Is living in fear of COVID the new normal? Are we ever going to return to a less anxious state of mind? Is fall/winter going to bring a decrease in cases or an increase? Will the city shut down again into quarantine since we haven’t gotten the numbers under control? These are the worries I have. Constantly. Especially now with the shifting weather ushering in rainy, gray days. I have struggled with seasonal depression for as long as I can remember. The disappearance of the su

I washed by hair yesterday. Now, some of you who just read that sentence have your brow furrowed in confusion, thinking “So what?” But I’m betting others of you understand the significance of the statement. Some of you just had your heart surge and your eyebrows raise—wishing you felt good enough to do the same. I washed my hair. I washed my hair not because it was gross, or had been far too long since its last washing... I washed it simply because I wanted to. I even did a s

So I feel like many of you are aware that I’ve been planning a big Europe trip for the end of the year. That I’ve been working toward emotional and mental health. And that I’ve been very focused on being the best version of myself that I can possibly be. All with the point of accepting my life, living as fully as I can, loving myself, and feeling at peace — truly whole — within my existence. Not an easy thing at all. Well, not at all unlike many of you... my life has been tur

If you are feeling drained, fearful, or out of control, you should absolutely keep reading... Because Anxiety Coach, Amanda Dewey was generous enough to write today’s guest post with the intention of helping us all feel as energized and at peace as we possibly can during the ongoing pandemic. Protecting Your Energy One way I like to put the topic of energy is, like a personal drug. You take a drug to feel a something, anything for that matter. And when the drug wears off you

I’m very good at pretending to be happy. I’ve spent my life masking pain, pretending disfunction doesn’t exist, covering up the wounds of trauma, and ultimately faking a persona of light and confidence. It’s a coping mechanism. It means I can hold a public job despite the fact that I have social anxiety. It means I shower, pay my bills, and show up to work on time even though I’ve struggled deeply with depression. It means I’ve done physical jobs while being in excruciating p

For a long time, I hated hugs. As a child, I hated being instructed to hug adults I didn’t know, I hated classmates greeting me with air-hugs that felt forced and fake, but I also didn’t even feel comfortable hugging my own family and close friends. It took me a while to realize it was because physical touch had been used as a form of control when I was a young child. My stepfather would use his hand on my shoulder at church to hold me still, a captive at the pressure of his

Brittian's story of growth and recovery may make your heart hang heavy, but it should also make you raise your head high. She shares a story of trauma and heartbreak and yet has come through to the other side strengthened and full of determined self-love. I find her - and her stories - to be stunningly inspirational, a reminder that no matter the struggle, no matter the pain, there is hope and beauty in life. There is peace to be had, if only we take the time and do the work,

I start every year by doing my version of a Dry January. I cut processed sugar, alcohol, and caffeine out of my diet. It’s a great way to reset my tolerances, take a hard look at my bad habits, and give my body a break. More importantly, however, it’s a way to cut mind-altering substance consumption out of my daily routine. Although sugar, alcohol, and caffeine are socially acceptable, they are still forms of drugs. They produce chemical reactions in the mind, alter the bod