Tag: Emotions

There's a winter storm taking place outside and every weather channel is asking that you stay home. But what if they knew that the holidays sometimes feel so much worse than driving in the crazy snow?

A season that is often spoken of as a time for "family" and "joy" often brings about much grief and anxiety as one spends time reflecting on the "has been's" and "could be's" of life. How is it possible to feel sad during the happiest time of the year?

Grief might seem like an unwelcome guest at the holiday table, and might take on many different forms. It might look like reminiscing the past, memories of losing a loved one, dying relationships, or loneliness that comes with change this time of year.

When it comes to our grief, it can feel more comfortable to pretend it doesn't exist and spend the time avoiding it like we do the plague. But what if the presence of grief was to aid you, rather than hurt you?

Allo ...

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Everyone deals with challenges to their mental health. 

At this moment you may not feel lost in a cloud of depression or ready to jump out of your skin with anxiety, but you may be in the middle of a really hard day, or a series of hard days.

Sometimes we are blindsided by a crisis. At other times, the little things just add up. 

Imagine your alarm didn’t go off, you woke up late for work and your kids were crying through the night so you only slept a few hours. On your drive to work, you suddenly notice a large pothole ahead of you. Someone is tailgating you so you can’t slow down, and someone is next to you in the adjacent lane, so you can’t move over.

You make it to work with a flat tire, but at least you’re there, and thankfully nothing stressful can happen at work. 

Within a very short time, your typical daily stress-load has been amplified, and you feel that it’s bey ...

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I grew up in a culture where opening up emotionally, or being vulnerable, was seen as weakness. It was for the gullible and naive - not the courageous.

Men were discouraged from ever showing sadness or fear. If they did, they were called names and made fun of for being “weak.” The only “negative” emotion that was socially acceptable to show was anger. If the men dared to show any sign of emotional vulnerability, their masculinity (a core identity for many) was instantly placed under public scrutiny.

Likewise, women were labeled as “overly emotional” if they cried in public. Women who were emotionally “stable” were the ones that cried in private and didn’t “make a fuss.” Another way of putting this is that they silenced their hearts and didn’t let others know how they really felt.

Many parents discouraged their children from crying in public to avoid embarrassment around onlookers. Parents cared more about the opini ...

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