(A Blog About Mental Health)
Just like Amy Poehler, anxiety loves a good hang. It has it's favorite haunts, its well-trod paths, and its daily habits and comfort zones. Come with me and we'll check out why, and see what to do—and what not to do—with this persistent companion.
Ugh, talking to people?! It's the worst, right? And, it's something we all have to figure out how to do. Let's talk about values, communication wizardry, and why the emotional equivalent of texting and driving is a really bad idea.
The word “acceptance” can bring up strong reactions for people, as we mostly use the term in a very non-accepting way. In ACT and in many contemplative practices, acceptance is part of the process of living—to be able to witness, feel, observe, soften around, and make space for difficult internal experiences. Acceptance is important because it frees up a bunch of fight and struggle energy so you can instead put your efforts into things you care about. It's not easy...but you're tougher than you think.
It's easy to feel unsteady and unbalanced these days, or, to use a therapy term, dysregulated. Dysregulation’s aspirational twin is “emotionally regulated,” and often people come into therapy with a goal of better emotion regulation. But what are we really saying when we talk about the regulation and dysregulation of emotion? And what can help us stay regulated when everything feels out of control?