or vanilla extract
🥭 Mangos or peaches
🍫 Toppings (dried fruits, nuts, seeds, cinnamon, cacao powder, stevia)

𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙨:

🧠 Coconut milk and almond milk- good for the brain and mood, can help with dementia

😀 Cacao powder- anti-inflammatory, supports the brain, memory, and mood

🚫😢 Vanilla- anti-inflammatory, helps with mental health (I.E. depression) and cognitive functions

😀 Mango- source of vitamin B, can help to boost your mood

🚫😬 Peach- source of magnesium, which helps with stress and anxiety

🧠 Cinnamon- can aid in memory, help with cognitive functioning, and possibly help with anxiety and depression

🥣 So, I tried this recipe 2xs and it is absolutely delicious! It reminds me of rice pudding, but better because of the coconut milk.

The first time I made it I used brown rice and the second time millet. I preferred the texture of the brown rice. It absorbed the coconut milk so well and there was no shortage of flavor! I also experimented with mangos🥭 and peaches 🍑 and liked peaches better.

𝓣𝓲𝓹:
⏰ Allow yourself 30-45 minutes to make this recipe. It took longer than expected and time really depends on the grain you use. Brown rice took longer.

𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 😀

Self-Care isn’t always about doing something. Sometimes it’s just the opposite, "not doing" something. I found myself in this position last weekend because I was physically, emotionally, and mentally drained. I decided I needed to remove anything that wasn’t absolutely necessary. That meant breaking my plans and not doing any chores. It was tough because I felt somewhat guilty, however, I stuck it out because I knew I really needed this. I noticed that my energy and mood improved. Ah, I think I’ll try more of "not doing" something.

Some examples of “not doing" something are:

• Saying “no” to spending time with people, who drain your energy.
• Deciding not to do chores for the day (or several days) because you need the time to relax
• Instead of cooking, order out. It’s a win-win as you don’t have to spend time cooking and there’s no dishes!
• Breaking plans because your mentally, physically, and emotionally drained.
• Telling your friend or family member that you can’t listen to their venting or negativity.
• Avoiding watching the news or anything that stresses you out more

What is your favorite thing to “not do”?

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One positive thing about is that it’s allowed me to complete a Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training virtually with a school in India. Pre-covid, they were not allowed to teach virtually. What I love about Kundalini Yoga is that it allows you to connect your breath (prana) with poses (asanas). This combination allows for optimal relaxation. I love how I feel when I engage in this practice, so I want to teach it to others. I am committed to incorporating yoga into counseling sessions because I know that it can help so much. I am going to start teaching specific practices that would be most helpful for issues such as anxiety, depression, and stress. Follow my Instagram account if you want to learn more about how yoga can help your mental health.


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Communication does NOT always work.

Here are some possible reasons:

~ There is an unsupportive response (critical, negative, or invalidating).
~ You or the other person struggle with managing difficult emotions.
~ An issue that interferes (trauma, attention-span issues, cognitive deficit, anxiety).
~ It took place at the wrong time (you and/or the other person is in a bad mood, time constraints, distractions)
~ Being fearful of the other person’s response or the consequences.

Communication is different than simply stating your opinions or feelings. It involves one person talking, one person actively listening. The good news is that many communication issues are fixable. However, BOTH parties need to be willing to fix them- it’s a two-way street! If you are doing your part and it’s still not working, consider this- ⭐️ IT MAY NOT BE YOU! and this- ⭐️ THE OTHER PERSON MAY JUST NOT BE CAPABLE!

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HELLO!

My name is Melissa Wetherington and I am a therapist. I 💜 helping people! I noticed that many people struggle with their mood and motivation this time of the year so I wanted to help. I created a FREE GUIDE to help you feel better. Please note- although the guide is geared towards winter, it can help you feel better, in general.

Click 👇🏼

Fill in your name and email

AND

just like ✨ you will receive an 5 awesome ways to help you feel better!

Please SHARE, SHARE, SHARE!

https://view.flodesk.com/pages/600df5b070c6888129468cff

I’m a quotes-kind-of-woman. I turn to them for inspiration, healing, and hope. Some quotes are short and yet capture the essence of something incredibly powerful. Words are powerful. This particular quote, “Be the Change You Wish to See in the World” by: Mahatma Gandhi may just be my favorite one. To me, it’s saying you can’t change other people, BUT you have the POWER to change yourself. Be the kind of person you wish others would be. It’s amazingly empowering.

What is your favorite quote? Comment below.
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