Kate McCann, LMHC

https://www.katemccannlmhc.com/post/how-to-communicate-effectively

How to communicate effectively This is my favorite thing to work with! Express what you need while feeling assured you will be heard with assertive communication:Follow the three steps of • FACT • FEELING • FIXFirst, filter out unhelpful things (name calling, generalizing, vagueness) with the specific, observable FACTS of t...

How to form a habit:

How to build a habit Building a habit takes reps: you've got the old neural pathways which hold the automated old habit (this is what makes it so easy to get to the grocery store, you barely have to think about it because you have laid down the track of that repeated route in your brain cells), which you need to overrid...

How to build a meditation practice Simple: check out Mindful.org's weekly 12-Minute Meditation podcast. These are terrific meditations, with a wide range of teachers and topics. How to make it a practice? Take a week to pay attention to when you have a little pocket of time. I fit mine in on Saturday mornings after the first dog walk...

Highly recommended! -- Metta Wellness in Paxton. Healing reiki for energy balancing by the very lovely and grounding Heather.

Now is the time! Capture the "New Year New You" energy of this time of year! Us humans love NEW, it fascinates and engages us so go ahead and lean into it! Buy journals, new pens, and stockpile all of those lists about New Habits, New Nutrition, New Self-Care, and then dole them out to yourself over the course of 20...

"For Women With Money Issues, an A.D.H.D. Diagnosis Can Be Revelatory" from The New York Times If you have ever wondered if you might have ADHD, but wondered about the benefit of getting a diagnosis -- read this article. It clearly describes the impulse and regulation challenges of ADHD and their negative consequences. Over and over, I see what a relief a diagnosis and medication can be for c...

A lovely little solution to feeling lonely This sweet New York Times article demonstrates how connection is a powerful antidote for loneliness. In college, I remember how anchoring and uplifting my morning walk was, exchanging 'good mornings! with the business owners who knew me. Now, a morning dog walk is even better with just a little wave...

How to transition mental health support as a college freshman This is an important article in the Globe regarding treating serious mental health issues in high school. The author, Jasmine Wynn, is described as a "political activist based in New York. She is an incoming freshman at Harvard University" so this makes me hope that she is able to transition her imp...

How to reduce your eco-anxiety A timely, helpful, and inspiring newsletter from Dan Harris's excellent 10 Percent Happier mindfulness site. I am taking inspiration from author Jay Michaelson's advice to "find the Venn diagram overlap of what needs doing, what you’re good at, and what brings you joy:" --What needs doing? individ...

How to make friends as an adult The Times has a lovely series on friendship, including this great interview with psychologist Marisa Franco, author of “Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make — and Keep — Friends." Here's an essential excerpt for this Massachusetts-holiday Monday — so start texting! For t...

How to build a mindfulness or meditation practice Two lovely resources: 1) start with the wonderful basics of Peace Is Every Step by Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn. Read a suggested mindfulness practice every day like I breathe in and relax my body I breathe out and I smile I dwell in this present moment This is a wonderful moment 2) participate in....

How to "Hold It Together" What a smart feature from The New York Times -- a range of different people weigh in with their real-life 'hold it together' tips! I really love Times wellness reporter Alisha Haridasani Gupta's suggestions this week -- a pleasant alarm clock, an engaging morning coffee ritual, gua sha (I need to gi...

How to introvert The coziest picture of introverting ever, thanks to the Oatmeal.

How to get started on decluttering This article is everything! There is a big overlap between mental health issues and the state of your home -- when I used to do home-based therapy, I would walk into someone's living room or kitchen and just think, "ah, this is how their brain works." If you're depressed, which comes with symptoms o...

How to make it through the holidays This is a very busy and emotional time, at the end of a year when we jumped back into life full-time after being in various forms of shutdown for two years. That is the equivalent of sitting on your sofa for a year, running a marathon, and then having to do hurdles for the last 400 meters. It has it...

How to help someone who is grieving Concrete do's and don't's for anyone who has lost someone, especially a parent, this holiday season from the Globe's Kara Baskin. And a wonderful grief support: Hope Lives Here, helping people "make connections with others who are also struggling with loss by providing support in the form of outreac...

How to set healthy boundaries Topher Payne's fix of "The Giving Tree" is a perfect example and it will still give you a good cry at the end. Setting healthy boundaries is a very important part of giving. It assures you'll always have something left to give.

How to avoid "hang-xiety" This New York Times article does a great job breaking down why drinking alcohol can cause anxiety, including mid-sleep panic attacks. Whether it's drinking to cover up anxiety that resurfaces later, or your chemical balance struggling to re-right itself, the answer to how to avoid hang-anxiety is to...

How to improve your sleep Start a regular ritual -- we cue babies to sleep with goodnight routines because we want them to know it's time to settle down and get sleepy (thank you Margaret Wise Brown!). You can cue your own brain to sleep with a regular calming ritual: Start with gentle yoga stretches -- Mountain Pose, a soft...

How to beat an urge or a bad mood Cultivate these 'things to do' lists! Camille Styles's Rainy Day list is a good example of this. Whether you're trying to break a bad habit, get out of a depressive or anxious spiral, or get sober, it's hard to simply stop doing something--that can lead to obsessing over the thing you're trying to r...

How to be an introvert without guilt I adore Courtney Carver's Simplicity Space newsletter, Weekend Favorites. This weekend she has a great post on how to get healthy and happy with being an introvert: "It wasn’t until I began to simplify my life, and create more time for solo-walks, long writing sessions, and other quiet, thoughtful...

How to learn more about "the complex experience of being autistic" and immerse yourself in a wonderful read: "Audible’s Electricity of Every Living Thing is a rich sensory landscape, recorded in binaural sound which aims to immerse listeners in the walk, and in the complex experience of being autistic. Original music and sound composed by Calum Perrin creates an ...

How to get help and info in Massachusetts: Mass211 Look at all those categories!! Call or browse Mass 211 for "information about critical health and human services available in their community. It serves as a resource for finding government benefits and services, nonprofit organizations, support groups, volunteer opportunities, donation programs, an...

How to get help right now: dial 988 Dial 988 for 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.

How to relax your shoulders right this minute There are some especially magical spots on our beautiful planet. Star Island among New Hampshire's Isle of Shoals is one of them. I watch this live cam for a few minutes at the end of every work day and without fail I involuntarily let out a big sigh and feel my shoulders relax. Being there is even....

What is a panic attack and five things to do if you have one Whenever I teach clients how to help themselves with a panic attack, they often say, "If only they taught that in schools!" And I wish we did! If a professional tennis player and a Good Morning America journalist can get taken by surprise, it's clear we all need help with identifying and coping with...

How to stop endless social media scrolling One of the problems with social media is that there is no end cue -- no chapters, no page breaks, no credits rolling. So, create your own by liking a very positive page or group -- mine is Disapproving Corgis on Facebook -- and when you see a post from that group in your feed, it's time to stop! Now...

How to learn a little more about meditation Here's a beautiful description in this Globe article about why and how meditation is helpful: The 2,000-year-old practice that saved me I became a physician to tend to the broken. And then I needed healing of my own. By Arjun V.K. Sharma Updated April 30, 2022, 3:00 a.m. I draw in a long breath and....

How to give yourself a reset when you can't focus Take a break from what we aren't designed to focus on -- screens -- and give yourself a truly restful and reenergizing break with a "Green Gazing" meditation. This comes from Micah Mortali, the director of the wonderful Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health's School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership. I am go...

How to explore being"sober-curious" An excellent list of sober-curious books, and a great way to consider reducing or stopping drinking. If you've ever wondered if your drinking is a problem, this is a good assessment tool. And if you're looking for help, in Massachusetts the Substance Abuse Helpline is a great resource. Outside of Ma...