Source: Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash What are automatic thoughts? Automatic thoughts are something you may or may not be aware of when going about your daily life. These come up when your mind naturally takes in stimuli throughout your day and makes an attempt to interpret that information. There tend to be many…
Anxiety and Depression
Making Your Grief Your Own
Source: Photo by whoislimos on Unsplash Grief can feel like such a weighty word and heavy concept. Simultaneously, living through a time in which we have all lost so much, grief can also feel like an impossibly small word that cannot begin to describe how we feel about the experiences we have suffered. Burnout, isolation,…
The Language of (Emotional) Pain and the Case for Expanding Our Vocabulary
[Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash] “I feel melancholy sometimes, especially lately” said my friend as he leaned back in his chair. We were sitting in my backyard. The sun had just set and the sky had that lovely deep blue hue that appears for just a few brief moments as the day and…
What Can Avoidance Teach Us?
Avoidance can be a very powerful coping strategy. We all do it – we avoid and we ignore. We try to push it away. It can work quite well in the moment. If it wasn’t so effective in the moment we wouldn’t use it so often. So why do we avoid? In the moment, we…
Letting Go and Finding Acceptance Amidst the Coronavirus Pandemic
Living through a time of massive uncertainty and change can rattle the most steadfast of people. Now, compound those feelings with possible financial insecurities, the stressors of childcare, the loneliness and monotony we may experience within our homes, and the risk of real health exposure for ourselves and our loved ones, and you might feel…
Anxiety during the Pandemic: When to Seek Help?
Is it possible to not be anxious when the coronavirus pandemic threatens our lives, health, and economic wellbeing while disrupting routines and relationships in ways most people until now associated with science fiction movies? Experiencing restlessness, unease, and worry about what is to come is understandable in the light of the sudden loss of control,…
Virtual Mindful Coping Group Offered at Wildflower Starting April 2020
Dealing with distress alone and without support is rarely effective or healthy. At a time when our world is being turned upside down by the pandemic and physical distancing creates an intense potential for isolation, it is important to seek connection and support. We are excited to announce the launch of our virtual Mindful Coping…
Finding a Way out of Fight, Flight, and Freeze Response
Our bodies and minds are experiencing the current global crisis as a serious threat to survival and all that feels familiar and safe. Living in a constant state of fight, flight, or freeze is exhausting. We must find ways to release this stress on a daily basis. Connect with friends and family, exercise, knit, scream…
The Human Brain: An Owner’s Manual
I have often thought we need an owner’s manual for our brains. You may be thinking this isn’t necessary. After all, don’t we all already know how to use them? We seem to be getting along okay without one. In actuality, many of the ways we approach everyday tasks are inefficient, ineffective or just plain…
