Let’s start with some good news. Anxiety attacks always involve your brain chemistry. And changing your brain chemistry (at least temporarily) is relatively easy. If you’re wondering how to deal with paralyzing anxiety, here are five simple techniques to try in order to snap yourself out of it. What Is […]
mindfulness exercises
“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is the only moment.”– Thich Nhat Hanh I was reading a post about anxiety on another blog recently, and it made me think about this short breathing meditation exercise for anxiety. […]
While it’s almost a cliche to say “happiness comes from within,” it happens to be true. Our contentment and peace as human beings actually comes from the wise mind inside of us. Our wise mind is the part of us that lets us experience joy, and also helps calm and […]
Last week I wrote about “common negative thought distortions” and how they can contribute to anxiety and depression. Cognitive distortions are just what they sound like — ways of thinking that distort reality. They’re subtle, usually subconscious untruths we tell ourselves about the world, ourselves, and other people. They’re messages […]
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy originally developed to treat borderline personality disorder. The simple mindfulness exercises from DBT have since proven effective for treating people in the grips of suicidal depression and self-harming behaviors like cutting. DBT has also proven useful for treating anxiety because of […]
Mindfulness exercises. The term conjures up an image of a monk meditating in a forest, doesn’t it? Many people have an instant negative reaction to this mental picture. It sounds hard, or like it takes lots of training. It sounds like something only hermits do. Or just plain weirdos. But […]