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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
This may be an easy concept to embrace intellectually, but I have seen over and over again, and experienced myself, the heartbreak and questioning of identity and worth that...
I love mindfulness because it’s a good brain health practice for everyone, but can be particularly helpful for people dealing with post concussion symptoms. It is one of my very...
Hi Friends! As we’re finishing up our first week of 2024, I just wanted to pop in and remind us all of the power of our thoughts as we face a new year. How are you thinking about...
The holidays are upon us – a time for joy, family, and festivities. But for those recovering from a concussion, it can also be a season of stress and potential setbacks...
A number of years ago, we were renting a home and the owner sent over someone to fix the blinds for us. This handyman kept sighing really loudly, and my then-4-year-old daughter...
Noise sensitivity is one of the most common concerns of people suffering from post concussion syndrome. Sounds can feel overwhelming and prevent people from participating in...
I was listening to a podcast yesterday and the guest, Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, told a story about how her daughter was getting ready for a competition in karate and her sensei...
My guest on The Concussion Coach Podcast this week shared this thought, and it’s an idea that I’ve come to believe and appreciate over the past few years. I don’t think that...
Do you ever feel like you’re being pulled in too many directions at once? Or like you want to do all the things but don’t have time to do any of them? Or that you have...
The other day my son wanted to do something, and I asked him if he’d gotten his chores and homework done yet. He started complaining that we have the rule in our house that...
So many people ask to know what they can do to get better from a concussion. This is a good question, and there are in fact many, many things that can be done to improve symptoms...
I used to think that at some point I’d get life (the balance of time and priorities) all figured out but I’m discovering that life IS the figuring. Have you heard of the “Conscious...
Today’s post is a short and sweet one. Just a reminder of some helpful concepts. I’m sure you’re familiar with this, but I think it’s worth repeating and considering again:...
Ah, children. I frequently tell my clients that children can be our best therapists — they will challenge us in ALL the ways — physically (hi, auditory and visual stimulation)...
With the beginning of a new school year upon us (here in the US at least), I thought I’d share a memory/study tip that I like to share with clients. This is something that I...
This is one of my favorite go-to thoughts. It’s believable for me when I zoom out and look at the big picture and remind myself that God isn’t up there wringing His hands in worry...
The human nervous system is wired for survival, and is constantly scanning for cues of safety or danger. It scans for these cues in the external environment, from our...
Hi there! Today I thought I’d share a few recommendations of books that have been motivational and inspiring to me and that have helped increase my understanding of the brain &...
Remember that you are a human. Sometimes we forget this and think we should not have human experiences like feeling the way we feel or making the mistakes we make. We...
This past week I got to go to a destination wedding, sans children, for 5 days. I was surprised at how much NOT being responsible for keeping 6 other little humans alive brought...
I needed to process an emotion today. I used this system and it surprised me yet again at how effective it is. You process, and it goes away to the point where you can’t feel...
The following are 5 fundamental keys to mental, physical, and nervous system health: 1 – Sleep 2 – Sunlight 3 – Movement 4 – Nutrition/Hydration 5 –...
When my son was about 1½ or so, he was playing at home and had a small toy in each hand. I had a toy in my hand that he wanted. I offered it to him and it was clear that he wanted...
Once upon a time, something happened. That thing that happened was just an event in the world — not particularly good or bad. But then someone became aware of its having...
I went on a walk the other day with a friend who I was just getting to know. She said, “You have six kids, right?” I told her that yes I do, and that it’s fun and...
I have a friend who sustained a concussion recently, and she sent me the link to a blog post that is short and very inspiring. I’ll include the link to the post below, but here’s...
Yesterday my friend sent me a video. A guy is walking in the woods and another guy sneaks up behind him and attaches a huge fake spider to him. He FREAKS out and fights this fake...
As I was coaching recently, I was reminded of the concept of manuals, and want to share it here, as I think it is a really helpful idea for all of us, whether we’re dealing with...
“Balance is about recovery.” I’m taking an applied neurology course right now and when the instructor said this phrase, I had to pause the video and write it down. So many...
Today I spoke to a couple who shared with me that after the wife’s concussion, she was told that she should feel better in a few months and if not, then she should seek extra help...
I am going to get a little personal in this post todayI hope that’s ok. The past 3 weeks have been challenging for me in some significant ways. Actually, we only had 2 bouts of...
Former monk and instructor of Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania Cory Muscara shared this Chinese parable. I have heard it quoted in multiple places a variety of...
I was coaching a client the other day about some things happening in his family life. As with most clients, he wanted me to help him get clarity on what he should do. And as I do...
One of the most helpful concepts I have come across, for myself and my clients, is the idea of clean pain and dirty pain. Clean pain is an important part of emotional healing...
This line from a favorite song captures the essence of some thoughts I’ve had today. In speaking with people with concussions this afternoon, I was reminded yet again of how this...
I told my some of my kids tonight that where we focus our thoughts makes a huge difference for what happens in our lives — that our thoughts tend to be self-fulfilling prophecies...
We have all heard that mindfulness is important and helpful. (And if you haven’t heard it from me enough, don’t worry — I won’t drop the subject 😉 I frequently tell people...
“Maybe we should take a break from having hope.” This was what one man said to his wife after they had another failed attempt at getting her effective help for her concussion...
Have you ever felt like your thoughts keep spinning in circles? Like you can’t stop your brain from continually looping back on the same issue/concern/worry? You’re not alone in...
The other day, I was putting a mattress cover back on the bed of a kiddo who had peed in it the night before. This is a somewhat regular occurrence, and as I was performing the...