the-thoughts-on-life-blog

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I'm Not Crazy I'm Just A Little Unwell

I know, right now you can’t tell… Thanks Rob Thomas for fantastic lyrics. I want to take some time to talk about cognition (aka how we think). There are big scary things that affect cognition like dementia or cancer, but there are also a bunch of smaller (though not lesser) things that when combined also affect cognition in a pretty big way. Did you know the following can affect cognition in…

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The Thankless Job - an ode to caregiving.

Now, I am not a parent and many credit parenting as a thankless job. I’d like to argue that it’s not parenting that is a thankless job. It is caregving. Now, parents are caregivers – so there’s that. However, our society is set up to assist parents in their caregiving role. We have a decent road map that is discussed openly in society about how to ago about that: step one, daycare, then…

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Who Me? Yes You. Couldn't Be. Then Who? - A note on aging and the need to plan ahead.

Whether you want to equate this post to who stole the cookie from the cookie jar or for those up to date on Disney movies, the “we don’t talk about Bruno” of it all – the fact remains, you will age, you will get sick, nobody makes it out of this life alive. Nobody Makes It Out of This Life Alive This mean you. So on behalf of your loved ones who will be responsible for your needs when you no…

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Family Matters - Not Just a SitCom

Did I do thaaaat? – Steve Urkel So if like me you loved watching Steve Urkel and Laura Winslow and all their antics, you’ll be familiar with the theme of this post. However, I’m going to focus on the title of the show rather than the content of the show… Family matters. And family matters matter. So, you guessed it, we’re talking about family systems! This is a massive, multifaceted framework…

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Narrative Therapy - Lessons from Alexander Hamilton

Who lives who dies who tells your story – Hamilton Lin Manuel Miranda’s second epic musical Hamilton is the perfect example of the use of narrative therapy that this post almost writes itself. But, for the sake of actually writing it I’ll explain. Narrative therapy focuses on what it sounds like – our brains focus on the stories we tell ourselves. It’s actually a really cool evolutionary thing…

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Gestalt - It's ALL THAT

Ready Yet? Get Set. It’s All That! OHHH Oh Ohhh – This is ALL THAT – then jam out to TLC singing the catchiest theme song of my childhood from Nickelodeon’s All That. I’ll wait. This post is primarily for therapists and counselors, but if you receive support from a therapist or counselor this could be an interesting read. Just be aware that you’re not the intended audience 🙂 Therapist and…

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Both / And - Dialectics and Duality

I feel like I’ve just gotten to the end of High School Musical and realized, yes Troy Bolton, you can be both a basketball player and a singer. Basically everybody from that Status Quo song – the guy who bakes, the girl who dances, and the skater dude who plays the cello (which was my personal favorite – dude motions like he’s using a bow and his buddy is like wait A SAW??). The point is you can…

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On Your Marks, Get Set, BAKE! - A note on positive coping.

(Great British Baking Show anyone?) Ever have something going on where you just don’t know what to do but know you need to do something? This can either be caused by stress, anxiety, or some other trigger. So what do we do about it? Do something – anything – to get that extra energy/feeling out of your system. There are a few options for how to do this: Exercise – get to the gym, outside, or…

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Sun-Kissed, Fried, or Extra Crispy - Let's talk about Burnout

Disclaimer: I’m specifically writing to those in helping professions, but the content can be helpful to anyone feeling a little charred around the edges. Can you tell I used to lifeguard outside all summer for 8 years? Let’s just say I am no stranger to all varieties of the effects of solar radiation. More often than not, it’s not a good look. So I feel the metaphor for burnout fits. Take it or…

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A Note on Blank Slates - with help from the Avett Brothers

The Avett Brothers wrote a beautiful song “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promises” and it goes as follows There’s a darkness upon me that’s flooded in lightIn the fine print they tell me what’s wrong and what’s rightAnd it comes in black and it comes in whiteAnd I’m frightened by those that don’t see it When nothing is owed or deserved or expectedAnd your life doesn’t change by the man that’s…

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Everybody Hates Me And Other Fairly Stupid Tales.

If anybody else had the distinct privilege of reading The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka as a child, then you understand the reference in the title of this post. If not, allow me to expand your literary horizons. This children’s book includes many “fairy-tale” like stories that are branded “fairly stupid tales” as they are ridiculous with their characters and…

[the-thoughts-on-life-blog]

Everybody Hates Me And Other Fairly Stupid Tales.

If anybody else had the distinct privilege of reading The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka as a child, then you understand the reference in the title of this post. If not, allow me to expand your literary horizons. This children’s book includes many “fairy-tale” like stories that are branded “fairly stupid tales” as they are ridiculous with their characters and…

[the-thoughts-on-life-blog]

You're Worth It - A Note On Self-Care

TREAT YO SELF If you’ve never witnessed any of the “Treat Yo Self” moments from Parks and Rec, please do us all a favor and go look them up. Now, for the rest of us already cultured people, it’s time to focus on the fact that she’s not wrong. Yes, the bits often focus on outlandish things to “treat yo self” with, but the principle is the same. You are worth it, so act like it. There’s really…

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Do you guys ever think about dying?

In case you missed the reference to the Barbie movie, go look it up. I’ll wait. As a millennial who works in death and dying every day, I have to say that the scene in Barbie movie was SPOT ON and filled my bucket both for the nostalgia and how on the nose it was. I too get the vacant stares and the crickets in the background whenever I mention what I do or if I offhandedly refer to death at…

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It's Just a Number

Addressing the elephant in the room. Hello, Elephant speaking. You’re probably wondering why on earth would you listen to the advice of a 30 year old about aging well. Well, age is just a number right? Isn’t that what our youth-obsessed culture says? Well, to be counter-cultural for a moment (though probably not like the movement you lived through — side note, I would love to be a hippie – minus…

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How to talk about Grief

(In which Harry is dangling by his legs from a troll’s grip) Harry Potter: “Do Something!” Ron Weasley” “What?” Harry Potter: “Anything!” – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone I’ve had folks recently express a desire to learn “just what to say” to folks who are grieving. There seems to be some concern about how to do this “right.” Well here’s the secret are you ready? drumroll…

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Introduction to Life

I heard this story about a fish. He swims up to this older fish and says, “I’m trying to find this thing they call the ocean.” “The ocean?” says the older fish, “that’s what you’re in right now.” “This?” says the younger fish, “This is water. What I want is the ocean.” Disney Pixar’s Soul I am a Licensed Master’s Social Worker (LMSW) in Virginia and in my practice I’ve noticed many moments of…