Audio Blog: Fear Sucks. Get Up.
[audio m4a="https://heatheredwardsnyc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Fear-Sucks.-Doubt-Debilitates.-Stress-Kills.-Copy-1-1.m4a"][/audio] For my subscribers...
Articles
Retrain Your Brain – Better Stress Management
“I can’t take it anymore!” “I need a vacation!” “Maybe I'll sell everything and move to an island!” Have you had similar thoughts? I know I have. This. Is. Stress. We ALL experience stress. It’s NORMAL in our highly opinionated, fast paced, multi-tasking, master of all domains world. In fact, I just had a perfect storm of stressors in my life that created exhaustion and overwhelm. But I'll spare you those gory details. What is stress??? The dictionary definition is: A state of mental or emotional strain resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. Sound familiar? Your nervous system is activated. This is your fight or flight reaction. All functions aimed at survival take priority. And stress kills, right? Wrong! Research is demonstrating that it's what we do with stress that kills us. When there's a perceived threat in...
Happy Holidays! From Me, to You.
Happy Holidays! During this season of joy, celebration, and bonding take a moment to notice what are you grateful for...
Turn Toward the Enemy – Mastering negative emotions
You feel stuck. Trapped. Immobilized. When in the therapy and coaching room, conversations about fear, regret, disappointment, and frustration arise and take center stage. It’s easy to fall prey, be guided and controlled by negative emotions, even feel consumed by them. It's an uncomfortable place. It's dark, heavy, constricting. It can hold you hostage. And it can intensify before it dissipates. Recognize negative emotions not as your enemy but as your informant. Acknowledge them. Accept them. Be open to them. Question them. Break them down. Look those unsavories in the eye. Release their grip. Identify the building blocks of negativity. Uncover the hidden messages. Initiate a plan designed for empowerment. When you turn toward your anger, fear, and sadness you validate the experience of the pain. You soothe and comfort, rather than avoid...
3 Steps to Achieve the Life You Desire
You chose the path of least resistance. When starting college at age 17, I did the same. You followed the protocol. A real no-brainer. It’s what your parents or friends wanted for you. But it wasn't YOUR dream. And you didn't even realize it then. According to Forbes.com, a Mercer survey of 30,000 workers worldwide showed that between 28% and 56% of employees in 17 spots around the globe want to leave their jobs. In the U.S., 32% said they want to find new work in a Right Management survey. Those employees reported they were either somewhat or totally unsatisfied. Many spend years studying, training, and working in a job that’s not fulfilling. They did what their parents prescribed or chose what was available to them at the time. While noble because...
Psychology Today- Coping with Terrorism
This article on Coping with Terrorism was published in Psychology Today on November 29, 2015 by Mark Banschick and Heather Edwards...
7 Paths to Peace Amidst Terror
Anger. Fear. Helplessness. Rage. Suspicion. Guilt. Despair. These are just a few of the negative emotions felt all over the world since the Paris and Beirut terror attacks last week. Like a suction cup, you're glued to the TV, Internet, and radio. You are scared. And you’re angry that you’re scared. Layering feelings upon feelings. It means they won. You want this to go away. Yet you obsess about what’s next and what it means for your future. It marks the beginning of World War 3. It’s something you didn't foresee in your lifetime. Questions abound. Is it best to stay home? Should I avoid the city? Are the subways safe? Can I freely discuss my concerns? How do I know if the person next to me is...
8 Tips for Combatting SAD – Preserve your energy and spirit
Welcome to daylight savings time! It’s that time of year when days get shorter, darkness grows longer, and your energy and spirit can be eclipsed. SAD abounds. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, “About 4 to 6 percent of people may have winter depression. Another 10 to 20 percent may have mild SAD. SAD is four times more common in women than in men. Although some children and teenagers get SAD, it usually doesn't start in people younger than age 20.” That equals a whopping up to 63,780,000 people in the U.S.A. with SAD and/or mild depression in the winter! In case you’re wondering if you have S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) here are a few symptoms: decreased energy increased appetite (for sweets & starches) weight gain reduced socialization increased sleep lower productivity less...
3 Ways YOU are Like Your SMARTPHONE
Unfinished business. Open loops. Running Apps. Depleted energy. Less productivity. Divided attention. Ugh. It’s downright overwhelming when you take a moment to realize how many tasks are competing for your time and focus every minute of every day. Ironically, ignoring them only creates more stress, and tackling them all at once creates overwhelm. So how are you like your smartphone? You’re Multi-Talented - After all, we are the creators of phones and apps. You can manage your homefront, a job and freelance work, your own business, self care, social commitments, romantic curiosities, attend that class at the gym, and learn an instrument in one fell swoop. You’re Uber Productive - You can do laundry while listening to a podcast and writing a blog, calling your mother, emailing your...
Get Down With Y.G.G. (Your Glorious Gestalt)
When was the last time you woke up on the wrong side of the bed? You know - one of those days you wanted to pull the blankets up over your head and grumble, “Hell no!”. You were feeling run down, unappreciated, and not so inclined to jump back into the grind. You just want to say, “WTF!” - and go back to sleep. Stress is a sign that you need a change. Don't run. Don't hide. Turn toward it. Respond proactively. Take an inventory of your self care practices. Where do you stand with exercise, healthy eating, adequate sleep, socialization, romance, fun, or a sense of accomplishment and higher purpose? Honor all the areas of your life that comprise you. The Gestaltists claim that, “The whole is...
