You are enough, just as you are.💕
Mirror Exercise: Waking Up with Love
Tag: Relaxation
Your Dreams Have A Message For You
One of the first things I do every morning is analyze my dreams.
What about you?
Do you remember your dreams?
Do you interpret their meaning?
Have you ever dreamt the same dream repeatedly?
In the video below I share the dream I had last night.
Dream Symbol: Water
A “dream theme” I have at least twice a week.
Dream Discussion Forum
If you’re curious about the psychology of dreams, leave a dream in the comments and I will interpret it for you.
Sweet Dreams! Dr. D 🛌 💭
Learn More
- Online Dream Symbol Dictionary: What Do Your Dreams Mean?
- “Active Imagination“: Jungian Recall Strategy
- Brain Processes that Allow You to Remember Dreams: Scientific American
- Mind Mapping Your Dreams: Spatial and Visual Dream Exercise
- A to Z of Dream Interpretation: What Dreams Reveal About Our Lives, Loves, and Deepest Fears. (The Dream Book Pictured Above)
Watch Video of Post: Click Here
Let Your North Star Guide You
My Wish For You Today
May you find peace in your home.
And calm in your heart.
No matter the storm.
Psychology Thought for the Day
The goal isn’t to get rid of all our negative thoughts and emotions.
The goal is to change our response to them.
To accept them without judgement.
To transcend them when the time is right.
e·qua·nim·i·ty
Mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation. “She accepted both the good and the bad with equanimity”.
This video may help:
Let Your North Star Guide You
How do you rise above? 💫
Watch Video of Post → Click Here
Mindful Moments in California
We’re on a trip to California for our December birthdays and wedding anniversary and I couldn’t imagine a more mindful place to be.
Nature everywhere we look.
Luminous moonlight.
Dancing campfire.
Fresh ocean air.
Water as far as the eye can see.
Sunshine in every nook.
100 year old fig trees.
Just outside our hotel room door.
Mountains in the distance.
Waiting to be climbed.
Above all, I am most grateful to wake up each day and share my life with John, my students, and everyone reading this post.
December birthday blessings of the highest kind.🎄💚
Video of Blog Post ⇒ Click Here
CPR: Sustainable Mental Health Habits
sus·tain·a·bil·i·ty/səˌstānəˈbilədē/The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.
Catch Pause Repair (CPR) is a Framework for Sustainable Mental Health & Resilience Habits.
CPR includes three simple steps as outlined in the video below:
1. Catch
Catch yourself before a stress response escalates by becoming more aware of what triggers you.
2. Pause
Pause and take a 60 second time out when you feel the physical sensations of stress begin to escalate.
3. Repair
Repair the root source of the heightened stress response which is often physiological in nature.
Supporting Student Health
Requested by
The CPR Presentation was developed for the St. Clair College Student Sustainability Group as part of their initiative for supporting the health and wellbeing of college staff, faculty, and students.
New Opportunity
This was the first time I’ve been approached to make a video for a third party. And it was so much fun!
5 Simple Stress Relief Techniques
Life is complicated. Stress management shouldn’t be.
5 Simple Techniques
1. Breathing Space
2. Gratitude
3. Mindfulness
4. Movement
5. Perspective
Repeat Daily. 💙
More Tips → Thriving Under Pressure
Peace lives here.
Peace happens in moments.
Not days.
Not weeks.
Not years.
Hot coffee.
Cozy blankets.
Birds singing.
The sun rising.
Peace happens in moments.
Not days.
Not weeks.
Not years.
Savour the sunshine.
Taste every morsel.
Dance with abandon.
Stroll by the moonlight.
Peace happens in moments.
Not days.
Not weeks.
Not years.
Breathe deeply into this moment.
Peace lives here.
One Minute to Mindfulness: Look Up
From Restless to Restful
I look up every chance I get. First thing in the morning. On my run. On my way to work. In between classes. Out for a bike ride. From the skylight in my office. On the front porch before I go to sleep.
Connected to Something Bigger
The sky connects us to something much bigger. Challenges seem small in comparison to the vastness of the sky. Solutions seem plausible. Answers come more easily.
One Minute to Mindfulness — Click Here
Peace in Every Glance
The stars heighten our awareness, expand our field of possibilities, and relax our mind. In their presence, we embrace the profound and surrender the pettiness.
When we look up, we become fully present. In the moment. Completely mindful. Nowhere else to be but one with the sky.
Reflection Questions
What are your mindfulness tips?
How do you transcend your restless thoughts?
How often do you look up?
Are you a star gazer or a sun worshipper?
Do you see pictures in the clouds?
Video of Blog Post — Click Here
Taming Your Monkey Mind
Nature is a beautiful way to stop the monkey mind in its’ tracks.
What is the monkey mind? 🐒 🧠
“Buddha described the human mind as being filled with drunken monkeys, jumping around, screeching, chattering, carrying on endlessly. Fear is an especially loud monkey – screaming out all the things that could go wrong.” Source: HuffPost
When we’re caught in a loop of anxious thoughts, our amygdala goes into overdrive. Causing us to get stuck in the basement of our brains (the limbic system) where our stressful thoughts go around and around. With no end to the downward spiral in sight.
B R E A T H I N G S P A C E
Time in nature gives us a chance to catch our breath, to see the light, to realize there’s a way out of this never-ending rumination loop.
The Healing Power of Nature
The impact of nature on the human spirit is so profound that a hallmark study in 1984 showed that patients who had a room with a view healed faster than patients without a view. A mere glimpse of nature was enough to enhance their resilience.
Hope
Nature shifts our thoughts. Expands our awareness. Gives us hope. Lifts us up from the basement of our brains (amygdala) to the penthouse (cerebral cortex) where all solutions are possible.
“And into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my soul.”
Related Video: Five Grounding Techniques
Less fight. More serenity.
The next time you’re gearing up for another big fight with reality.
Morning Traffic
Office Politics
Loud Neighbours
Unpredictable Weather
Try rolling with it.
Giving up the fight.
Waving the white flag.
Surrendering to what is.
And always has been.
The upside.
You conserve energy for the joyful in your life.
The meaningful in your life.
The soulful in your life.
Including this very moment.
This is where your life SHINES.
The key to happiness.
Let go of what is outside your control.
The next time you are gearing up for another fight with reality. Winter; Traffic; Parking; Deadlines. Try rolling with it. Surrendering to what is. Letting go. No matter the circumstances.
Hold on to what brings you joy.
In surrendering, you save precious energy for the joyful in your life. The meaningful in your life. The soulful in your life. Including this very moment. This is where happiness lives.
Related Post: Letting Life Flow.
Relax your mind.
The most important thing in your life is your peace of mind.
Nurture it daily. Everything good flows from there. 🍂
Related Post: Taming Your Monkey Mind.
One minute to zen.
Stop what you’re doing. Take a breath. Take a rest.
Savour 60 seconds of stress relief. As often as you can. ♥
Change your life. Five minutes at a time.
Are you tired of doing the same old, same old?
Are you ready to end the repetitive cycles in your life?
Is it time for a change?
But ….. you….. don’t….. have… time…
Surrender your fears, your resistance, your excuses.
Change need not be overwhelming.
Start small. End Big.
Little changes make a big difference.
They add up over time.
And ultimately have more staying power.
Where to start?
Begin the transformation process with a daily habit.
Something that you do automatically – without thinking.
Start with what’s right in front of you.
Literally in the palm of your hand.
Put your phone down. Look up. Breathe in deeply. For five minutes at a time.
Use a random interval timer on your phone to cue change.
Every time you hear it beep – take a full on tech break.
A spa session for the mind.
A hello to the world moment.
A reminder to seek joy.
Out of the fog of technology into the luminescence of reality.
Time to breathe deeply.
To stretch fully.
To grab life by the horns.
What five minute change will you make today?
5 Ways to Reduce Stress Today.
Life is complicated. Stress management shouldn’t be.
1. Remember to Breathe.
2. Be Grateful for This Day.
3. Do What You Love.
4. Move Your Body.
5. Keep Looking Up.
Repeat Daily. 💙
The peace you’ve been searching for.
Bring yourself back to the present moment.
One long deep breath at a time.
Herein lies the peace you’ve been searching for.
All day long.
Related Post: Just Breathe.
Expanding time.
I was thinking about time tonight. It’s like a never ending circle that starts and stops at the same place. A perpetual loop heightened on a Sunday night.
And the only way to slow it down is to breathe in each moment. To notice each ephemeral hour. To rest gently in the arms of time.
Related Post: The Sweet Spot
Trust the music.
Stop expecting others to validate what you hear (see and feel).
The music is not “out there”.
The music is in you.
A beautiful melody that only you can hear.
Listen. Be still. Take a long deep breath.
Fear not who you are. Fear not what you hear.
You are the symphony.
Trust the music that is in you.
And dance a little freedom dance.
For all the world to see.
Related Post: I believe in you.
How will you thrive today?
So many choices when it comes to stress relief.
Which one will you choose today?
Psychology Today Checklist ⇒ Are You Thriving? 🌷
Letting life flow.
Stressful Times.
The one word I hear repeatedly from students this time of year is drowning.
Drowning in bills. Drowning in midterms. Drowning in research.
Not a pleasant thought. And definitely not energizing.
A sinking feeling that takes student motivation from 100 to 0 in an instant.
By thought alone.
Empowering Lessons.
How can we help students to feel more empowered in the midst of winter weather, too many midterms, and not enough time.
Transforming Stressors.
We meet students where they’re at. By embracing that stressful, drowning thought and transforming it into a peaceful, floating feeling. By helping students feel safe and supported. In and out of the classroom.
Trusting the Flow.
We remind students of their resilience. We show them how far they’ve come. We encourage them to flow with the moment instead of fighting against the current. Then and only then can the focused learning begin.
Video from today's psychology class. 🌊
What helps you go with the flow?
Peace begins within.
Remember to breathe.🌿
Related Post: The Sweet Spot.
Give yourself a break.
I work hard. Too hard sometimes. And I bet you do too. On one hand, that’s fantastic. You wouldn’t be where you are without steadfastness and sacrifice. On the other hand, having a singular focus on work ultimately shortchanges your potential.
Rest is part of the equation.
Rest is critical for success. At life and work. We must pace ourselves on the long road to abundance. Give our mind, bodies, and spirits a chance to restore themselves. A moment to mend. A chance to recover.
The sweetest rewards are earned.
We must reward ourselves in small ways (and in big ways too). After the work is done. In between exams. After a semester of late night study sessions. Once all the exams are marked and final grades handed in.
You decide when. You decide where. You decide how.
Where do you go to rest & recharge?
My wish for you today.
