I recently spoke to a group of employees at a large hospital in New York City on the topic of compassion fatigue. As you probably already know, healthcare workers, like therapists, are at risk for compassion fatigue. Especially if they aren’t taking care of themselves, trying to live a balanced life, spending time with people […]
Clients often want to talk to me about having better self-esteem. And living with a chronic condition can certainly impact your self-esteem. I encourage them to think of self-esteem as a quality that they can build by taking actions in their life that increase their self-esteem. In other words, better self-esteem isn’t just about understanding […]
Feeling anxious is part of being human. It’s certainly part of living with a chronic condition. And while feeling anxious is uncomfortable, we can learn to live with it, and not “get anxious about getting anxious.” And here’s something else I talk to my clients about: Anxiety can be useful if we learn how to […]
Being able to communicate with your doctor is important, that’s for sure. A collegial, friendly relationship enhances trust. And when you and your doctor trust each other, you are more likely to be open and honest in your communication. That’s all good. But is it love? And if you do love your doctor, are there times […]
There is a lot to be said for being aware of where we are in life. That doesn’t mean we always like where we are, that’s for sure. I don’t think anyone is more aware of life’s GPS than those of us who are living with a chronic condition. The ups, the downs, the responsibilities, […]
Welcome to the human mind. Those thoughts keep coming at us. Some we dismiss, others we grab onto and go for the ride. And what a ride that can be! So a question. What thoughts are you grabbing onto and going for the ride? And where are they taking you? Someplace good or someplace not so […]
Are you aware of the formal definition of advocate? Dictionary.com defines an advocate as a person who “speaks or writes in support or defense of a person or a cause.” In my mind, that definition pretty much covers the water in terms of the examples of advocacy that I provided. What I would say is […]
Nobody’s perfect. And our bad habits are certainly proof of our imperfection. Now how do we get rid of them? What makes a habit hard to break is that habits do their job! They get us through those stressful times. They fill up time when we don’t know what else to do. The problem is […]
It’s no secret that living with a chronic condition can take a hit on your confidence. Having to make major life changes, changes that you didn’t choose to make, is a reminder that life is uncertain. Humans want to know and to be in control. A chronic condition can mean having good days and bad […]
I am hearing a lot of talk about the upcoming holidays, and I suspect you are too. And I can’t help but notice how often the words “I hope I don’t” pop up in these discussions. I certainly understand that the holidays can be challenging. And it makes a lot of sense to want to […]