Every single year, the third Monday in January is a day to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy. Most often, I hear people talk about how excited they are to have this day off work or school. While you can’t hate on that, the day is actually the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service. This means that the MLK Day of Service is intended to be a "day on, not a day off." According to the Corporation for National & Community Service, the day is meant to “empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, create solutions to social problems, and move us closer to Dr. King's vision of a ‘Beloved Community.’”
Mindful Monday: How to Accept Things
Last week I talked more about what acceptance actually is. Which is all great and dandy. But how the heck do we do it?
There was a point in my life, before I became an acceptance master. Who am I kidding?! I’m a hard core work in progress on this one.
But there was a point when I didn’t understand this concept in the slightest. So what did I do? What any modern day human does; I googled “how to accept things.” And every other form of that phrase I could think of. I’m nothing if not thorough in my research. But it didn’t help at all. Google failed me! I was no closer to knowing how to accept anything.
Mindful Monday: Complaining
Mindful Monday: Listening to Others
Listening seems like it should be the easiest thing to do. If we’re lucky enough to have our hearing intact, we take sounds in all day long, whether we want to or not. Isn’t that listening?
Not exactly. That’s hearing. Aka perceiving sound. Listening is paying attention to what is heard. Much more difficult.
Mindful Monday: Mindfulness of Emotions
I’ve been feeling some things the last day or so. By things, I mean emotions. More uncomfortable emotions than I’d care to feel. There’s some good ol’ sadness, anger, and resentment mixed in with a bit of fear and regret. I’d rather not feel this way so there’s been some resistance to feeling them. Which is never helpful. But alas I’m as human as the next person, no matter how much I try to fight it.
Mindful Monday: Reality Bites and How to be Mindful of Our Thoughts
This morning I woke up from a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad dream. I won’t get into the details because it’s way too long and complicated, and the details are becoming more fuzzy as the day goes on, as often happens with dreams. But it was rough. And I dream deeply. There’s nothing lucid for me. I’m wholly in another reality, another dimension, entirely believing it to be the truth, no matter how strange it is. I often wake from these dreams incredibly relieved that it’s only a dream. Although, sometimes it takes me hours to connect back to waking reality and regroup from the emotions I experienced during it.
Mindful Monday: Cultivating Gratitude
This past Saturday, September 21, 2019 was World Gratitude Day. I’m a couple days past acknowledging this, but gratitude isn’t reserved for simply this one day (and Thanksgiving). Gratitude is an incredibly important daily practice that can drastically improve life quality.
Mindful Monday: What the Actual Heck is Mindfulness?
I recently realized that as much as I talk about the importance of being mindful, I haven't been so mindful of explaining what the heck mindfulness actually is. And how to do it. Thus, I committed the cardinal sin of mindfulness. Assuming. I figured because "mindfulness" is so hot these days that everyone already knows what it is. But come to find out, not so much.
Mindful Monday: Physical Pain
There’s a reason we have an opioid epidemic. Humans don’t like to feel pain and our society has told us we shouldn’t feel pain. Physical or emotional. Emotional is usually what I focus on, but since physical pain is inextricably linked to emotional pain, it’s important to understand how mindfulness can help ease physical pain too.
Mindful Monday: Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Mindful Monday: Walking Meditation
There’s some truth to the song lyrics “nobody walks in LA,” but I actually love to walk in this city. And everywhere else I travel. It’s a fantastic way to fully experience your surroundings while getting you to wherever it is you’re going. I wrote awhile ago about how much I love running as a way to explore areas, but I wanted to touch on walking today because I think that’s a less intimidating form of movement for many.
Mindful Monday: One Thing at a Time
Mindful confession: I’m writing this as I watch the NCAA men’s basketball final. Or more accurately, I’m trying to write and finish this during halftime. I don’t have high hopes I can do that in 15 minutes, but I’m willing to give it a shot.
Starting to write while watching basketball got me thinking about the irony. One of the keys to practicing mindfulness is to do one thing at a time.
Mindful Monday: Just Breathe
I don’t know about y’all, but my Monday started with a bang!
I woke before sunrise and am booked straight up until well past sunset tonight with work stuff. When I’m this busy with little space in between activities, I don’t always function at my highest level. Knowing this, I decided I needed some intentional breathing during each transition today and I wanted to share one in particular with you.
Mindful Monday: When It's Hard
Mindful Monday: At the Gym
This morning I went to the gym. Not entirely unusual as I’m making it a habit to do so. Even though I despise gyms! Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration. I can think of worse places to spend my time. Jail. Nuclear reactors. Office meetings. But since I don’t own a bunch of weight equipment and I’ve realized the importance of body building (Or simply to build stronger muscles to avoid injury from other more fun physical activities.), I got a gym membership.
Mindful Monday: Body Scan Meditation
A body scan meditation is a mindfulness practice that brings awareness to the body in the present moment. It focuses on the physical sensations we feel in every part of our body. It can be done in a short amount of time if needed to reduce intense emotions. Or it can be practiced for a lengthier amount of time (30-40 minutes) to delve deeper into mindfulness practice and create more peace and awareness overall.
Mindful Monday: Acceptance
Mindful Monday: The Rain
Mindful Monday: Thoughts
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about thinking. Which might not be the best idea since thinking can get us into a lot of trouble.
I just can’t help it. I work a lot with thoughts. That’s a major part of being a therapist (Besides the emotions, which I know y’all can’t get enough of.). “Tell me what you think about that,” “Are there any other ways to look at that,” “How can you reframe that?” The more I work with thoughts (Mine and those shared with me.), the more I question our relationship with them.
Mindful Tuesday: The Election Edition (Or How to Make Wise Decisions)
Here’s a special Tuesday mindfulness edition in honor of the midterm elections. Also, I didn’t have time to write a blog post on Monday so that may have also played a role in this.
As I prepared to vote, I thought about how important it is to make mindful decisions. And how difficult that can be. Many people only listen to their emotions when making decisions or refuse to pay attention to information that doesn’t fit their beliefs. Many also don’t do the research to see if the “facts” actually have any evidence to support them.