In Sanity: A piece of mind

Annie joins me this week to discuss her emotional myth(s). She chose two and then we discussed them and how they impact her. Using the framework of non-violent communication she discussed how painful emotions are an expression of unmet needs, which tied nicely into her chosen myths. Give it a listen. You will not be disappointed.

It's been a busy week, and I've not been able to interview or invest enough time in reviewing distress tolerance, so ... I'm recommending a couple of books. Nonviolent Communication: Create Your Life, Your Relationships, and Your World in Harmony with Your Values (Audible) The Anatomy of Peace, Fourth Edition: Resolving the Heart of Conflict

Join Carson and me as we discuss another emotional myth. Carson chose number 19. She was thoughtful and brought attention to the idea of embodiment, which is the way that experiences are enlivened, materialized, and situated in the world through the body. I suspect this is something I will talk more about in later podcasts.

In this episode, I discuss crisis skills and distress tolerance in dialectical behavior therapy. If you have a manual look at the handouts. They are good guides for many of these exercises. I talk about effective rethinking and paired relaxation techniques, as well as the STOP skill for managing overwhelming emotions. Also take note of the TIP skill, which involves changing body chemistry through...

Sometimes, our emotions get the best of us. It might be that we are struggling to keep things together - depression, anxiety, and other symptomologies overwhelm us, and we don't handle the distress very well. We use maladaptive coping strategies that work in the short term but will not over the long term. Additionally, there are some periods of our lives where keeping our emotions in check is...

My son-in-law, Chris, was this week's podcast guest. He was a delightful guest who addressed emotional myth 13. Get out your list and check it out. Chris clearly remembers the emotional climate in his home at different times in his life. He talks about how he thinks authentic emotional expression is a form of communication and is important for honest expression. He challenges his myth in diffe...

Join me this week as Lindsay and I discuss her myth about emotion. This is a great discussion and Lindsay shares both her personal and professional understanding of this myth and how to challenge it. The conversation with Lindsay is engaging and interesting and I appreciate her perspective and her willingness to share with all of us how this myth shows up for her.

Join me this week as Regan and I discuss two of her emotional myths. This is a wonderful entry into a new series I will be doing. I asked my kids and their spouses/partners if they would each choose an emotional myth, either from the list or one of their own, and then discuss it on the podcast. They agreed, and Regan was available for the first one. I am excited to hear from so many diverse voices...

There is a lot of noise in the background, including sweet newborn baby cries. We are lucky enough to have a baby in our house and talk about positive emotions. It's beautiful, and I am relishing the positive feelings of loving on a newborn. This week's podcast builds on positive experiences by introducing mood momentum, attending to relationships, and acting the opposite to increase posit...

One of the key concepts in DBT is the focus on building positive experiences, which is a component of the emotion regulation module. Building positive experiences in the short term and the long term is aimed at increasing positive events, which can help improve mood and counteract negative emotional states. In this podcast, I will discuss how to intentionally engage in enjoyable or fulfilling acti...

Emotional regulation is the ability to manage our emotions in a healthy way. It's about being able to identify and understand our emotions, and then being able to respond to them in a way that is helpful to us and to others. But sometimes, there are barriers that can make it difficult to regulate our emotions. These barriers can be physical, such as chronic pain or illness, or they can be cogn...

Emotions are necessary for survival. They keep us safe, connect us with other people, help us access memories, cope with situations that affect us on a daily basis, avoid pain, and seek pleasure. That's a lot. We should respect them more, do more to understand them, and experience more healthy expression of our emotions. This week's podcast provides more information, along with examples to...

I am on a mission to guide you into increased emotional awareness. I am using DBT resources, books, and my personal experiences to encourage you on your journey of self-discovery. I am learning new things about myself each week. Come along and share in the expanding of our souls.

Join me on this week's podcast to learn how emotions improve our lives and help us reflect the Divine. If we strive for wholeness and health, emotions are necessary to find that. Emotionally healthy people also enjoy benefits in other areas, such as work, parenting, relationships, spirituality, resilience, etc. Recognizing Your Emotions Emotion Regulation Worksheet

Most of us go through the day experiencing a range of emotions—from pleasant to unpleasant, some of which are in our awareness and others are out of our awareness. We all have an emotion dashboard of sorts. This dashboard relays information that we use to make decisions. Sometimes the emotions that happen outside of our awareness can cause us to make poor decisions, say things we regret, or take a...

I've spent the last few weeks thinking about these skills and decided to dig deeper and provide more context and information. I also provided some examples in hopes you will see how to more effectively use these skills in your relationships. Check the below for some worksheets. DBT Fast Skills

Emotions are signals within your body that tell you what’s happening and what you are experiencing in any given moment. When something pleasurable happens to you, you feel good; when something distressing happens to you, you feel bad. Frequently your emotions are like an instant news service that gives you constant updates about what you’re doing and what you’re experiencing. This week's podca...

This week's podcast describes the skills to use when you are asking for something, saying no to another's request, resisting pressure, and maintaining your point of view. The skills used are describing, expressing, asserting, reinforcing, (staying) mindful, appearing confident, and negotiating. Use the words DEAR MAN to remember these skills. Check out the show notes below for some workshe...

The goal of the GIVE skill is to build and keep healthy relationships. These skills are "other" focused and are a gift you are giving someone. This podcast also has some more information on validation - what it is and what it is not, how to use it effectively in GIVE and why it is a necessary skill to have. DBT Skills - Reproducible Materials Give Skills

FAST skills focus on self-respect. Using values, goals, and priorities, we are making choices that increase the respect we have for ourselves. This is important because it is a solid base for building and maintaining all our relationships. Use the acronym FAST to remember the building blocks ( F air, A pologies not needed, S tick to values, T ruth and accountability) of this skill. DBT Fast Skills...

Join me this week as I continue the discussion around interpersonal skills through the DBT framework of knowledge and practice. There is so much information and this week I did a good job of using real life examples. DBT is a therapy that focuses on improving self so we can improve our relationships. We need that. Please be thoughtful and intentional with the information in this week's podcast...

Join Lindsay and I this week as we work through a DBT session using the mindfulness worksheets. She describes the ways she used the worksheets and we have a nice conversation regarding ways our resistance to practicing mindfulness is overcome using the DBT process.

Interpersonal effectiveness skills help you build new relationships, strengthen current ones, and deal with conflict situations. They allow you to effectively ask for what you want and refuse or say NO to unwanted requests. They are the behaviors and actions needed to communicate assertively, set boundaries, resolve conflicts, and deepen relationships. They are helpful in families, workplaces, wit...

Join me this week and enjoy a conversation with me, Kylee and Carson as we talk about our views on unsolicited advice. Carson helps us consider the distinction between opinion and advice. Perhaps we think we are giving advice, but it is really an opinion - so how do we know? Good things to think about. Kylee offers up her thoughts that unsolicited advice giving is not and has never been the proble...

As promised, here are some "how(s)" of a mindfulness practice. First, you are going to practice nonjudgment. Then you are going to work on being one-minded. Lastly, you will find ways to be effective and practice effectively. I challenge you to not only listen, but grab yourself an accountability buddy and start practicing these today. Call your mom, check in with your partner and make t...