Johanna attended the New York Mental Health Counselors Association conference this past weekend in Albany, and is excited to share new techniques and approaches with you in your counseling sessions! Feel free to ask her about treating issues using aspects of narrative therapy and metaphor, breathing techniques taken from yoga practice, resources for transgender individuals, spirituality and mental health, use of therapeutic letter-writing, and the use of biofeedback tools she will be adding to her practice.
Johanna Bond
April’s Mindfulness Exercise
Mindfulness is something that everyone can incorporate into daily life. Mindfulness involves observing and accepting the things around and within us, in the present moment, 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.
April’s mindfulness exercise:
This month for mindfulness, we are returning to basic breathing. Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly. Begin to take slow, even, deep breaths. Which hand is going up and down? As you breathe, notice first your surroundings and what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Then turn your awareness inwards and notice your thoughts (without following them away too far), your emotions, and how you are feeling physically. Return to the sensation of breathing, and notice which hand is going up and down – the hand on your chest, or the hand on your belly? Try to notice without judging or trying to change your breathing. This exercise is intended to build awareness.
NOTE: This is not intended to replace therapy. Please contact Johanna at (585)406-3012 if you are interested in individual or group therapy.
Perspectives Monthly Journal Exercise – March
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.
March’s monthly journal exercise:
What would you say if no one could hear you? Write a paragraph or two of the thoughts you would share if you knew there could be no consequences.
What would you say if everyone could hear you? Write a paragraph or two of the thoughts you would share if you knew everyone would truly listen to your words.
Finally, compare the two sets of writing. How are they the same, and how are they different? How do they compare to the things you actually say (either in interpersonal interactions or via social media)? Write down your thoughts on the exercise to process this activity.
March’s Mindfulness Exercise
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
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
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
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
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
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
Tiny Buddha
The Blue Room
Hallowed Be Thy Home
http://www.hallowedbethyhome.com
Daily Cup of Yoga
Wishes for 2016
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.
Johanna Bond, LMHC 