In this season of all things spooky, it seems logical to think of fear as a choice. We can put ourselves in positions to be intentionally scared, or if we’re caught off guard, we catch our breath and laugh it off. Nothing to actually fear, right? So we push it away.
Truth is, we’re all kind of scared, though. No really, pretty much all of us, and it doesn’t have anything to do with black cats or skeletons or goblins, et. al. Read More
You know what it feels like to be worried about something, right? The way that your mind becomes preoccupied with thoughts of various scenarios (usually more with the worst cases), the way your body clenches and hunches and your breath pretty much disappears. Worry, and its good friends anxiety and fear, draw our attention away from our bodies and almost completely into our minds, while simultaneously asking our bodies to do a whole lot of work.
Kind of like when a friend asks you to hold something for them for a second, and then forgets they asked and eventually, you’re just standing there with aching arms. That’s your body holding your “stuff” for you. And it’s down for it, you know? Read More
People come to me to learn about mindfulness for lots of different reasons. Sometimes they’re stressed, sometimes they want to supplement a wellness practice they already have, sometimes they just heard it’s cool and are curious. Lately, there’s been a theme to the inquiries, though. In a nutshell, I’ll call it “mindfulness in the moment.” I’m hearing from a lot of you in the hours or moments before a big exam, presentation, or other stressful experience that you know is coming (there are plenty that we don’t, right?), asking for tips to manage the anxiety within as the clock approaches go-time.
I’m always happy to receive these requests. Read More
