All minds collect filth at the same rate as the body, so good brain hygiene should be a high priority on everyone’s agenda, too. There is an old saying that a mind is a terrible thing to waste, but what is the adage for a mind that goes uncleaned? Does it start to smell, foul … Continue Reading
Every day at 9 am, the alarm goes off on my watch reminding me to clean the kitchen. I pause the alarm, telling myself that I will do it later. Later never comes. In fact, I turn off most of my alarms during the day that remind me to put in a load of laundry … Continue Reading
What I find intriguing is how the soul-identity of a person living with dementia is incrementally, imperceptibly transferred for safe keeping with loved ones. Personhood is conferred less and less by actual cognitive prowess and character and more and more through social bonds. This type of transcendence is completed when we pass on and leave behind … Continue Reading
The healing of our most painful experiences often needs to happen in small parts. Part 1 of this article talked about understanding, and potentially using, our difficult emotions. This discussion is about the consequences of unresolved emotions and how to transform them to bring us closer to wholeness and optimal health. We previously mentioned how … Continue Reading
Ah, emotions. The thing that colors our thoughts and gives our life meaning. The fuel that drives our decisions, desires, and impulses. The primal precursor to those pesky feelings. Whether we judge them as “good” or “bad”, each emotion serves a purpose. Whether or not we believe in a higher purpose behind everyday happenings, every … Continue Reading
The gender reveal party is over. The baby shower has left the mother-to-be with baby clothing, diapers, and books on how to be a good parent. All that is left is to wait for the baby to arrive. This is a time of reflection about how to be the best parent possible to the new … Continue Reading
Burnout. Compassion fatigue. Chronic work stress. Vicarious trauma. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Demoralization. Moral distress. Moral injury. Moral compromise. These are all less stigmatizing terms than Adjustment Disorder with depression and/or anxiety. BURNOUT: 1) Exhaustion 2) Mental/emotional detachment from our jobs which have become less rewarding 3) Poorer work performance; “This isn’t me”. 4) … Continue Reading
“I don’t believe in Therapy” This was a common saying I heard from my father as a child. It’s safe to say that my father was suffering from mental issues himself, which he refused to work on. I slowly began to realize that his resistance allowed for a toxic environment to manifest growing up. I … Continue Reading
Recently, a new trend has arisen among athletes. This trend does not involve the latest diet, lifestyle hack, or supplement. Rather, it’s a massive shift in focus from hardware to software. The outer to the inner. It is a shift from physical health to mental health. Physical health has always been seen as the hallmark … Continue Reading
Are we to change the world? To begin answering this question, we must first understand what it is that we are changing. In the greater sense, there is no need to change the world. The world has and will continue to change, with or without our priggish impressions about what should be. If we truly … Continue Reading