Mindfulness at home.
You probably know one or know someone who is worrying about one. If you don’t know one, let me introduce you to the average emerging adult in this “great again” first-world country of ours. You see I have a special seat the Hogwarts-banquet-turned-Hunger Games. I’m a psychotherapist and I work…
Practicing letting go is one of the foundations of mindfulness. But how is it done? What does it mean? It could mean letting go of a disappointment from the past, a relationship that’s not working out, or it could mean letting go of a plan to change someone or something. Letting…
For many young adults starting life with mountains of student debt, owing a debt of gratitude can be the straw that breaks the camels back. Can you remember feeling gratitude as a young adult? Maybe you were having the time of your life at a concert. Perhaps you were taking…
What is an emerging adult? Most adult development experts agree that emerging adulthood is the life period between the late teen years and the early thirties. Undoubtedly, some of us reach the stage of “established adulthood” much sooner. But the current cohort of young adults- those brave souls on the frontier…
Last night at dusk I found myself in search of the elusive woodcock. Encouraged by friends who are avid birdwatchers, my family left the the parking lot of our local Audubon Center and set out about a half-mile into the slushy April woods of our Southeastern Massachusetts home. There were about…
What comes to mind when you hear the word easy? maybe a single-digit math problem, or a six-piece puzzle? Perhaps a recipe with four ingredients. When it comes to the word ease, however, it’s not so simple to pull up a visual. Ease is more of a feeling, more of…
The other day I mentioned that I felt guilty after taking a nap. Luckily I have some kind friends who answered with loving responses, encouraging me to rest. If only our culture would do the same. If only we were allowed, like bears, to turn off our metabolism, tuck in…
In Dickens’ timeless Christmas Carol we meet Ebenezer Scrooge, a joyless bachelor who just can’t seem to muster one drop of generosity for any being on earth, not even his amiable nephew, Fred. In spite of Ebenezer’s outright hostile response to his nephew’s invitation to Christmas dinner, Fred remains steadfast in his kindness toward his…
Thanks to Constance Ray from Recovery Well for this informative guest post! 4 Tips for Keeping the Holidays Civil to Beat Stress The holiday season is a time for celebration, fun, and food. Unfortunately, it is also a time for family members to come together and discuss sensitive issues such as politics, beliefs,…
My daughter and I often joke about people (usually men) telling women to “smile more.” We make sarcastic jabs about this slimy suggestion camouflaged as sage advice. It’s our way of trying to laugh off the subtle sexism – of trying to feel tough. I’m not feeling so tough today….
Let things be unfinished. Stop folding the laundry and go to bed. Leave the dishes and take a walk with a friend. One of the central tenets of the Japanese art of Wabi Sabi is that nothing is ever finished. Think about this idea for a second or two….Isn’t…
There’s no way around it. It’s difficult to be in the present moment if you don’t pay attention to your physical needs – including movement. You and your child need not be a part of an organized team to enjoy moving your body. Studies show that physical exercise increases cognitive…
