Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Self-Care


Self Care seems to be all the buzz these days. Do you know what it really means?   Further more, what it means to you and what self-care looks like for you. Self-care is literally that; intentionally taking care of ones-self. It is giving yourself the time, love, and attention to nourish your mind, body, and soul. 

A busy mom is a good example of someone who might need a reminder to care for herself. "I don't have time" is a common reason people cite for not engaging in self care behaviors; though what some might not realize is self care can be simple and not necessarily a time guzzler. The last thing anyone seems to need these days is more on his/her plate and added stress. Taking good care of yourself may mean adding a small bit of time to your daily routine, but time spent that you will likely feel throughout the day/week.   Examples of self care include: taking a 10 minute bubble bath; 3 minute breathing exercises; 5 minute daily meditation. Other examples might be: taking a walk each morning; doing yoga a few times per week; scheduling time for a professional massage, leaving work on time to make a healthy dinner for yourself; committing to regular therapy sessions; listening to soothing music or reading a book; scheduling time away (even if for a few hours) with yourself, family, or friends. 

The mom above might wonder how she will make that time happen...But the bigger question is if she doesn't take care of herself, who will and if she doesn't have a self care practice, what is the consequence to her and her family? Is she more irritable, feeling overwhelmed, emotionally and physically exhausted.)  Self-care really is a "return on your investment" It truly is taking good care of yourself to feel like a better YOU, for you and your loved ones. 

How do you take care of yourself? If you do not currently have a routine practice of self care, can you think of what you might like to implement?

If you'd like to discuss this further to see if a professional therapist could be helpful, contact us at Gaithersburg Counseling Center, at 240-274-5680 or admin@HealingLLC.com. Or you can visit our website for more information at www.HealingLLC.com.

Friday, March 4, 2016

How To Respond To A Loss

It is one of the guarantees of life, and it is not taxes; it is the other one, death. To be intentionally blunt, we will all some day die; we will lose loved ones, expectedly and sometimes unexpectedly.  Despite this being a universal truth that crosses all societies and cultures; we often still continue to struggle to find the appropriate way to express condolences to friends, family, and colleagues in a time of loss. Oftentimes a lot of thought goes into the decisions of how to acknowledge grief after learning the loss of someones near and dear. 

* To go or not to go to a Funeral, Wake, Visitation, Shiva, Memorial? 
* To send a card, make a telephone call, write an email, bring a meal, or send flowers?

A common struggle is to figure out "what to say" to or "what to do" for a person in mourning. Are there "right" words to say? People often shy away from talking about a death/loss due to ones own discomfort with death. The uncomfortable feelings that can get stirred up in us may be related to multiple factors, including our own personal recent and past losses. There is often a desire and anxiety about wanting to say the proper thing. Sometimes that anxiety or uncertainty about what to say results in nothing being said or done, perhaps leading to more uncomfortable feelings. When in a position of feeling unsure about what to say, think about what you might appreciate from a friend/family member/colleague if you were in mourning. 
Perhaps you would like:
* a hug
* someone to just sit and be with you
* someone to just acknowledge your loss "I am so sorry for your loss" or "I don't have the right words, but know I am here for you" or simply "thinking of you during this difficult time"
* knowing you are not alone and people do care

Important to consider as well is losses come in variety of forms as well, including: loss of a job, death of a pet, a pregnancy miscarriage or infertility, ending of relationship or divorce. Times does help heal, though grief has no time line and it is important to remember that everyone truly does cope and deal with losses in different ways and in his/her own time. If you find yourself having a difficult time managing around a death or another loss, a trained therapist can help you sort through your feelings and support you and help you cope with the pain and loss. Here at Another Look At Healing, Now Gaithersburg Counseling Center we have multiple counselors available to talk with and see if counseling could be helpful for you at this time. Contact us for more information or resources at 240-274-5680 or Admin@HealingLLC.com or visit us online at www.HealingLL.com.