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Depression Sucks: 7 Questions That Can Help

Posted by on May 14, 2015 in Uncategorized | 1 comment

Depression Sucks: 7 Questions That Can Help

Depression. It sucks. Here’s my new working definition of depression: Can’t let go of the past, can’t move on towards the future, so might as well hate yourself in the present. Depression results in painful sensation in the body* that we attach meaning to such as:      why bother with anything    you will never feel joy again    nothing is satisfying    life is meaningless    you are broken and there is no fix In addition depression can disrupt:    Sleep    Relationships    The ability to work/go to school    Appetite    The ability to care for one’s self    The ability to care for others The ability to do everyday tasks Inherent in all of...

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Ending the Torment of Regret

Posted by on Feb 24, 2015 in Uncategorized | 2 comments

Ending the Torment of Regret

This is real life. You will be asked to make decisions that will bring you to your knees. You will wrestle and grapple with whatever it is. You will shed tears of agony and pain and then… You will choose, because you must. You will do the very best you can in that moment. And then…. Regret will set in. It may creep in slowly, or it may hit you like a bullet train. Your mind will tell you stories about how the other choice would have been better. The other choice would have had less suffering. The other choice would have been right, good, and happy. Your ego will judge you with the weight of 100,000 elephants crushing your soul. You’re stupid You should have known better...

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Hiking With My Son ~ A Mindfulness Practice

Posted by on Nov 22, 2014 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

Hiking With My Son ~ A Mindfulness Practice

It’s one hundred degrees in town and the ninety-degree temperature at my house in the mountains feels almost cool in comparison. I decide it’s a perfect day to take my 2-year old son Xavier for a hike.   I know the spot well; a flat trail with spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains in the state park just a few miles away.  As soon as we hit the trail he starts running. Fast. I know what’s coming next and cringe. He falls. It seems to hurt me more than it does him. He jumps up and keeps running. He trips again, this time a full-face plant. I rush over to him, and then back off as he pops back up, mouth covered in dirt. We continue this way, stopping occasionally to...

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I Want My Tiger! ~ Using NVC with Toddlers

Posted by on Nov 22, 2014 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

I Want My Tiger! ~ Using NVC with Toddlers

My 2 ½ year old wakes up grumpy. I have no idea where he gets that. This morning, he climbed in to bed with me, stepping on my head along the way, and started whining that I needed to go and get his tiger, blanket, armadillo, monkey, and water, which were all still in his bed. My first thought was, “If all of that is in your bed, and you want it, why not just stay in your bed?” Instead of saying that out loud, however, I got up, and went to get the gang for him. As I lay back down, he took the tiger and threw it, and then proceeded to cry, “I want my tiger!” “I WANT my tiger!”   To say I was irritated is an under-statement.   “I just gave you your tiger.” “I...

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How Thought Labeling Can Reduce Anxiety

Posted by on Oct 13, 2014 in Uncategorized | 1 comment

I am on a hike with my husband and 4-year-old son. We are doing a loop, and we’ve got about a quarter mile left, which is all uphill. We stop for some water and snacks to fuel up for the last stretch. My son sits happily eating a Lara bar. “Look at this ant Momma!” he says. I respond, but it’s halfhearted if I’m honest, as my attention has been pulled elsewhere. The sky is getting dark and the clouds are moving swiftly. The sun seems to have vanished. “It’s going to rain,” I think to myself. Then my mind is off and running. “We’re going to get soaked!” “He’s going to be miserable.”...

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