The holiday season is upon us and my mind has already started reeling with gift ideas, menus, travel plans and the like. I have to confess to you (and laugh a little at myself) because I just started reading a book about enjoying the present instead of trying to make experiences perfect. I smile thinking […]
One of my best friends jokingly says in new situations, “Lower your expectations…and then lower them again.” I remember many years ago meeting up with my friend for lunch in our busy metropolis and as I sat across from her and told her I was having trouble finding good places to eat, a hairdresser and […]
Thanksgiving is upon us and I am personally trying to focus on choosing joy, gratitude and the experiences I want to have during the holidays. After all, how I feel and most of what I do boils down to choice. If you think about it, you make dozens of decisions every day. You choose what […]
I am pleased to say that after several decades on the planet I have learned some things about how to at least try and enjoy the holidays. The summation of what I have gleaned is this: Don’t do too much and set your expectations well ahead of time. The “don’t do too much” is a […]
We all know deep down inside that the only constant is change, though most of us don’t like to admit it. Change is hard. We don’t like uncertainty and even if we are not planners or “type-A” personalities, most of us want to know what is coming next so we can at least prepare mentally […]
Anxiety steals your present and your future in different ways. It steals your present in that it affects your mind and body in the moment. If you are feeling anxious or thinking anxious thoughts, you are not fully engaged in the life that is unfolding around you. And you really cannot be, because you are […]
An undercurrent of anxiety exists in America nowadays and is perhaps more invasive than ever before. We worry more, work more, take more anxiety meds, sleep less and are constantly glued to screens of all sizes. Speaking of screens, we have basically become one with our phones, these tiny devices glued to our hands we […]
Later in this piece I will share a little bit of my story of discovering and practicing mindfulness. However, I wanted to share some practical ways to begin practicing mindfulness in your own life today. Here are a couple: 1) Yoga: yoga focuses on physical components — such as body postures, breathing techniques, and relaxation […]
Mindfulness has been a buzz word in the therapeutic community for as long as I can remember. There are books, classes and trainings on it and many therapists choose to focus on mindfulness not only with clients, but also in their personal lives—myself included. According to Psychology Today, mindfulness is “a state of active, open […]
Without sharing all of my life’s dirty laundry, let me just say that letting go is something I have struggled with in the past—especially when people have deeply hurt me. I think we all have at least one person be it a family member, friend or lover who has hurt us emotionally in ways that […]
