Protesting seems to be the new black lately, and for good reason. There’s been no shortage of shenanigans in the form of oppression, injustice, and cruelty from those in power. In response, more and more of us are rising up and speaking out. Whether you’re hitting the streets or sharing truth bombs (and please makes sure it’s actually the truth) from the comfort of your couch, protesting mindfully is key to making an actual impact.
The Beginner’s Guide to DBT Mindfulness Skills Part 7: Effectively
Let’s be real. The whole reason we’re doing any of this mindfulness stuff, pausing, noticing our breath, tuning into the present moment, isn’t just to be calm and zen while life hurls curveballs at us. It’s to be effective. That’s right: to align our actions with our values and goals, to respond with wisdom instead of reactivity, and to live a life that actually feels like ours.
The Beginner’s Guide to DBT Mindfulness Skills Part 6: One-Mindfully
In a world where multitasking is treated like a superpower, focusing on just one thing at a time can feel... weird. Unproductive. Even a little rebellious. You might ask, “Wait, if I’m at a dinner party, am I supposed to only eat and not talk? Or cancel game night because it requires both laughing and snack-holding?”
The Beginner’s Guide to DBT Mindfulness Skills Part 5: Nonjudgmentally
Now onto the “how” of mindfulness. As I shared earlier in this series, DBT Mindfulness has two main components: What you do (Observe, Describe, Participate), and How you do it (Nonjudgmentally, One-Mindfully, Effectively). We’ve made it through the What skills, now it’s time to dive into the How skills, starting with the real heavy-hitter: being nonjudgmental.
The Beginner’s Guide to DBT Mindfulness Skills Part 4: Participate
Okay, now onto my all-time favorite mindfulness skill in DBT: participation, aka doing the damn thing! This is the third "What" skill in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) mindfulness, and it’s where the magic really happens.
The Beginner’s Guide to DBT Mindfulness Skills Part 3: Describe
Welcome back to part 3 of our 7-part mindfulness series inspired by Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)! In this article, we’re diving into the second “What” skill: Describing. It comes right after Observation and spoiler alert, it’s basically your brain’s favorite party trick: putting words to what you notice. The catch? We’re learning how to do it mindfully.
The Beginner’s Guide to DBT Mindfulness Skills Part 2: Observe
The Beginner’s Guide to DBT Mindfulness Skills Part 1: What and How
How to Begin Again, Without Having a Full-Blown Life Crisis
Let’s be honest, we all know what it’s like to start over. Sometimes, a fresh start is thrust upon us without our permission. Sometimes, we kick things into gear. Sometimes, we’re even excited about it. Often, it’s in our best interest. Starting over is unavoidable in life, but actually doing it can be messy, awkward, and make you want to hide under a weighted blanket for six to eight business days.
Finding Home in Two Places: A Mindful Journey
Home is an interesting concept for me. I’ve lived in California longer than anywhere else, yet Michigan, where I spent most of my childhood and early adulthood, still feels just as much like home. It makes sense—those formative years were filled with growth, exploration, and learning. Many of my loved ones still reside there or nearby, deepening my connection to the place.
Delight in the Little Things: A Mindful Approach to Everyday Happiness
Learning to Accept Reality: How Mindfulness Can Help You Navigate Life's Challenges
How Growing Plants Teaches Us About Personal Growth, Mindfulness, and Ecotherapy
I come from a long lineage of green thumbs—farmers and gardeners. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite inherit the gene. Or perhaps, more accurately, I’m not patient enough. Or actually, upon more reflection, growing things takes a lot of time and effort, and I prefer to put those resources toward something else.
Anger in the Time of Measles: How Mindfulness Can Help You Handle It More Effectively
In the past week, I’ve been yelled at multiple times. Mostly by strangers. For nothing. Literally, just walking along, minding my own business, not getting in anyone’s way. This isn’t typical for me. I’m generally quite conflict averse. An issue in its own right, but we’ll get to that another time. I’ve only ever been in one fight—back in 6th grade. And it wasn’t even a real fight. My sister said something I found offensive, so I punched her. Then promptly got in so much trouble that I never hit anyone ever again. Don’t worry, I apologized, and we’re best friends to this day.
Loving-Kindness Meditation
Sometimes it’s really hard to be kind to ourselves or others. Maybe we’re judging ourselves or judging others. Maybe we’ve hurt ourselves, maybe others have hurt us, maybe we’ve hurt others. Maybe we’re having trouble forgiving ourselves or someone else. Whatever it is, love is not what we’re feeling. And even when we think we’re justified in those feelings, there’s still a part of us that knows we’re only hurting ourselves by holding onto such negative energy. We know it isn’t aligned with our true selves and we want to stop feeling so “bad.”
How to Shift from Judgment to Understanding and Create Positive Change
We’re all human. (Or, if you're not human and reading this, holla! We’re all living beings.) And to be human (and alive) is to make mistakes. We all make them, and that's perfectly okay. However, in our society, mistakes are often met with judgment. If you've grown up with judgment from others (who hasn't?), it’s easy to internalize this and start judging ourselves and others as well. With judgment comes shame—the fear of being excluded from the group. While this may have been a life-or-death issue when we were all hunters and gatherers, it’s more emotionally painful in our modern times.
How to Embrace Mistakes with Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
Finding Peace in Change: How to Control What You Can for a Happier Life
I’ve written quite a bit about change—not surprising for a therapist! Wanting change, fear of change, it’s pretty much the only reason any of us go to therapy. My most recent post about change we choose touches on how difficult change can be, but change that’s forced upon us—without choice—is a whole different ballgame.
Finding Joy and Mindfulness in Challenging Times: Strategies for Emotional Resilience
Life seems particularly extra these days. Between climate change impacts, social upheaval, and political tensions, the problems often feel overwhelming. The struggles of hopelessness, helplessness, and anxiety about the future is real. Sometimes, the urge to curl up in a ball and wait for someone else to fix everything seems like a legit course of action.