Rindie Eagle, MA, LPCC
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Board Approved Supervisor LPCC/Master ART Practitioner/Certified HeartMath Biofeedback

From Around the Web







 Although the concept of Mindfulness is thousands of years old, the demand for a practice that calls us back to the present moment may be even more significant today. With the advent of technology, you may notice an increased challenge to stay focused and present. While you may love the connectivity provided by social media and smartphones, you often feel your attention is fragmented. Adding constant stimuli to an ever-active, stressed brain may make you feel burned out, agitated, and emotionally reactive. 
If you are grappling with mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, OCD, CPTSD, and ADHD, it is common to experience feelings of frustration, overwhelm, and a lack of control.
To increase balance and emotional well-being in our lives, Mindfulness has gained recognition as a transformative practice in many spaces. Practicing Mindfulness boasts improved emotional regulation, stress reduction, greater focus, and more self-compassion in coping with day-to-day scenarios. 
What is Mindfulness?
  Mindfulness is the practice of non-judgemental awareness and observation of the present moment. You develop resilience and focus as you train your mind to stay in the present, observing your inner and outer experiences non-judgmentally.
How does Mindfulness help deal with mental health?

Enhanced Self-awareness: Mindfulness helps you become more aware and attuned to your thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations. As you notice the arising of these occurrences, you can observe them with non-judgment.

Emotional regulation: As self-awareness improves, you develop a better relationship with your emotions. Mindfulness allows you to observe and respond to emotions with greater clarity and less impulsivity and reactivity, prompting

Link to Original Post - ART Blog

Yes, you’re suffering from trauma. As trauma is a universal part of life, you have suffered or are suffering from its impact. Therapists have referred to types of trauma as “little T” trauma or “Big T” trauma to discuss the severity of its impact. 
Trauma is an emotional response to a distressing event where we perceive ourselves as “unsafe”. During trauma, your body enters a state of arousal, fight or flight as your brain scans for signs of danger.
When we hear the word “trauma,” it is common to think of experiences in war, natural disasters, sexual abuse, neglect, or violence. However, even if you are someone who has never experienced any of these occurrences, you are still most likely affected by the effects of trauma in your life. Your day-to-day experiences, including your ability to emotionally regulate and control your stress. 
“Little t” traumas, or “microtraumas,” can often occur in even the most emotionally healthy childhoods, as you lacked a comprehensive understanding of events you were experiencing as a child. 
For example, If you were a child playing with a toy and accidentally broke it. Your parent comes in, sees the broken toy, and they become angry, scolding and yelling at you. At this age, you rely on your parent to feed, clothe and keep you safe. Your young mind may experience your parent’s intense anger to mean you are “bad” or “unlovable.” This simple experience can be indirectly perceived as a life-threatening situation. On an unconscious or preverbal level, you may think

Link to Original Post - ART Blog

self-care while mourning

Grief is an all-too-familiar feeling during this period, and even more so than usual. Grief is hard. It is personal. It knows no bounds, does not come in any particular shape or size, and there is no one right way to get through it (if one ever truly does).

To all those who are grieving, I see you, and I am with you. I urge you to take care of yourself and remember that you are not alone in this. We won’t go into a full-fledged therapy session here, but I can share some ways to care for yourself during this tough time and express my solidarity.

Here are five ways to practice self-care while grieving:

1) Connection

Connection is always key; even when it is simply being in a room with another human and not saying a word.

2) Connection

Bereavement groups are incredibly helpful and very often underutilized. To be in a group of others that are going through similar phases of grief can be invaluable to your healing and provide you with a built-in support network. Having that connection and knowing you’re not alone can really help you embrace your feelings rather than push them away.

3) Connection

Connect to something greater. Get some fresh air. Take walks. Connect to your higher power. Do volunteer work.

4) Connection

Connect to your feelings by journaling. You can write letters to your loss, journal about the loss, or express your thoughts and feelings about grief in the way that is most comfortable for you. The act of letting the thoughts and feelings flow out of you can be a healthy release.

5) Connection

Connect to what is good about life. Watch your favorite funny movies or comedians. Look at cute pictures of babies and puppies. Think of a time your loved one made you laugh. Laughter is the best medicine, they say. So, even if it is only for a moment, let yourself connect to what is good in life.

I am sure by now you are sensing a theme. You are insightful and would be correct. We care for ourselves by connecting. If you are curious about some of the scientific research related to the protective and healing effects of connection during loss, I have linked a great article below. Most of the time, you may not want to connect. You may lack the energy or find it is easier to stay home. I encourage you to reframe connection as caring for yourself with the possibility that in doing so, you may feel better sooner.

“Psychosocial factors that appear to help buffer the negative effects associated with interpersonal loss include social support (186–188), secure attachment style (46, 189), positive emotions (129, 188, 190), optimism (191), cognitive flexibility (including positive reappraisal and acceptance) (192), and spirituality, including religiosity (193).” (Seiler et al., 2020)

Frontiers | The Psychobiology of Bereavement and Health: A Conceptual Review From the Perspective of Social Signal Transduction Theory of Depression

Unfortunately, no one possesses a cure for grief. The only remedy is to go through it. Just know that we do not have to go through it alone. Reach out to your local counselor for support or find your nearest grief support group if you are struggling.

does grief ever get better

Encouraging Results through honesty and empowerment.

References:

Seiler, A., von Känel, R., & Slavich, G. M. (2020). The psychobiology of bereavement and health: A conceptual review from the perspective of social signal transduction theory of depression. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.565239

Link to Original Post - ART Blog

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The post 6 things all successful people do appeared first on tonyrobbins.com.

Link to Original Post - ART Blog

The word “fat” gets a bad rap. The truth is, we need some fat in our diet to perform at our optimum level. To fuel for peak performance, you first need to understand what are good fats and bad fats. Good fats are heart-healthy and a great source of energy. They are a key part […]
The post Fuel up with good fats for an extraordinary life appeared first on tonyrobbins.com.

Link to Original Post - ART Blog

Work stress: We’ve all felt it, especially in today’s environment. Working from home may be convenient, but it can also mean that spouses and children interrupt. Large companies seem to be laying off workers in droves, and uncertainty about the economy can add to our own stress as we wonder if we’re next. Everything seems […]
The post How to deal with work stress appeared first on tonyrobbins.com.

Link to Original Post - ART Blog

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