Anxiety, like ice cream, comes in an infinity of flavors. And like ice cream, it’s hard to go through life without. What's your flavor of anxiety? Is it worst-case scenario anxiety, "I'm going to fail" anxiety, control anxiety, "I'm a bad person" anxiety, or a five-scoop sundae of multiple flavors? Explore some of the different flavors of anxiety, and a few skills you can use in response.
You’ve seen The Good Place, right? Chidi’s decision paralysis is a running joke throughout all four seasons. We chuckle at Chidi as he takes an hour to decide on his breakfast muffin, and groan with laughter when his indecision leads to his demise, or to a fabulous pair of boots. But when people are in my office struggling with decision making, it’s no joke…they’re in a lot of pain. Fear of the unknown, avoidance of feeling hard feelings, lack of trust in ourselves, and our analytical mind are just a few of the contributors to decision making challenges.
Self-confidence. You want to feel more confident, and worry because you don’t. You want to like yourself more and question and doubt yourself less. When you’re low on confidence life can get pretty miserable. Not liking yourself is painful and lonely, and you deserve something different. Let’s take some of the mystery out of self-confidence by breaking it down into a few of its more sneaky, hidden aspects.
What happens when you hear the word “mindfulness?” Do you roll your eyes a little bit? I get it…even as a therapist who uses a ton of mindfulness in my practice, I sometimes have a reaction to the word "mindfulness." It’s too bad that the word can get a little eye roll-y, because it’s such a crucial skill in healing and growth. So can we talk about it, even though it means I’ll have to use the word a bunch more times?