"Should I just tell myself to 'THINK POSITIVE'?"

Before I go into this post, I want to be clear that there is nothing actually "wrong" or "incorrect" about thinking positive. In fact, honestly think telling yourself positive things can help you turn around your mood, if said repeatedly and mindfully.

However "should-ing" yourself is the first red-flag that its not going to be very a very effective practice, second of all thinking positively isn't the only way to feel positive. In fact, removing judgment from our thoughts and our language can be even more beneficial in many way. The labeling of positive and negative, can get anyone into a trouble/moral dilemma and stuck in "black and white thinking.  

By having attachments to the outcomes of events and situations we are in, it can take us away from the purpose of the lesson from the event and the event in it self. Blocking us from feeling our feelings, since we may try to demand ourselves to see it "up-side". So take a deep breath and feel your feelings.

I do believe that speaking to yourself with affirmations, that speak abundance and health into our life is one of the best "positive thinking" that can be done by any individual daily. In other words, there is no way to "make it all better with a positive thought", its more about creating a mindset of abundance and to move cultivating a midset that is moving you closer to the things you want in your life.

DBT effective in treating Eating Disorders?

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is an effective recovery tool that helps women realize their potential to create a meaningful life for themselves, regardless of challenges they have experienced in the past. They are supported in this pursuit through education and practice of recovery skills when confronted with:

• difficult, overwhelming emotions

• invalidating environments

• problematic thinking patterns

• old, destructive ways of living

Dialectical behavioral therapy is a form of integrated treatment combining behavioral, cognitive, and supportive therapies. Developed to address complex mood and personality disorders, DBT is especially effective in treating persons who have suffered repeated relapses of self mutilation, eating disorders, co-occurring psychiatric illnesses, or addiction.

By focusing on both the behaviors and the feelings with specific skills provided change can occur. Read this article to find out more.

https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/treatment-for-eating-disorders/types-of-treatments/dialectical-behavioral-therapy-dbt/vs-cbt

Vulnerability Factors

In life we are constantly being presented with opportunities, whether we see them that way or not. Each of these opportunities allows us to make choices of how to behave, think and feel. Again, we may not think we have a choice in how we behave, think or feel, but we do. Our choices are effected by what are called Vulnerability Factors. If we are engaging in unhealthy behaviors, patterns of thought, or are in a toxic environment your ability to make healthy choices for yourself generally goes out the window, so those opportunities than look a whole heck of a lot like problems. Areas of vulnerability to look at are:

• Physical illness

• Unbalanced eating and sleeping

• Injury

• Use of drugs or alcohol

• Misuse of prescription drugs

• Intense emotions being your baseline

• Stressful relationships

If we learn to manage and regulate these Vulnerability Factors we can have a change of perspective from being situations as "problems" and a lot more like opportunities.

Utilizing coping skills, attending support groups and receiving counseling can all be ways for you to gain more awareness and skills to mange these Vulnerability Factors.

Eating Well & Yoga

Eating Well is more that just eating your fruits and veggies. Its about eating to fuel and honor your body. Appreciating your body for what it does for you, and how it works for you in harmony when its respected. A practice that helps encourage this is yoga, which teaches awareness of the body’s functions and feelings. This practices is especially impactful when you've been disconnected from the body and mind connection.

Yoga can be an effective method of emotion regulation and distress tolerance (two pillars of DBT). Practicing yoga, mindfulness, and therapeutic services can help you by

• Increased attentiveness to one’s body functions and feelings

• Improved mood and decreased irritability

• Improved body image and self-confidence

• Greater sense of well-being

• Increased feelings of relaxation

• Improved ability to focus

• Improved sleep patterns

• Diminished impulsivity and irrational thoughts/behaviors

• Increased optimistic outlook on life and positive mind-state

• Improve ones relationship with self

I offer yoga classes, both individually and as a group. Contact me for details

Breathe

Have you ever been in a situation where you were instructed to “just breathe”? Perhaps this occurred before you had an important interview, or test or performance? Breathing is vital to us, yet often times we take it for granted or forget that we are actually breathing.
With that I wanted to address the value of breath today and ways in which our breath can effect us.
Breathing or inhalation and exhalation is an autonomic process in our bodies, in other words, we don’t have to consciously ask our bodies to breath, it’s a “built in” feature. As we breath we inhale oxygen, nitrogen, carbon and other gases present in the air. As we exhale our breathe primarily we are letting our carbon dioxide. That science lesson is meant to highlight the chemical reaction that takes place in our beautifully complicated bodies, as well recognize the importance of taking effective breaths. An ineffective breath is called paradoxical breathing, which is when you inhale with the chest muscles and exhale from the abdomen. Effective breathing is the breath or “natural breath” occurs when you take breaths from the abdomen. Take these steps to facilitate deep breathing:
Breath in through your nose slowly and evenly and guide air to your abdomen. As you do so, experience your stomach region expanding and inflating. After holding this breath for a second or two, release it with the same pace in which you drew in.
Practice of this conscious breath will allow the natural breath to occur more regularly.
This technique is useful for Mindful breathing that is taught in Distress Tolerance of DBT. The technique may benefit anyone experiencing anxiety, stress, tension, or anyone that simply wants to experience the natural breath.
The breath is endless, and you may breathe in ease, well being and peace, breathe out tension, worry and pain. 

Have a mindful day!