Making Self-Care Happen

Two weeks ago, Jason traveled for work, leaving me with both girls for more than 24-hours for the first time since Laurel's birth. My mom came up from Virginia to help out, and Jason was away for only two and a half days, but I feel like I'm just now recovering. Laurel is going through a phase where she wants to be held, specifically by me, pretty much 24-7. It makes it hard for Cadence, who would also like a good bit of attention and who continues to try new and interesting ways to have those needs met. I'm definitely feeling the mommy-drain.

Forgive and Let Go through Empathy

I experienced a good deal of stress the Fall I completed my Master's degree.Thesis deadlines loomed and I often felt panicked, wondering if I could actually complete all the work to be done while also passing as a half-way decent wife and mother. I wasn't sleeping well and when I did sleep, I was having a lot of anxiety dreams. They weren't the kind where you suddenly realize you're naked in a public place or where you show up to an exam and realize you have never been to the class. Instead, I would dream about people from my past. More specifically, they were people with whom I had been very close, but our relationship had ended with some degree of conflict. Dreaming about them was not pleasant and I woke feeling pretty lousy.

5 Ways to Observe National Suicide Prevention Week

“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we’re not alone” 

- Fred Rogers

It is National Suicide Prevention Week, so I thought this would be an appropriate topic and a great chance to jump up on a soapbox that I haven’t occupied in a long time. Suicide is part of the human condition and it is mentionable (see, I just mentioned it). Not only is suicide mentionable, it is important to talk about it. When we don’t talk about suicide, when we deny its existence, or when we believe it is something that only happens to other people, then we further isolate those struggling between life and death, we increase the stigma around suicide, and we create a culture that is hostile to help-seeking for suicidal thoughts. Perhaps it is the pervasive myths about suicide (many erroneously believe that talking about suicide will make someone think about killing themselves, or that asking someone about suicide will make them kill themselves) that make suicide such a difficult topic of conversation. Or perhaps it is the fear that if we talk about suicide we’ll have to acknowledge the severe psychological pain that many people endure. Whatever the reason, I think the good that comes from talking about suicide outweighs the discomfort. In general, I believe our world would be a more compassionate place to live if we were able to speak honestly about difficult things. Suicide certainly falls into that category.