I have written blogs on the power of gratitude and shared exercises on how to create a gratitude practice. I honestly believe that the more we count our blessings the more blessings we get. It also increases your sense of well-being and decreases symptoms of depression, anxiety and victimization. Besides having a gratitude jar where I put items that are connected to a positive experience (i.e. ticket to a concert), pictures, drawings my kids and clients make for me, I also

Set aside a notebook whose sole purpose is to provide a place to express your thoughts and feelings. Choose to make an entry when you notice a feeling instead of acting it out. Frustration, anger, anxiety, fear, sadness, or grief are emotions that you can journal about as well as feelings of joy, enjoyment and gratitude. You can begin your entry with the words “I feel” and explore in depth the specific feelings you are experiencing. This practice helps to bring your awareness

Every day before going to sleep, take moment to connect to your body through your breath. Bring your attention to your breathing and observe five mindful breaths. When you wake up in the morning, take some time to take again 5 mindful breaths by bringing your awareness to your breathing. Notice the difference when you start and end your day with this practice.

When storms approach we often fell anxious and stressed out about what it’s going to happen. The loud thunder, lighting, the strong winds and heavy rains are signs of danger that tend to escalate our anxiety. We prepare by getting enough supplies for a week and protecting our houses with shutters. Other storms are the ones that involve conflict and high levels of charged communication. During those storms we might protect ourselves with walls that keep us safe but isolated. I