One of my favorite games, which I don’t play nearly frequently enough, is the “I’m Grateful Game.” It’s very easy. You can play it by yourself or with others. All you have to do is come up with as many things you’re grateful for as… Read More »The I’m Grateful Game
The vagus nerve is getting a lot of attention these days, and for good reason. It is cranial nerve 10 and is an important part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls the “rest and digest” part of our system. The vagus nerve plays an… Read More »What’s the Deal with the Vagus Nerve?
The other day, I was heading to my car as I was leaving a beautiful building. I turned around to admire it and soak in the beauty before hopping into my car. After I started driving away, I looked at the building again through my… Read More »Check Your Lens
Recently, I had a conversation with April Crystal, one of the Cognitive Therapists at CognitiveFX. During this conversation, April shared many helpful tips on how to use life situations as opportunities for improving our cognitive skills. Here are a few of the ideas and principles… Read More »Life as Cognitive Therapy
Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in –Leonard Cohen (from his song, “Anthem”) Let these words sink in. It’s a beautiful message, and one that we all need… Read More »That’s How the Light Gets In
Summer is upon us (for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere 🙂 This often comes with traveling for reunions or vacations or business trips, etc. Navigating airports and new places can be hard and overstimulating for anyone, but for people dealing with post concussion… Read More »Traveling After A Concussion
Ok, I understand that whether or not taking a hike is actually an option can depend a lot on your symptoms and capacity at the moment, so you don’t have to take the subject of this blog literally, necessarily. But if a hike isn’t an… Read More »Take A Hike
Grief is a topic that can be hard to discuss and hard to understand. It is so personal, and yet almost everyone will experience some degree of grief in their lifetime. Those suffering from concussions and post concussion symptoms are no exception. The losses they… Read More »Grief
You may have heard me mention before that it’s important to prioritize your health, and that taking breaks when needed is not only ok, but actually key and vital to recovery and continued progress. Well, it turns out that in the past few weeks, I… Read More »Taking My Own Advice
This will be a short and sweet one. Just wanted to remind you that the little things make all the difference. The little things done for you: an unexpected gift dropped off on the doorstep, the flower petals lovingly picked and delivered to your… Read More »It’s the Little Things
Have you read the book “The Gap and the Gain” by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy? It’s a good one, and today my mentor, Leah Davidson, shared a very helpful way she applies the principles in this book with her clients who are suffering with… Read More »The Gap and the Gain
Why is it that we think we shouldn’t be having a hard time? It’s almost like we think that experiencing difficulty is a sign of weakness or lack of moral/emotional/mental fortitude. So when we are struggling (physically, mentally, emotionally), we tend to punish ourselves for… Read More »Self-Compassion
Hi there. I want to share something that I have observed. Turning to a higher power for help in healing is immensely helpful for people in their recovery journey. This doesn’t mean that the recovery journeys of people of faith are easier or shorter… Read More »Accessing a Higher Power for Healing
I wish I could claim to have come up with this name or this technique, but alas, I can only pass this on to you with my deep admiration from Molly Parker, PT, DPT and the Heart Math Institute. According to a recent Instagram… Read More »Peter Pan Breathing
Ok. That may have been a bit of an overstatement… but really, truly, this phrase has saved my husband AND me significant amounts of frustration and hurt feelings. And it only took us a little over a decade to figure it out. See, my husband… Read More »The 8 Words That Saved My Marriage
Chronic pain can have a significant impact on peoples’ lives. The pain is real and affects all aspects of life. Frequently, there is a mind/body component of this kind of pain, ie: the pain intensifies with stress. If this is the case with pain that… Read More »Chronic Pain
This is a concern that I hear coming up very frequently for people dealing with Post Concussion Syndrome, and it’s a concern that I think many people with any kind of injury or illness (physical or mental) may grapple with, particularly if it’s a longer-term… Read More »“I feel like a burden”
One of my early mentors in coaching pointed out that a vast majority of the issues people seek coaching for are due to some form of resistance of what is happening in their lives. There is a huge amount of pain we cause ourselves simply… Read More »Resistance
Thea James shared this sentiment in our podcast interview this week. She said that at the beginning of her journey with Post Concussion Syndrome, she would get angry with her body for not being able to do what it used to be able to do… Read More »“My Body Is My Teammate”
Have you ever debated whether you should stop and take a rest break, or push through symptoms and finish what you’re doing? This is one of the most common concerns people who face post concussion syndrome (or any chronic illness or fatigue) deal with. And… Read More »How to Know When to Push or Rest