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How to Establish Priorities
If you’re anything like me, your priorities are everything. Your goals and ambitions are your guiding light. So when it comes to making difficult choices, you evaluate your priorities. How does this align with the values in my life? That makes difficult decisions a little easier. As someone who is extremely indecisive, I like making choices easier. If you don’t know what your priorities are, that’s okay! Not all of us were taught how to prioritize. So let me give you a tutorial on how to establish priorities: Look at Your Behavior When we look at our behavior, we can identify what emotions or experiences led to our decision. If…
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Practical Ways To Improve Body Image
Chronic illness significantly impacts the relationship you have with your body. It’s hard enough for people to feel confident without the added complication of being sick. I want this article to be for everyone though, not just those who are sick. Every body is valid. Everyone deserves to love themselves fully and that includes loving how you look. It’s much easier said than done. I have gone through significant struggles. From disordered eating to working out so hard that I couldn’t function for days. The goal is self love and that looks different for everyone. Here are some practical ways to improve body image. Power Pose I love a good…
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Why I Don't Set Goals According To My OCD
Something I learned very early on having anxiety was to not set goals based on OCD. This lesson was extremely important for me to learn. I used to make decisions based on what I believed I could do within the limits of my anxiety. I shifted my focus to believe I could do anything. Suddenly, I felt much more confident when confronting challenges that gave me anxiety. I want to say that I’m speaking out of my own experience. Anxiety is very real but this is how I’ve overcome a lot of my fears and been able to live outside of the boundaries my OCD set. Shifting your mindset is…
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Signs You Are Overwhelmed
Being able to notice when you are overworked or overwhelmed can be extremely helpful. Not only can it prevent burn out but it’s a great way to keep in touch with yourself. There are some key things to notice. Our bodies may all be different but certain systems alert in similar ways. You may experience some of the following if you are overwhelmed. Tension Realizing tension can tell you a lot about what you’re feeling. If your shoulders are up to your ears, you are probably carrying a lot more than you realize. There are excellent body scans to help you analyze this. A great way to start is just…
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I'm Burnt Out
Like most people, I’m burnt out. It’s been one hell of a year. I think in general this year has been such a relief for me in so many ways. I know that it’s a pandemic and that’s challenging but in a lot of ways I’m doing great. For starters, I have not been hospitalized at all in 2020. I may have had several surgeries and ER visits but no weeks spent in the hospital. I call that a win. In conjunction, a lot of my surgeries have resolved quality of life issues I was facing. This has significantly increased my ability to be a normal person in their 20’s. …
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Cultivating a Healing Atmosphere
Healing is something sacred to me. It comes in many forms. Physically, healing is rarely able to take full effect, although it does show up here and there. In a mental sense, healing is all around me. I try to surround myself with an ora of peace. It’s much easier said than done. Starting off on this journey was very difficult. How do you go from frustration, anger, and confusion to healing? It starts with what you immerse yourself in. Anything from pop culture to your environment; it comes into play when cultivating a healing atmosphere. So you’re likely thinking, “Where do I start?” Excellent question! Here’s how I started…
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Tips and Tricks for Dealing with OCD
Dealing with OCD is an interesting experience. For most of my life, I was unaware of the fact that my anxiety was obsessive compulsive disorder. Having intrusive thoughts is a normal part of life but for individuals with OCD there’s a hyper focus on them. I can spend literal hours doing mental gymnastics. I repeat phrases to myself and try to ensure my own or others safety. The reality of living with OCD can be somewhat harsh. The only way to truly beat or overcome OCD is to endure. This is a therapy known as Exposure and Response Prevention. The therapy consists of exposing yourself to your fear. Then you…
