Not a day passes without me looking at my children—at least once—and thinking, “How am I a mom?” Obviously, I know how I’m a mom, but I am often flabbergasted by the enormous task I’ve been given of raising two small humans. From what I’ve heard from other moms, I think it’s pretty common to be told …
Self-Care
To Feel is Human
Recently, I was at my parents’ house, and they decided to put on old home videos of my sisters and I when we were small children. Most of their videos seem to be of us opening our presents each Christmas. These videos all seem to be pretty much the same, with the exception of us …
A Reflection on Holiday Cards
I love a good holiday card. Growing up, my sisters and I would eagerly comb through the mail each day, looking for cards from friends and family both near and far, and take turns opening each card. There were the cards we looked forward to every year: those from our best friends’ families, the card …
Managing Anxiety at Work
The workplace can serve as a perfect escape from anxiety that we experience outside of our jobs. It can provide us with distraction; if we feel competent in our jobs, it can give us a feeling of control over our world; it can provide us a place to channel our passions and talents. But what …
Counterintuitive Ways of Coping with Anxiety
Ahh, anxiety. The little devil on our shoulder that can show up when we least expect it, even when nothing in our lives seems to warrant it. It’s that pesky pest, that vengeful monster, that taunts us and tells us something is wrong and that we should be very, very afraid. It can give us …
On Fearing Rejection…
“The fear of rejection is worse than rejection itself.” – Nora Profit Oh my goodness, can anyone else relate to this quote?! How much of our anxiety is centered around being rejected in some way, shape, or form by others? How much do we change ourselves, how we live, and how we relate to others …
Toxic Friendships
When I was in third grade, I had a friend who I’ll call Sally. I haven’t spoken to this person in over 25 years—we’re not even friends on Facebook—but I can remember her face, and more significantly, how our friendship made me feel. I met Sally at school, and we lived close enough to each …
For Those Who Hate Confrontation…
I hate confrontation. As a lifelong people-pleaser, anytime an issue arises that forces me to have what I perceive to be a difficult conversation with someone, I notice my heart rate instantly speed up and my palms get sweaty. This happens even with the people who are closest to me, and who I know are …
Freedom
Happy September! I feel like it was just yesterday that I was planning and writing about the content I’d be sharing this year, and now here we are, wrapping up the last quarter of the year! I’ve been brainstorming content I’d like to share with you all in 2020, and I’m excited about what’s in …
Am I in Love with the Wrong Person?
Amanda arrived for her first counseling appointment. She sat down on the couch, handed in her opening paperwork, and immediately burst into tears. After a few minutes, she was able to explain what had brought her to counseling. She was afraid she was in love with “the wrong man.” Amanda was a bright, attractive woman …