On May 24, 2016 I will presented a webinar for the Canadian Diabetes Association regarding Diabetes Burnout. The link to the recording is here: Diabetes Burnout: What It Is and How to Beat It Please take a look to learn about the common signs and symptoms that you might experience during burnout (from diabetes or any chronic condition). I also discuss some strategies you can use for coping and for prevention.
It is challenging for many of us to strike the ideal balance between engagement in life and managing our energy. With health issues, this becomes a vital balancing act. If you push yourself too much, you might feel the effects reverberating for days or weeks. Although it can be enlivening to participate in outings and events, it is important to find ways to do so that support your overall well being. One of those ways is to choose to sometimes skillfully say "no". Here are five ways…
In this month's video, I discuss two more thinking styles - All or Nothing Thinking and Overgeneralization and how you can work with these patterns.
Our lives are full of emotions and when we pay attention, we quickly see that those emotions are ever-changing and fluid. That is a powerful awareness to have. Each and every emotional experience will come and go and need not be feared nor clung to. In my mind, there is great freedom in this awareness. It puts a decidedly positive spin on being "emotionally unstable". We are all emotionally unstable.
Our bodies hold tension that arises from the pressures of day to day life. Frequently, we are not even aware of these tight spots until we intentionally engage in a stress relieving activity such as yoga or getting a massage. However, the ability to let go of the habitual tension in the muscles allows us a greater sense of relaxation and ease. When we feel more in control of the relaxation response, we are better able to respond with skillful and purposeful action to the inevitable challenges that arise.…
There is increasing research on the positive benefits of play for both adults and children alike. Often we become detached from the playful dimensions of ourselves as we get older. Yet engaging in play boosts both physical and mental health as outlined in this article from Psych Central. Finding opportunities for play can be tough enough in the midst of regular adult life and it frequently becomes even less of a priority when illness is present. It might feel frivolous or indulgent (or just too much work!) to nurture a playful…
In today's Live and Learn video, I discuss how we all have automatic ways of thinking that can sometimes cause us problems. Luckily, there are strategies we can learn to use to combat these unhelpful thinking styles (aka cognitive distortions). https://youtu.be/9xHhV9TyTt8
As the Easter holidays have just passed, it's a good time to contemplate the role of faith in our lives. Although the specifics of faith can take many forms, having a belief system is a strong source of hope when we are struggling. Just as we benefit from surrounding ourselves with supportive people, we also benefit from faith that there is a bigger picture even if we don't know what it is right now. Having such faith provides much needed motivation to get through the dark…
We all need a strong community or tribe of supporters in our journeys as this quote from Alex Elle suggests. You can find her work and her blog over at another sunday - she is a fabulous woman with words and images that are inspiring and hopeful. I love how she chooses to reframe her experiences in ways that benefit herself and so many others who follow her.
Whether it is a getting stuck in a traffic jam, choosing the slowest line in the grocery store or awaiting test results, we all experience impatience at times. Mindfulness teaches us that this impatience arises partly from not being comfortable in the present moment. We become hooked with anxiety as we become caught in our anticipation of future events, good or bad. We want this moment to be over so that we can get on with what we believe is coming next. This is a perfectly…