Category: mental health

8 Body Positive Blogs You Should Read Right Now

Arianna Smith1 Comment

 

I was having coffee with a friend the other day and the conversation turned to the struggle of body shaming (by others and ourselves) and body acceptance.  We talked about the difficulty of loving our bodies in a culture where we are continually bombarded with messages from media, magazines, and movies that tell us our bodies are not acceptable unless they fit in the narrow definition of beauty.

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Sign outside The Coffee Tree in Loveland, CO.

After this conversation with my friend, the topic continued swirling around in my head as I was writing my to-do list for the following day.  Among the many chores listed (which, let’s be honest, I only completed half), I wrote down the single task: “Read Body Positive Blogs.” Continue reading “8 Body Positive Blogs You Should Read Right Now” →

The User Manual You’ll Actually Read (and 6 Questions to Help You Write Your Own)

Arianna Smith2 Comments

It seems that every single appliance we acquire comes with some kind of instruction manual.   I would hypothesize that about 97% of these documents are not read and then relegated to a corner of a broom closet or junk drawer.   (With this thought, I imagine an alternate universe filled with user manuals for blenders, vacuums, and curling irons, much like the other-dimensional world in Netflix’s “Stranger Things”.)

What if you had a user manual that you actually read?

One that was about:

  • Your mental and physical health
  • Your maintenance schedule
  • What kept you operating in peak condition
  • Instructions and trouble shooting for what to do when you started to sputter and stall

Continue reading “The User Manual You’ll Actually Read (and 6 Questions to Help You Write Your Own)” →

Minimalism & Mental Health: My Recommended Reading List If You Want To Do More Than Just Declutter Your Closet

Arianna Smith7 Comments

If you are living in the United States and have access to the Internet, you have probably heard about minimalism. (If not, go ahead and Google it.  I’ll be here when you get back.)

Minimalism is about focusing on what really matters in your life – the essentials – and taking steps toward prioritizing those things, people, or activities. It does not mean giving up all your possessions and becoming a wandering ascetic.  (Although, if that’s your thing, that’s ok, too.)  Sometimes I like to use the word “essentialism” instead of minimalism, because I believe that it can capture the concept a bit better. Continue reading “Minimalism & Mental Health: My Recommended Reading List If You Want To Do More Than Just Declutter Your Closet” →

How I Survive (And Even Enjoy) The Holidays as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)

Arianna Smith6 Comments
If you aren’t familiar with the term “Highly Sensitive Person”, it refers to about 20% of the population that possess a unique sensory processing trait that allows them to pick up more on subtleties in the environment, resulting in deeper processing and often being easily overwhelmed with stimuli. (To learn more, you can visit this website: www.hsperson.com). 
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The infamous Santa Bed figurine.  Photo Courtesy of Arianna Smith Counseling LLC.

Does anyone else feel like the world suddenly gets put into fast forward when the holidays start to come around? Come mid-November, I feel I am given a tremendous to-do list of holiday duties that are not even important to me.    

1. Take advantage of Black Friday deals. 2. Find an ugly Christmas Sweater.  3. Watch ‘Love, Actually’ for the 30th time.  4. Learn how to make pumpkin rolls. 5. Realize that it’s now December and it’s too late to make pumpkin rolls. 6. Instead decide to learn how to make peppermint bark.  7. Get sucked into a Netflix abyss and spend the evening eating candy canes on the couch.   

And it goes on.

While I have developed many ways to cope with overwhelm in most circumstances, the holidays can be a time that I run myself ragged.  I find myself inundated with unrealistic expectations of myself and my time.  

Not anymore, my friends.  Here is how I have started to survive and enjoy (yes, actually enjoy) the holidays as an HSP.  And you can, too.      Continue reading “How I Survive (And Even Enjoy) The Holidays as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)” →