Mental Health Month
It’s been quite a year since last May’s Mental Health month. We’ve lived through a year in a global pandemic, intense racial injustice, and a volatile election season, all of which contributed to a tough year for many of us. The result? A society more than a little on edge and additional pressure on mental health professionals. Whether...
Black History in the Making
February is Black History Month, and I’ve seen more opportunities for learning than I have in years past. I attribute the uptick in program offerings to the events of 2020. It’s been nine months since awareness of the racial injustice Black Americans face every day was raised after the killing of George Floyd and the phone call to NYPD by Amy Cooper in Central Park,...
2020 2.0?
I’ve heard from family, friends and clients that 2021 still feels like 2020. I get it. Turning the page on the calendar did not make Covid go away or make it immediately possible to see our families, friends, and colleagues. Borders remain closed to the U.S., and there’s still work to do to heal the racial and political divide. How did we get here? When will it feel like a new year?...
Give The Gift of Presence
It seems everywhere I turn, the word “presence” is coming up. To me, presence means being mindful, aware and focused on who I’m with or what I’m doing. I’ll be honest, it’s not always easy to do. I find myself multi-tasking when my husband is talking to me, texting my cousins while cooking, or noticing my mind wandering when talking with friends....
Gratitude
It’s now proven that gratitude changes your brain and improves your mental health. The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, (my alma mater––Go Bears!) has studied gratitude for years. But, how many of us actually take the time to express gratitude and deeply reflect on all that we are grateful for? I’ve had a daily gratitude...
End of Summer Self-Care
With the end of summer fast approaching, I’m seeing an increase in the anxiety and stress of my clients, friends, family members and myself. We’ve been mostly homebound for almost 6 months. We’ve been isolated from family, friends and colleagues. Children are going back to school, and whether virtual, in-person or hybrid, it’s a stressful time for parents and children alike. The pandemic...
Merits of Meditation
Last month I wrote about the benefits of meditation, and the topic continues to be one that is important to me, especially during this challenging time in our collective lives. We are halfway through 2020, and we’ve been in lockdown for half that time. Meditation has helped me maintain my calm composure during this period of extreme uncertainty, first with the pandemic and now with racial...
Meditation for Mental Health and More
May is both Mental Health Month and Meditation Month, and while we are nearing the end of the month, I want to discuss the connection between these two important topics. Meditation can be a great tool for reducing anxiety and stress, which directly impacts one’s mental health. I’ve been a daily meditator for the past five years, after being a crisis or sporadic meditator for 2-3 years,...
How R You?
We are all learning to adjust to the new way of life, with worlds colliding – work, home, parenting, and educating our children. I’m sharing four R’s with you in an effort to provide you with some helpful information during this challenging time: Routines What new routines are you creating with your family? Whether you are sheltering solo, as a duo, or as a family, what are some...
