Messages From the Middle

Clouds: What I do when the storm clouds of life roll in

Mental health can be compared to the weather. Sometimes we have beautiful, sunny, blue skies. Other times there are storm clouds overhead and they stick around for awhile. Today on the podcast I share my storm cloud emergency toolkit. 
These are the things that I do when I am in my low moods. This works great for me when I am feeling sad and low, however during really depressive states bigger steps and interventions need to be taken.
I encourage you to come up with your own stormy weather toolkit.

What is Love? Why we need to love ourselves so we can love others

Is it possible to love others more than you love yourself? Spoiler alert, it isn't. Our ability to love other is directly connected to how much we love ourselves. In this episode I talk about why this is true and the give my own Self-love Manifesto as a template to create your own manifesto. Self-love is one of the most important gifts we can give ourselves and our loved ones. 
link to Self-love check-in:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hIPg49VwR-1WXsAUo23rse6raK-M0OLi/view?usp=share_link
 

There and Back Again: My time in residential treatment

Today is one year from the day that I entered residential treatment for my mental health. In the episode I share my a little about my experience in the facility, why I choose residential treatment and why it is so beneficial to people who need it. Thank you for listening!

Shame, Shame, I know your name:Why shame is harmful to mental health

Shame is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to healing mental health. With shame, stop your own personal growth and healing because you are less likely to reach our for help or open us to the people who are there to help. In this episode I talk about why shame is so hurtful to mental illness and ways to fight back from shame. 

5 Things to Boost Your Mental Health

On this episode I talk about 5 things you can do to boost your mental health. These 5 things can be done anytime and for free. Creating a habit of doing these things will benefit your overall health and wellness for years to come.

Do You Know Who You Are?: The masks we wear and why we wear them

Masking is a very common defense mechanism. It's normal to mask on a first date or at a job interview, but if you are masking all the time it can lead to resentment, depression, burnout and the loss of who you really are. Myself and many people I have talked with have shared a feeling that we don't even know who we are because we have been wearing a mask for so long.
On this episode I talk about the many different kinds of masks people wear, and why they wear them. I also get into strategies to learn who you truly are. It is important to learn who you are because we need the real you in this world!
Link to the Personal values 
 

Good Grief: Why grief is part of the human experience

Grief is something that we will all experience at some point. Grief is the cost of loving and we all love. As a society we have put limits and rules on grief because it makes us uncomfortable, but we need to do better. We need to allow grief to be in our story and learn to process the emotions that comes as the result of a painful loss. In the episode I give information on disenfranchised grief as well as how to process the emotions that come up as a result of grief. Thank you for listening.

Your Story Isn’t Finished:Suicidal ideation and how to process dark thoughts

This episode deals with the sensitive subject of suicidal ideation. I share ways to notice suicidal ideation as well as using compassion and curiosity to help yourself or people in your life who suffer from thoughts of suicide. If you are experiencing these thoughts please call 988. Seek help. Your story isn't finished!

Your Core Beliefs

Core beliefs are core to our identity. They can feel as deeply entwined as roots to a tree. Negative core beliefs show up in our thoughts, feeling, actions and therefor in our lived experiences. Finding, questioning, deconstructing then rebuilding new core beliefs will help you create a happier life. 

Consciousness is Confidence

What is confidence and how can create confidence in our life? It takes being conscious of our thoughts and the emotions they create. This weeks podcast is a mini-dive into using your consciousness to create confidence.