This site has virtual self help activities, such as a koi pond, zen garden, journaling, etc. There is a virtual firepit to "release the negative in your life". Try something like "my thoughts and emotions are not me" and then burn it away!
http://www.peacefulday.com
Louise Hay
If you are interested in affirmations, this is a great resource. Many of Louise Hay's books and resources are available on Amazon. I especially like the You Can Heal Your Life companion book because it is set up as a journal and includes beautiful artwork. I also like the Power Thought deck of cards. These include affirmations along with artwork. Choose a card at a difficult time and read it to yourself. Also, you can place cards around the house and practice affirmations to add positivity to your day. You can also buy apps on your phone or tablet with the affirmation decks.
For books and card decks:
Louise Hay Resources
For Apps:
Louise Hay Apps
http://www.louisehay.com/
Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Mindfulness
"DBT" is an evidenced based practice originally developed to help people with Borderline Personality Disorder. Now it is used to help people with Depression, Anxiety, and other mental health problems. I believe it can help just about anyone. We all experience "overwhelming emotions" from time to time and DBT includes great exercises and techniques to help at these times.
DBT includes the skill "mindfulness" or learning to be present in the moment. Often when we are feeling depressed we might get stuck in a memory from the past. If we are anxious, we might worry about the future. We might say something like "I should have done this" or "I should be doing this". "Shoulds" lead us to become trapped in feelings of guilt, depression, and anxiety. Try changing your self talk to "I would like to..." Also practicing mindfulness and focusing on the present moment is great at these times. If you are stuck in the past try to figure out how long ago the memory was from. It gives your mind something to think about and you might realize that the memory is from 10 years ago or even longer. Then say to yourself, "Throw that one out! It's not worth my energy to be thinking about this." We have to learn to pull ourselves back into the present moment.
Another skill I like is to use all of your senses to focus on the present. Look around you and notice colors and objects. Have no judgement, just notice. Listen to any sounds around you. Feel the temperature or how you feel sitting or standing. Feel an object near you. Notice any smells or tastes. This is a short and easy meditation type activity that helps to ground you in the present.
Another skill is HALT. H - Hungry. A - Angry, L - Lonely, T - Tired. Check in with yourself when feeling agitated, depressed, anxious and see if you need to maybe get a snack because you are hungry or take a break because you are tired.
The reason why I like DBT, because the skills actually work. It's not just another self help book you found in the book store and it has research to back it up! The one suggestion I have is that life is a process and there are no quick fix cures. Change takes time.
Check out these links for more info on DBT:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialectical_behavior_therapy
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2963469/
If you look on Amazon there are plenty or DBT resources. This is the workbook I have used with clients and I have found it to be very helpful. It is easy to read and set up like a journal. It also includes meditation/ relaxation scripts.
DBT Workbook Link
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