“Becoming clear on what is our problem and what is someone else’s is revolutionary.” Over the last couple of years, I’ve been working with a wonderful, life-changing phrase: not my problem. It might sound harsh, cruel, or maybe like a cool breeze on a hot day, but,...
Read MoreRecently, I read an interview with author Danielle LaPorte where she stated that she never speaks meanly to herself. “Not ever.” This blew my mind. Because even though I write regularly about practicing self-compassion and embracing ourselves, I still struggle with harsh self-talk. I’m guessing you do, too. It might...
Read MoreMindful Editor, Anne Alexander, shares some cringeworthy reasons why self-care might just be something worth considering. Self-care can be touchy subject. It certainly was for me. I used to think that “self-care” was for privileged, entitled, lucky folks who were out of touch with the lives of real...
Read MoreHow to cultivate and strengthen our capacity for kindness and compassion. ↓ Offering a smile and a kind word to the checkout person, giving a frazzled mom an understanding look when her child is having a tantrum, offering your shoulder to cry on for an upset friend;...
Read MoreHow to Stop Speaking Harshly to Yourself ↓ Harsh self-talk is a pattern of learned behavior, and the good news is we can unlearn it. Recently, I read an interview with author Danielle LaPorte where she stated that she never speaks meanly to herself. “Not ever.” This blew my mind. Because...
Read MoreYour Self-Esteem is Not the Problem ↓ Like everyone else, I’ve had difficult times in my life. I’ve had bad breakups, I’ve made mistakes, and I’ve been hurt. In these difficult moments, a lot of people have cheerfully diagnosed me with “low self-esteem.” ↓ I never quite agreed. I...
Read MoreYou're Not Fighting That War Alone ↓ One of self-loathing's most devious tactics is to isolate its victims, chasing each of us into dark lonely corners in which we feel singled out and incomparably awful, just as those who stole our self-esteem did, way back when. They drove...
Read MoreMeditation Is Hard When You Hate Yourself * Maybe at some point, you decided to try meditation—thinking it might help you resemble those placid, robe-draped figures chanting in the documentaries. Maybe you marveled at those scientific studies linking meditation with reduced anxiety and better sleep. Maybe you started...
Read More* Stop the Violence Within * Never speak badly about yourself. It’s a simple statement, one many of us would agree with in concept. But do you follow it’s advice? Probably not. Because our inner critic speaks to us in a voice so familiar we rarely notice it’s presence. * Recently,...
Read More* How to Control Your Emotions * I’ve been told that I have a fairly broad and deep emotional range. That can be a good thing because it means I feel things with sensitivity, complexity, and intensity. I notice nuances in myself and others. Feelings, occurrences, people—they matter...
Read More