The Basics of Managing Anxiety
Soothe- (scaling, perspective alternatives, ideas v. facts)
Distract (big ways- balance in life, little ways- breathing)
Shake It Out- (release energy)
Sit with feeling- discover underlying feelings, or just let it pass through
Problem Solve- change things that can be changed, accept those that can’t
Perspective- (fears, uncertainty, attitude, expectations)
Protect- (maintain physical/emotional reserves)
Purpose- (find and create meaning, connection, values, bigger picture, anchor to center)
Where Does Depression Come From?
Consider the following areas of your life. Could any of them use changes, or need attention?
SOURCES OF DEPRESSION:
-Negative thought patterns and beliefs
The Gift of Body Hatred
Say you happened across one of those mounds of earth scattered about a prairie dog field. Perhaps you might think or remark, “what an unattractive landscape!, there are piles of dirt everywhere!” What would you be missing in this scenario? What are you not seeing, that is very important?... The prairie dogs of course! And their tunneled homes.
Back off my body- and Jessica and Britney's too would you?
I am sick over this whole Jessica Simpson's weight thing. I mean, come ON...since when did the body get put up for auctioned judgments? Noone, nowhere, has the right to comment on YOUR body- it's yours!...not theirs, hello. I can barely even get words out here it makes me so angry. But angry because I'm scared. At what point will this stop? Will the general public and "news" be making decisions about how long my middle toe "should"' be?
Movie / Film Therapy
Choose A Movie To Match or Change Your Mood!
(what are your suggestions?)- email leah@ournewleaf.com!
Funny and Silly Feel Good Films:
-Pee Wee Herman’s Big Adventure (childlike humor)
-Monty Python’s Holy Grail (sarcastic intellectual humor)
-Liar Liar (adult Jim Carrey humor)
-Tommy Boy (slapstick humor, 12-year-old boy humor)
Overcoming Challenges Films
-Love Song for Bobby Long
The World Is Still Good Films
-Pay It Forward
-Crash
-The Sound of Music
The World Sucks Films
-Hotel Rwanda
-Boyz in the Hood
I Just Want To Be in An Alternative World Films
Inspiring Quotes
QUOTES TO THINK ABOUT
Try choosing three favorites and writing about why they are your favorites.
Maybe the hokey pokey really IS what it's all about.
Anonymous
You can't stop the waves from coming, but you can learn how to surf.
Sri Swami Satchidananda
We do not see things as they are,
we see them as we are.
Anais Nin
Each time anyone comes into contact with us,
they must become different and better people
because of having met us.
We must radiate love.
We must know that we have been created for greater things,
not just to be a number in the world,
Relationship Tips
Ideas to Consider:
People who care about you make you “fall in love with yourself.” It is up to you to maintain this, but others can begin the process.
We should at least be equally interested in our own reaction, as we are to why another acted as they did.
Consider this: “There’s something going on in that other person’s life that I can’t see. If I knew what it was, his/her behavior would make sense to me.”
Change focus from “who went wrong” to “what went wrong and how can we fix it.”
