Browsing Tag

mental health

Abuse and Self Care, Encouragement, Health

Silence the Bullying Voices

I’m sure all of us could think of at least one time we’ve experienced bullying in our lives. Unfortunately, perhaps we could conjure up repeated times someone has felt free to bully us and it’s probably a fair bet to say that still hurts at least a little and you still remember every detail of that bullying. Why? Because it’s painful. Someone has used ugly words and actions to run you down, to try to gain power over you, to try to pound you down so that they can rise up. Bullying is about the bully trying to keep you down in hopes it will elevate himself.

What bullying actually does is expose who the bully really is: insecure, hurting, and hiding. @themightysite @huffingtonpost #mentalhealthmonday #mentalhealth

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 What bullying actually does is expose who the bully really is: insecure, hurting, and hiding. Continue Reading

August 24, 2015
Encouragement, Health, Life Is Beautiful

Five Things You Can Do For Yourself Today

Summer is winding down and most of us are transitioning from busy summer to busier school year, so I wanted to share five things you can do for yourself today that will foster a happier, healthier, more peaceful you (and me).  Self-care is so important and we need to take care of ourselves first so we can care for others. That’s often a far away concept for many of us. Caring for me first feels so…selfish. But it’s not. It’s healthy and it’s okay, even though it feels backwards and indulgent. Here are five things you can do for yourself to encourage peace and well-being in your life.

Take Time Off

I’m not talking a full-on, get-on-a-plane-and-go vacation, although who wouldn’t love that? But take some time off, even if it’s thirty minutes a day, and just be you. Do something you  want to do. Read a book. Catch up on a TV show. Take a nap. Call a girlfriend. Read a magazine. Take a bubble bath. But set aside those precious minutes to clear your head and relax. Lock yourself in the bathroom if you have to. I’m telling you, it refreshes you and gives you that pause you need to emerge and be recharged for what’s next. Continue Reading

August 18, 2015
Abuse and Self Care, Encouragement, Health

Healthy Boundaries, Healthy Relationships

What do you think of when when you hear the word “boundaries” in regards to “relationships”?

Do you think of walls going up to keep people out? Or that keep you in?

Do you wonder what “relationship boundaries” even means?

Boundaries in a relationship was once a foreign concept to me too. When I was in the midst of my abusive marriage, a pastor-friend recommended a book about boundaries to me and it was a surprise that such an idea even existed.  Since that marriage, I’ve learned (the hard way) that boundaries have to be set in every type of relationship in life: work, marriage, parents and children, siblings, and friends. There must be clear lines for every person you have a relationship with in your life. What this doesn’t mean is that you’re putting up walls and being unforgiving. Absolutely not and quite the opposite, in fact. God calls us to forgive. He calls us to act in love. But He doesn’t call us to be doormats and to allow and enable disrespect and abuse in our lives.  After all, God tells us to treat our bodies as if they’re temples; we need to take care of them. Is there anything more special and unique about our bodies than our hearts and feelings? Continue Reading

August 11, 2015
Encouragement, Health, Life Is Beautiful

The Best No!

“No” is a powerful word, often at least as powerful as “yes” but not heard nearly as often, it seems. It’s easy to say “yes” to everything because of the guilt we feel when we offer the negative. But that’s just it, isn’t it? “No” isn’t always negative.  In fact, it can be a positive thing for us to say. It can mean making more time for ourselves, setting a much-needed boundary, and making a healthy choice… Continue Reading

July 16, 2015