March’s Mindfulness Exercise

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Mindfulness is something that everyone can incorporate into daily life.  Mindfulness involves observing and accepting the things around and within us, without judgment.  In therapy, Johanna may involve mindfulness skills to build awareness of various issues and to develop coping strategies.   The exercise below is not individualized to your needs as it may be in therapy, but is rather intended as a general exercise that you may find useful.

March’s mindfulness exercise:

In Wegmans, every so often you may hear an announcement that “it’s time for a stretch break.”  How often do we give ourselves a stretch break?  This week, set a daily alarm for a time of day that you know you tend to be tense or act on autopilot.  Each day when the alarm goes off, take three deep breaths.  With each breath, stretch as you inhale (your arms, your back, or your legs – you pick) and relax as you exhale.  Pay attention to any thoughts or feelings that may come up within you as you complete this exercise.

NOTE: This is not intended to replace therapy.  Please contact Johanna at (585)406-3012 if you are interested in individual or group therapy.

Random Acts of Kindness Week

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This week is Random Acts of Kindness week!  I love that the idea behind random acts of kindness is to simply go out of your way to do something kind for someone else, and to pay it forward when something kind is done for you.  It doesn’t have to be something big, grand, or even time-consuming – many acts of kindness involve a small gesture, such as a smile or kind compliment to another person.  You can find many ideas for random acts of kindness here if you have trouble thinking of some on your own.  A few of my favorites from this blog and others include:

  • Write something nice on a friend’s social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) or post a kind comment on a blog you follow
  • Compliment the next person you see
  • Say thank you to someone you may take for granted in your daily life
  • Call up a friend or family member just to say hi
  • Think of someone who has inspired you in your life, and thank him or her
  • Leave a bigger tip at a restaurant than usual
  • Buy a cup of coffee for the person behind you in line
  • Share a feel-good song or YouTube video with a friend
  • Ask someone how their day is going, and really listen
  • If you live with other people, do a chore you don’t usually do
  • Clean off someone else’s snowy car in a parking lot
  • Smile at someone you don’t know
  • Tell yourself something you like about yourself – you deserve kindness too!

Sleep Better in 2016

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We’ve entered the new year, made our resolutions, and gotten back into a routine after the holidays.  How are your self-care routines going?  More specifically, how are you sleeping?

Here are a few things to consider that may help to improve your sleep in 2016.

-Are your bed and your bedroom comfortable?  Do you walk in and instantly associate the room with feelings of peacefulness?  If not, consider things like the temperature of the room and blankets, the lighting, the noise level, and what you use the room for.  Try to pick a couple of things to make changes and invest in your sleep space.  If you find that your bedroom is a multipurpose space (such as for watching television, doing work, or eating), consider moving these activities to another room or at least another piece of furniture other than the bed.

-Do you have a hard time turning off your “to do” list or worries at nighttime?  Try taking 5-10 minutes to think through, or even write down, your tasks and worries.  Do this before you even get ready for bed so that you have a buffer between your “worry time” and your sleep time.

-How do you prepare for bed?  I’m not just talking about brushing your teeth.  Think about what you do to wind down from the business of the day.  If you don’t have a pre-bedtime routine, try one out!  Take 20-30 minutes before bed to engage in something that is relaxing but won’t put you to sleep (you want to save that for when you get into bed).  This pre-bedtime routine could include stretching, reading, taking a bath, or another calming activity.

As always, don’t hesitate to call Johanna with questions or to schedule an appointment at (585)406-3012 if you’d like to explore this topic more.

Create and Contemplate Workshop

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Johanna will be running a half-day retreat with Rev. Virginia Tyler Smith at St John’s Episcopal Church in Honeoye Falls this Saturday, 2/6/16.  The retreat involves elements of mindfulness as well as creativity, contemplation, and prayer.  To learn more or if you are interested in registering for the event, please see the pdf below!

Creativity and Contemplation Women’s Retreat

As always, feel free to call Johanna with questions at (585)406-3012.

Perspectives Monthly Journal Exercise – January

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Journaling can be a therapeutic exercise.  In therapy, Johanna may encourage you to journal or keep a diary in a specific way, to raise awareness of specific activities, thoughts, or feelings.  This monthly journal exercise is in no way individually prescribed, but meant to offer food for thought that may be useful for anyone.

January’s monthly journal exercise:

It’s a brand new year.  What are your hopes for the coming year?  Take five minutes to free-write without stopping (unless your hand hurts, or you find yourself in emotionally distress, in which case you should engage in another form of self-care).  Consider what you are looking forward to about 2016, as well as what you might be worrying about.  Write it all down without pausing.  This is not meant to be a polished piece of writing or a list of New Year’s resolutions, but rather an exploration of your hopes and fears as we move into a new year.

Inspirational Blogs to Start Your Year

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As you start the new year, do you find yourself looking for motivation online?  New to the “Resources” page, I’ve compiled a list of useful Wellness Blogs for you to check out.  I’ve listed them below as well.  Staples include the NYT Well Blog, Huffington Post’s Healthy Living page, and MindBodyGreen for mental health and physical health inspiration.  Tiny Buddha comes from a Buddhist perspective and provides some great insight on mindful practices, and The Blue Room is written by a Christian pastor who has published on reflective practices like taking time for family and self-care.  Hallowed Be Thy Home is focused on the house as well as living locally and practicing green living, and Daily Cup of Yoga focuses on living well through yoga practice.  Enjoy!

New York Times Well Blog

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/

Huffington Post Healthy Living Blog

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/healthy-living/

MindBodyGreen

http://www.mindbodygreen.com

Tiny Buddha

http://tinybuddha.com/

The Blue Room

https://theblueroomblog.org/

Hallowed Be Thy Home

http://www.hallowedbethyhome.com

Daily Cup of Yoga

http://www.dailycupofyoga.com/

Wishes for 2016

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The New Year is just a couple of days away.  What do I hope for my clients in 2016?  Self-compassion, connection to others, insight, and growth.  Read more in my Huffington Post blog, written as an open letter to my clients and all those who are clients in therapy.

If you find there are areas of your life in which you feel stuck, or if you find that you have a New Year’s resolution that could use an outside perspective, please call to set up an appointment for individual counseling at (585)406-3012.

December’s Mindfulness Exercise

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Mindfulness is something that everyone can incorporate into daily life.  Mindfulness involves observing and accepting the things around and within us, without judgment.  In therapy, Johanna may involve mindfulness skills to build awareness of various issues and to develop coping strategies.  Johanna also runs a six-week mindfulness group.  If you are interested in the next group cycle for mindfulness, please call the office.  The exercise below is not individualized to your needs as it may be in therapy, but is rather intended as a general exercise that you may find useful.

December’s mindfulness exercise:

Pick an everyday object.  This may be a rock from the ground, a piece of jewelry, a chapstick, wallet, or keys.  Take a deep breath in and out.  First hold the object in your hand and turn your eyes away (or close your eyes).  Notice how much space the object takes up in your hand; if the temperature is warm or cool; and what the texture is of the object.  Next, look at the object and observe the colors, pattern, shape, texture, size, and the way the light hits the object.  Notice if it looks the way you expected after holding it in your hand.  Perhaps drop it from one hand to the other to notice the weight of the object.  Pay attention to any thoughts or feelings that may come up within you as you complete this exercise.

NOTE: This is not intended to replace therapy.  Please contact Johanna at (585)406-3012 if you are interested in individual or group therapy.

On Gratitude

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Gratitude is not just for Thanksgiving day.  While you may have finished the leftover turkey and the last slice of pie, your practice of gratitude does not need to be over.

If you need some assistance in increasing your awareness of gratitude, try answering a few of these 50 Questions to Foster Gratitude.  I went through them and surprised myself with some of the things I came up with!  If you’re feeling really ambitious, maybe even tell a few people what you’re grateful for, or thank them for something they’ve done for you.

I’m that person who likes to have everyone share what they’re grateful for at the Thanksgiving table.  Does this always happen?  No.  It can be hard to name and share with others your appreciation.  But gratitude does not always have to be big, perfect, or life-changing.  The other day I was grateful for a working hairdryer on a cold and rainy day.  Yesterday I found appreciation in a really great song on the radio that fit my mood.

So, what are you grateful for today?