I’m not sure where the narrative began that avoidance and disconnecting from yourself is a bad thing. I mean, if all you are doing is avoiding life and you don’t even realize when you are doing it…yea that will likely result in some other life challenges. For myself, I actually really enjoy taking a break from my deeper thoughts and momentarily jumping out of my emotions. Intentional avoidance and distraction help us to move further away from a feeling that is daunting or overwhelming - knowing that we will process those feelings later

In today’s fast-paced world, where stress, anxiety, and overwhelming daily demands are all too common, finding a way to take care of your mental health can often feel like an extra chore on your to-do list. But what if self-care didn’t feel like a chore at all? What if it was fun, engaging, and—dare I say—game-like? That’s exactly the experience I had with Finch, a self-care app that combines the power of gamification with mental wellness practices to help you stay consistent and motivated in your self-care journey.

In the past several weeks since the 2024 presidential election, I’ve felt myself as well as held space for feelings of frustration, division, anger, and worries about safety, rights, and personal freedoms. These issues can create a perfect storm of anxiety, grief, and fear. I’ve noticed myself moving from hopeful, to numb, to powerless especially when it seems like the problems are so big and out of our control. And then there’s confidence in our ability to make a better future peeking through as I engage with my community. It’s an interesting time to be a therapist.

Life changes can stir up emotions—some we expect, others may catch us off guard. A new job, a big move, or a relationship ending can make us feel like the ground beneath us is shifting. It’s natural to feel unsettled or even lost during these moments.

Talking with someone can make all the difference. Therapy offers a place to sort through the highs and lows, to make sense of the change, and to find a way forward.

As a therapist my preference is to not assign homework to clients but there are occasions where I feel it can actually be helpful. One assignment I like to invite clients to complete is creating a list of self-care activities meeting a set of criteria. The goal is to help folks break the narrative that they do not have enough time for self-care or that it takes financial resources that they don’t have. Follow the steps below to help build a tangible list of self-care activities you can reference frequently. All you will need is a piece of paper and a pen or your notes app on your phone.