THE BRAVELY BALANCED BLOG
For the overachiever and the overworked!
How exhausted are you? I know the feeling!
Does being exhausted serve you? What if I told you that you could have it all without subjecting yourself to hustle culture?
Sounds divine, doesn’t it? Follow along and feel the ease!
Beyond the Limits: A Personal Odyssey from Overdrive to Balance
I am getting my branding redesigned – very exciting! Packing to go to a weekend workshop tomorrow. Finally cleaning up my storage areas after having moved to my current location 2 and a half years ago. Clearing out my gardens so that I can begin to plant. And, of course, doing the regular daily things that make up my personal and work day.
All wonderful. All exciting. All, to my mind, necessary. I could blame it on an early Spring… and it’s true that we all feel a hopefulness every Spring that gets us going. But that wouldn’t be all, because I habitually juggle many things at once.
I habitually tend to overstuff my days and weeks …
Shifting Perspectives: Movement as a Catalyst for Change
Movement heals. When you feel stuck, move. The age-old dictum in psychotherapy is “Do something different”, anything at all that truly isn’t a variation on what you have (or haven’t) been doing, with the emphasis on “Do”.
When you feel depressed, I know it feels impossible to move. And yet…
Respecting The Process In Relationship
I have a late cancellation policy that I used to feel bad about every time a client cancelled late. Then, somewhere down time, I realized that everything that happens in a therapy or coaching session – it’s all a part of the therapeutic or coaching process. …
Beyond Reactivity: Building Bridges in the Midst of Differences
These days, it’s hard not to get into an argument without avoiding. Deferring, deflecting, being agreeable and complacent, saying nothing. It sometimes feels as though it’s either that, or reacting by saying or doing something we’ll regret later. Friends, family, co-workers… ourselves – many people are reactive and ready to take offense.
There was a time when this wasn’t true, but that time is long gone for most of us…
The Healing Pause: Unplugging For Resilience
I spend my days helping others overcome burnout – just want to say that out loud before I relate my recent experience.
I was on a zoom call with a colleague this week. My colleague was obviously depleted and at the same time strung out, reacting to almost everything I said
From Pain To Empowerment: Embracing Healthy Boundaries
I’d like to talk about boundaries – healthy ones. It’s not an issue for many people, but always has been for me, and people like me.
- I’m reluctant to say no to someone who asks for help, and will often find myself involved in something that forces me to put what I need to do for myself on the back burner. Or worse, I end up trying to do everything and don’t get anything done well, letting down myself and the others I was trying to help;
Expectations and Surprises: Decoding the Language of Confusion
A woman was sitting next to me in a coffee shop in deep conversation with someone over the phone. The discussion was animated, at least on her end. I couldn’t help but notice her expression because it, too, was very animated.
Shifting Perspectives: Embracing the Lion-Mouse Within
A friend told me about a time when she was in a typical work self-improvement seminar, meant to help build team spirit. One exercise involved choosing an image that represented each team member. Each individual would choose one for themselves, and then one for all the other team members, collectively. When it came to her, she chose a lion; her mates chose a mouse.
Striking a Balance: Embracing Hope While Managing Expectations
In a week, I’ll spend a day reviewing the past year and setting my intentions for the new year. In looking back over the year, I began it with hopes for the future and expectations on what that future would be like.
Reflect, Learn, Intend: A Year-End Journey
This is my final blog for 2023, and I wanted it to reflect on the past year to see how it went for me in my world, and set to intentions for the new year, based on what I want to improve and accomplish moving forward. I do this every year-end.
Ears of the Heart
I came across a Latin phrase the other day that sounded like something we could all use today. Today, so many of us are protecting ourselves from accusations and judgments because of misunderstandings or the heightened sensitivities of others.
Perspectives on Fairness
When I was growing up in a family with 2 competing brothers and a sister, ensuring the deserts were exactly the same size was of prime importance. Otherwise, it might imply that one sibling was getting special treatment. And that was not fair!
From Dismissal to Reflection: Transforming Defensive Reactions
I was in a meeting, and someone there said something that, to me, sounded sarcastic and dismissive. I immediately, automatically, became defensive. My way of becoming defensive is to dismiss the person speaking and carry on. That generally works because it causes minimal disruption and I feel it doesn’t make others feel uncomfortable. But I felt uncomfortable, and perhaps others did too and were protecting themselves in a similar way.
The surprising silver lining with disappointment
Quite a while ago, I had a friend who I relied on for advice while I was in a position of authority that was very challenging. I thought I had made an agreement with her that what I said would remain between us, and that she would take anything negative I said with a large grain of salt. It turned out that she did not do that. The disappointment and pain and sense of betrayal I felt was indescribable.
Journey to Thanksgiving: Reflections on Empathy in a Divided World
I drove to Alabama last week to be with my in-laws for American Thanksgiving. On the way, I listened to public radio, most of which was focused on what is happening in Israel at the moment. I heard impassioned pleas and arguments supporting Israel’s aggression against Hamas, and equally powerful pleas and arguments for a cease fire and for humanitarian aid for those trying to live in Gaza.
Breath as a Lifeline: Navigating Anxiety and Overwhelm
Sometimes my job feels like a gift: every time I manage to really help a person, I feel great. And, every time I manage to help someone, I also help myself, and learn how to help others as well.
Mirroring – I see you, I see me
I watched 2 friends in conflict: They were missing each other’s message. One of them eventually said to the other “I feel you don’t trust me!” The other felt hurt by that comment and said so, because it was as if their friend was laying the cause of the disagreement at their feet without owning any part of it.