Recovery Enthusiast/ Recovery for Women

We can often trace the most significant challenges in our life to just a couple of poor decisions. Effective decisions require clear thinking and accurate perceptions of the situation and how the world works. It's easy to allow mental errors to lead to making a poor choice.   It's not always easy to make a wise decision, but there are things we can do to increase our odds.   Consider these mental errors that can degrade your ability to make a wise decision:   Failing to consider the long-term implications. Short-term thinking can lead to long-term challenges. Many of us focus more on the short-term than the long-term when making decisions. We choose the yummiest food to eat or the most enjoyable way to spend the next hour. ●       In most cases, we are better served by considering the long-term implications of our decisions.   For example: I would love to sleep in or hit the snooze button ...

  I joyfully anticipate doing things out of the ordinary. Ok, maybe not joyfully but I do my best to  do things out of the ordinary because I know that, by going outside of my comfort zone, I am equipping myself for a brighter future.   My past is my teacher and prepares me for the future. I let go of the idea that what I have gone through previously will dictate my fate. I can take comfort in knowing that because of my past I am a stronger woman today.  I let go of the fear that has kept me repeating the same patterns over and over and, instead, I reach for something new and better!   I recognize that the path is not always straight and clearly lit. I let go of the idea that I must be able to see every eventuality before I start out. If I can see the step in front of me, that is enough. This is frightening at times, yet I let go of the idea that I should be able to branch out without nervousness. Jitters - and even outright fear - are inevitable whe...

 Some believe that fate determines their lives. Others abide by the expression, “Life is what you make it.” Although it’s fine to believe in fate, if you want something different, exhilarating, or exciting in life, it might not work out so well to sit around waiting for fate to produce it. Instead, why not see your life as something you have a hand in?         Use these strategies to create the adventures you yearn for:   Try something different. Shake up your routine. For example, if every Friday night you go to the same restaurant for seafood, this Friday, go to the new vegetarian restaurant across town. Or go crazy and go on Thursday! Stop taking the path of least resistance. It’s not unusual to take the path you perceive as “safe”– that provides you with the least obstacles and roadblocks. However, sometimes, you might be compelled to take a rougher road, especially if the end result provides a great adventure. Struggle now to win great...

  Productive Versus Unproductive Thinking   How much of your time do you spend thinking each day during your waking hours? Most likely, at least 99% of the time. But how much of that thinking is productive?   There are two basic types of thinking: productive and unproductive. Productive thinking helps motivate us, reach our goals, and create the life we desire. On the other hand, much of the unproductive thinking we do is actually harmful to our happiness, contentment, and success.   What types of thoughts do you find yourself spending the most time on?   Consider how unproductive these types of thinking are:   ·        Thinking about the past in a way that creates regret. This is a common type of negative thinking that has no positive benefits. Remembering that time you embarrassed yourself in high school or had a huge argument with your partner only serves to lower your mood and put you into an unresource...

Psychologists have a name for that. It is actually part of our stress response system. You might have heard of the fight or flight response. Psychologists have recently recognized a third characteristic of this response which is freeze . The freeze response is a way of protecting us from danger by a sort of  camouflage with not moving; you become "invisible." The thing is, our stress response automatically triggers regardless if it's an actual life and death situation or psychological stress. When you are overwhelmed and feeling stressed out, it's vital to reduce the intense feelings. I have another post that goes into more detail about TIPP skills they use in DBT , and you can click on the link here for that post. Once you reduce the intense emotions, then you can think cognitively. What I'm going to talk about in this post is more of a preventative measure, and by doing the skills, you will hopefully prevent feeling overwhelmed. Like anything else, they ...

  Harmonious Living for Your Body, Mind, and Soul Everything is already in harmony. There are no "problems." Only opportunities for spiritual growth. It only took me 50 years but I finally have found harmony and self-love. You can too T ai Chi is the safest and one of the most beneficial exercises for all ages. Learn Tai Chi and enjoy better health, well-being, and freedom from stress   Try the powerful and increasingly popular Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to dissolve health or emotional issues, no matter how deep-rooted. There is extensive evidence regarding the harmonious effects of spiritual practice on your body and mind. Choose your spiritual path carefully and follow it diligently Your thoughts can change the molecular structure of water. Be grateful when you drink a glass of water. Avoid negative emotions. Be grateful for all your small and big blessings. Give thanks for these every day when you wake up.   Another great tool for creating harmony is Feng Shui. ...

  Change is inevitable. Look at your hobbies, friends, clothes, taste in music, TV shows, family, and career. Many of those things have changed. The people around you have changed. The political climate has changed. There’s change everywhere.   Change can bring fear, doubt, and uncertainty. However, it’s not helpful to view change negatively. In order to survive, it’s necessary to adapt to change.   There are new experiences and understandings to be gained as a result of the changes in your life. If you never changed, you’d still be playing in the sandbox at the playground and eating dirt.   If you’re finding it difficult to embrace changes in your life, using these strategies can help:   1. Understand that life is always changing. Life is about change. Life is always evolving. It’s the very nature of life. Think about how much you’ve changed since you were an infant. Your body and view of the world have changed considerably over the years. ...