What To Do When Your New Year’s Resolutions Stall Out: A Guide to Sustainable Personal Growth
While we all have goals that motivate us throughout the year, the start of the year especially feels like a time where we have the most goals or expectations for ourselves. Maybe this is because we have a brand new year in front of us, or because everyone else seems to be doing it…However, regardless of the reason, we have all found ourselves at some point thinking through what the next 365 days ahead of us should be filled with.
Living Aligned With Your Values
The power of being aware of your true values that are genuinely your own, means you can change behaviors that currently don’t serve you or others well and you can create a lifestyle of intentionality, authenticity, freedom, and confidence.
Handling Holiday Dynamics with In-Laws & Family
The holiday season is often seen as a joyous time filled with laughter and connection with special people in our life. The hard part is this-- we don't always talk about when our relationships and dynamics don't mimic that "picture-perfect" ideal. The holidays can magnify relationship struggles that are present during the rest of the year, and it can feel incredibly vulnerable if the dynamic isn't fitting that ideal. So, what do we do to try and manage this? How do we come to a place of acceptance of the current reality we are experiencing within our relationships? Let's break down a few things to consider when finding the balance between acceptance and boundaries.
How to Set Holiday Boundaries
Boundaries can be quite the touchy topic, especially around the holidays. Do I just suck it up and drag everyone to and from every planned event? Am I being overly needy or difficult by having and setting these boundaries? Are my needs really worth it if everyone else is satisfied? These are just a few of the questions that may run through your mind when it comes to holiday planning and family time; making a time of year we hope to experience in a positive light, not so enjoyable. So, with that in mind, I thought I would share a few thoughts and tips when it comes to identifying and setting boundaries, specifically during the holiday season!
Practicing Self-Trust
Your relationship with yourself is arguably the most important relationship in your life. All other relationships stem from it. There are so many factors that contribute to having a strong, healthy relationship with yourself, but the one I want to draw your attention to is trust. We often think about trust from the perspective of trusting others, especially within relationships… but what does it look like to trust yourself? And how do we build trust with ourselves if it is lacking?
How to Live Intentionally
Intentionality, what a dream! Life has a unique way of intervening with this goal. Responsibilities in hand, deadlines to meet, people to take care of.. the list could go on. Sometimes we find ourselves stuck on a loop, of just getting by, not even being able to fathom how another week has passed. How can we reclaim this time in a purposeful way?
Stress vs. Overwhelm
Did you know there are two different types of stress? There is good stress and bad stress. Good stress, called eustress, can motivate you, increase focus, and can ultimately increase performance along with other benefits. You’re functioning in good stress if you have the feeling you want to perform well or if the stressor you're facing feels like it’s an opportunity to do well. What we need to be aware of is when that good stress turns into chronic stress or extreme levels of stress. We often call this overwhelm which means we are in such a level of stress that emotionally and cognitively we feel like we can’t even properly function.
Processing Traumatic Grief
Grief is complicated and unique— every person responds to loss in their own way and grief can impact every part of life. There is no formula for managing grief, and it can be such a helpless experience to go through.
4 Ways to Combat Negative Body Image
97% of women have at least one negative thought about their body daily, and 80% or more are dissatisfied with their physical appearance or struggle with body image. Sadly, these statistics are not exactly surprising, as we have learned to be critical, and hyper aware of our bodies. It is not always obvious the ways people communicate the value they place on physical appearance. This can be shown through compliments relating to physical appearance, negative comments when looking at a photo or in a mirror, discussing the newest diet fads, or bringing attention to the amount of or type of food someone is eating.
Redefining Mom Guilt
I truly believe social media has impacted our parenting experience (specifically for mamas in my generation) and has amplified feelings of guilt and shame. There are accounts we follow hoping to gain knowledge and resources as new parents, but the content we are consuming quickly becomes what we view as the “right” way to do things. It becomes a pattern of all-or-nothing thinking. When we see things posted on social media, it turns into all the things I’m *not* doing - enter feelings of guilt and shame. It can be really beneficial to do an emotional check-in with social media. How are you feeling before engaging in content, and how are you feeling after? Are there certain accounts you might need to unfollow in this season of life? Is the information you’re consuming helping or hurting?
Identifying Red Flags in Your Relationship
When we struggle to effectively communicate with our partners it can be discouraging, exhausting, lonely, and the perfect environment for resentment to enter the relationship. Luckily, John and Julie Gottman, two of my own personal favorite researchers and therapists in the field, have conducted over 40 years of research on couples. I’ll review some of their research findings and provide information about how we can improve connections and communication with your partner.
Understanding Your Attachment Style
Have you ever noticed patterns in your dating life that start to feel… eerie? You may be dating people who are radically different from your last partner on paper, but the same issues or patterns seem to present as time goes on. It can be frustrating and confusing, and can often lead people to feel defeated while dating. So, let’s talk all things attachment and how your attachment style (and your partner’s) may be impacting you in ways you may not even expect.
Appreciating the Inconvenience of Compromise
In any healthy relationship, compromise is necessary. We have to be willing to “inconvenience” ourselves at times because we value the relationship over “winning” or getting our way. That being said, I believe there is a difference between compromise and sacrifice. To me, compromise means both parties are giving something up, whereas sacrifice means one person is giving something up. Feelings of resentment can show up when there is an imbalance and one person feels like they are sacrificing all the time, and there’s really no compromise happening. If this is you - how might you be able to communicate your feelings with the other person?
Life After: Student Athlete
Transitioning out of being an athlete and into my body today. Addressing body image and expectations through the transition from being an athlete to the next phase of adulting.
As an athlete at any level, no one really prepares you for when that chapter of your life comes to an end. It’s a transition that can feel bittersweet with a mix of excitement and grief
Transitioning to Motherhood
We all experience a lot of transitions in life. The transition into motherhood has by far been the most challenging, while also the most rewarding and beautiful yet. Mom’s are truly remarkable, and the resilience through challenges of the transition into motherhood is an incredible reflection of that truth.
Navigating Blended Families
Coming from a blended family myself, I thought I would have a leg up when it came to having my own blended family. While I do believe I have unique insight due to my childhood experiences with having divorced parents and two blended families, I have come to realize navigating a blended family goes far beyond the four walls of the home. Blending a family requires intentional communication, selflessness, clear boundaries and expectations, a firm foundation, support, and empathy for all involved.
Friendships In Adulthood
Friendships are such unique relationships that fill space in our lives. So– how do we navigate friendships in adulthood, especially when life continues to throw changing dynamics into the mix?
The Way You Talk to Yourself Matters
When was the last time you checked in about your relationship with yourself? How are you caring for yourself? Your relationship with yourself is the most powerful relationship you will have, and it’s worth your time and investment.
