Do you talk to yourself? How do you feel about talking to yourself? Is self-talk a good thing? Is it bad? Don't know? Do you ever say positive things to yourself? If you say something nice to yourself, do you believe you? Whoever told you that you shouldn't say good things about yourself didn't want …
Many mental struggles are based in thoughts. I didn’t say mental illness is based in thoughts - that is no more truth than saying tuberculosis or cancer are thought based. One of my professors said, "The voice in your head that judges, criticizes, and condemns you is not your own. That is the voice of …
How am I doing? I mean, compared to others, how am I doing? I care what others think about me because if there is something I need to change so they think better of me, I want to do change it, whatever it is. If I have an opinion that's wrong, I mean, compared to …
Sometimes seeing differently is simply a matter of doing things differently. If you have a routine that you follow every day, change it. You can make your brain get involved by making choices rather than automatically doing the same things. When you do the same things the same way day after day, you can do …
Mondays get a bad rap. It’s not Monday's fault it’s first. There are a lot of great firsts Monday follows after. If you have children, do you remember the first time they connected the toilet to potty? Wasn't that a great first?! How about the first time you drove a car by yourself? A first …
There are songs that come to mind about Sunday with lyrics such as, "easy like Sunday morning," and I think, "Wow, those folks don't know anything about Sunday morning." Sunday mornings were never easy. Even when I was a kid, they were rush-rush-rush. Who ever thought it was a good idea to put a suit …
What should Saturdays feel like? I always think of Saturdays the way they were when I was a kid. Saturday morning cartoons were like the second act to Science Fiction Theater that came on Friday night after the late news. Quick Draw McGraw, Adam Ant, Wally Gator, The Thunderbirds, The Jetsons, and best of all, …
Last summer I completed an online class about "Calming the Anxious Brain." It was very interesting and helpful. The amygdala is a real pain sometimes. Getting it to shut up long enough for some sensible thought can be tough. I guess I was surprised to find out that abdominal breathing really does work. Obviously, air …
How are you feeling today? What kind of day are you going to have? Whatever you have decided about the day and how you’re feeling in it so far, it is possible to make it better. Not perfect. Better. When you decide your personal value is the foundation of every judgment and decision you make …
Mindfulness has been defined as “awareness, without judgement, of the world as it is, of others as they are, of yourself as you are.” Awareness is described as “being fully present” in each moment. If we are fully present, we choose to listen and hear, and see. If we struggle with constantly comparing ourself to …
A Coffee State of Mind 