Recently, several clients have been asking for help to increase their self-esteem so I thought this might be a good time to have a blog about it.
First, it’s important to understand that this will not happen over night and a lot of these things will need to be done over and over again before you start to notice their impact.
Second, one size doesn’t fit all. Experiment and add subtract things as necessary.
This is in no way a checklist; it’s just a place to start. No one can do this for you, so you have to decide that you are willing to really work to make some thoughtful choices that could bring some positivity your way. I dare you to really try this for a month and see what happens. 🙂
Wouldn’t it be great to be smarter, reduce your stress and look better naked?! Two words….
In the last few years researchers like the joint venture between Bender Institute of Neuroimaging in Germany and the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the US Dept. of Health and Human Services have been looking at the positive impacts of mindfulness meditation.
Mindful meditation is simply quietly and paying attention to what you are experiencing. Taking a few minutes to quiet the chatter in your mind in order to pay attention to what is happening in your mind.
There are A LOT of different ways to get started with mindful meditation. There are free videos on YouTube, there are websites like freemindfullness.org, apps free and paid and all good ways to get started.
Initially, the research was intriguing to me but I tried a couple of different meditations from Deepak Chopra and I just couldn’t get into it and I was convinced that it just didn’t work on me. But since I’m curious (and stubborn), I wanted to try again. When I stumbled on a training for therapists on meditation, it sounded perfect. It was a really good and I learned about posture and breathing, ect. All of which is important but the single biggest take away was patience.
The trainer made an analogy between the brain and a 2 year old. He said that 2 year olds like to run around, play and make noise and that our brains are just like that. He also reminded us that when you yell and scream at a 2 year old, that doesn’t make them be quiet and still and that doesn’t work on your brain either. Basically, when not if you get distracted, you just redirect yourself back to the focus you are looking for (which is typically your breath). Yes, it’s that simple.
It takes a little practice and there will be days when your 2 year old will not cooperate. But trust me, if I can do it so can you.
There are no side effects, no risks and it is FREE!! The only thing it will cost you is 5 - 15 minutes a day. Your health, well-being and the people around you will be better off if you give this a real try.
It is with a mix of excitement and sadness that today, just one month shy of my 4 year anniversary, I say goodbye to the office that started it all and hello a new office. I'm so grateful to have had the support and community that I have experienced here and I look forward to the new home we will create in our new space!
We are making the very short move from the intersection of Capital of TX Hwy and Westbank Drive to the opposite end of Westank Dr where it meets Bee Cave. The address: 3701 Bee Caves Rd, Suite 103, Austin, TX 78746. I'll see you there!!
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I don’t know about you but I usually feel like if I don’t do something myself, it probably won’t get done. About a lot of stuff that might be true. Work/school, keeping up with family and friends, making sure bills are paid time, etc. But where does it all end? The truth is, it doesn’t.
The fourth anniversary of my private practice is coming up in October. I tell you that not to brag but to humbly share, after all you are why I’m here and how I have been able to live this dream. At the end of last year (2015), I was tired, stressed, sad and disappointed. I was so grateful for my business but so run down by it, I wasn’t enjoying much. I promised myself that 2016 and all the years after would be different. Vowing to make self-care an actual priority, not just a theoretical one, I made a list of promises.
I tell you about my personal battle with time off because I don’t think I’m alone in it at all!! I know that I represent the rule instead of the exception. We ALL deserve and NEED time off in order to be better at school/work, friends and family and whatever else we do that gets us out of bed each day.
If we aren’t giving our best to our lives, what is the point? If I can’t give my best at work, did I really help anyone? If I am phoning it in with my family, will they really feel like I love them and love being part of their lives?
I guess the real question becomes, can you afford NOT to take some time off? For me that answer is no and I hope you really think about your answer.