Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from August, 2021

How DBT can work for stress

    DBT's TIPP skills Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) uses acronyms for almost every skill. TIPP stands for T emperature, I ntense exercise, P aced breathing and P rogressive relaxation. The theory or the reasoning behind it is when we are feeling intense emotions - whether that be stress, anxiety, fear, overwhelmed, etc., our body goes into fight or flight mode. This is an innate reaction (innate meaning that we have no control over). It happens automatically. It's a survival skill to protect us from danger. So if there's a  woolly mammoth chasing us and we need to either fight or flee, our bodies react very quickly. We automatically respond to this danger by increasing heart rate, breathing more shallow, and digestion actually stops, and so does the part of the brain that problem solves. So the critical part of the brain that, you know, makes decisions based on facts, and all that stuff is put on pause. W e don't need it when we're responding automatica

I don't have to do everything and be everything.

  My life is so much more relaxed and pleasurable when I let go of the need to do everything myself. In addition, I actually enjoy more success when I let others handle some of the tasks and responsibilities!   At work, delegating projects and tasks is a skill I continue to practice. I also practice asking for help. I had a limiting belief for the longest time, as many of us do, that asking for help is a weakness. I need to crush that belief! Asking for help is actually a strength. It enables others to feel needed and allows me to focus on projects that I do well at.   Also when I delegate, I refrain from trying to control everything. I am confident that the team around me can do an exceptional job, even if their methods are different from mine.   Fostering a team spirit lets everyone be part of the success. The better I perfect my delegating skills, the less everyone feels the need to turn to me for everything.   At home, delegating chores teaches my children respon

The Struggle Can Be the Reward

  The average person avoids challenges like she’s avoiding the plague. Struggling isn’t enjoyable, so it’s natural to avoid it as much as possible. There’s an issue with this strategy: There’s a lot to be gained from struggling .   There are many aspects to humans that are anti-fragile, meaning that stress makes them stronger.   For example:   ●       Exercise is a stressor that delivers positive benefits. ●       Being hot or cold, within reason, is good for your health. ●       Fasting is beneficial. Struggling is similar in that it makes you better than you were before the struggle.   Have you ever noticed that?   You learn a lot about yourself when you struggle . You don’t learn a lot about yourself while you’re watching a movie for the fifth time from your couch. When life is easy, you have a natural tendency to coast. Any struggle is a test of your will, ingenuity, and perseverance. You can learn how to use failure . Struggles often end in “failur