Luminesce Counselling and Coaching

11/13/2023

One of the biggest challenges I see in struggling with their mental health is trying to change too many things in order to feel better. This most often leads to disappointment and discouragement. A better option is to focus on one valuable change at a time, gain success with this, and then add another change. Small changes done consistently lead to big gains in improving mental health , Illuminate yourself, Luminesce Counseling.

09/28/2023

Understanding that all our emotions, ways we make sense of the ourselves, other and the world around us are adaptive; ultimately their goal is protecting us from pain, or learning into meaingful actions. This understanding helps us with being less harsh and more curious and open to explore these parts. Openness is where change can begin! Illuminate yourself, luminesce counselling

01/18/2023

4,000 weeks, that's the average life span for most people. How can create a wonderful experience in that time? Stop obsessing about getting your to-do-list done, your in-box cleared, and your social media feed up to date. These often create more stress and the feeling like we are not measuring up. Instead figure out what ultimately matters the most to you and focus your attention there. Oliver Burkeman's book 4,000 weeks is a wonderful guide to get there. Illuminate yourself and free yourself from the frenetic race to get more done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtfCmhPr-J8

Nobody has enough time these days – but our efforts to cope with busyness just leave us feeling busier. Ancient philosophers and cutting-edge research agree ...

01/11/2023

As we start 2023 let's focus on creating a good life for ourselves this year. Not sure what that means? Check out Robert Waldinger's video (based on his research from the longest lived study on happiness) that lies out what is behind happiness and how to create it. Have a Happy New Year!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KkKuTCFvzI

What keeps us happy and healthy as we go through life? If you think it's fame and money, you're not alone – but, according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, ...

07/18/2022

sometimes anxiety is best treated through attending to what he eat and drink on a daily basis. Watching our caffeine, alcohol, and nutrition can help with not experiencing crashes in our nervous systems. Paying more attention to how food and drink affect our body can pay off BIG TIME with anxiety. One persons enjoyable cup of java is enough to amp another person up and create an unsettled feeling which can lead to anxiety. We can all start looking more closely at our daily habits and make teaks as needed. If you want more information or support please do not hesitate to reach out, Luminesce Counseling and Coaching.

06/17/2022

A common theme driving many folks anxiety and depression is not feeling life has meaning or connection with others. Johann Hari in his excellent book "lost connections," points out that this is one of the key features behind people who are depressed. Hooking oneself back into simple things which bring some meaning or connection for a person is a great starting point. It can be as simple as deciding to do a meaningful task like organizing a closet or a starting a conversation with someone at the grocery store you're shopping at. These small nudges can fuel bigger shifts over time. Think of small ways you can stay connecting this weekend, Luminesce Counseling and Coaching.

07/20/2021

Letting go of the belief we should not be in conflict with our minds, and learning to accept, and work, and dare I say, befriend, those parts of our mind we dislike, can be transformative. Instead of fighting against our brain, and inner critic, a better, more compassionate approach, is to think that our critic is trying to help us, or feel more secure with our situation. Our inner critic believes it is doing us something helpful. Find a way to step back, and understand the critic along with offering kindness to oneself. Have a great Monday to all! Luminesce Counselling and Coaching.

05/27/2021

Author Adam Grant writes, in a recent article for the New York Times about the common experience of “languishing” during the pandemic. It’s the inability to stay focused, feel like we are progressing, life feeling less meaningful, and just feel “blah.” Grants’ antidote to languishing is we first acknowledge the experience of languishing. This can go against the grain of the societal message we should always be fine. Grant then goes on to say we should immerse ourselves in activities where we feel some sense of progression, even simple tasks like taking out the trash. Finally, connecting with people who can understand and support us makes a huge difference as well. Have a great Thursday!

Languishing may be the landing spot many people find themselves in after our period of collective pandemic grief, but there's hope we can all flourish again

05/26/2021

One secret to living a meaningful life is to just keep showing up, as author Steven Pressfield states in his book “The art of War.” I know that when I can get engaged in life by fully showing up then small moments feeling so much bigger. Have a great Wednesday! Luminesce Counselling and Coaching

05/02/2021

Judson Brewers new book “unwinding anxiety” is a must read for anyone dealing with anxiety, or I would suggest other mental health or addiction challenges. Brewer brilliantly explains how habit loops drive thinking and emotional states, including both healthy and the more problematic ones. Gaining self-awareness of these loops, and skills to work with them, can free us from the endless cycle of falling trap to them. I encourage you to check out this incredible book as it, if applied, can make a measurable difference in your life. Illuminate yourself, Luminesce Counselling and coaching.

04/09/2021

Lifestyle choices can have a profound impact on mental health. The six pillars of lifestyle medicine for mental and physical health include nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, social connection, and substance intake. Making some small changes to even one of these pillars can bring positive change to well being. Check out Saray Stancic’s website for more information and her terrific new book about her lifestyle medicine and how it can change you’d life, have one less drink, eat your veggies, get moving for better mental health! Illuminate yourself, Luminesce counseling.

03/02/2021

Perserverance to good habits is one of the best gifts we can bestow upon ourselves for living a meaningful life. The habit of exercise, moving my body, and getting my mind in a good place through listening to podcasts, drives me to get up every morning at 5AM. Hoping your Tuesday is inspired, Luminesce Counselling and Coaching.

01/18/2021

Al of us... including myself.... can get so fused with unpleasant experiences and moments in our lives, that we believe they will last forever leading to more suffering. A wonderful author and meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein lays out this wonderfully relevant image that we call can hold onto, moments are like fireworks, they are intense and incredibly brilliant in the moment but quickly extinguish themselves. The goal is to not add more fireworks to the initial experience which leads to more unpleasant feelings. Nicely said. Have a wonderful Monday all, Luminesce Counselling and coaching.

01/09/2021

2020 has opened the door for more open, honest, and vulnerable communication. I can only believe, if we can continue, that this trend will have long term positive results for relationships, communities, and nations. How we make space for our own vulnerability, and others, lays a foundation for amazing things to happen. Illuminate yourself, Luminesce Counselling and coaching

12/03/2020

The pandemic is elevating stress levels for most of us at times, uncertainty and fear are common feelings most of us have experienced, with varying degrees of intensity. Managing our stress is more important that ever. A great resource to assist with stress is Stanford's Spark "rethinking stress" tool kit. Hope this resource is helpful for you, or someone you care about. Illuminate yourself, Luminesce Counselling
https://sparqtools.org/rethinkingstress/

OPTIONAL: To evaluate the impact of this toolkit, start by taking this survey before doing the activities. You will receive emails in one week and three weeks asking you to take follow-up surveys in order to assess possible changes to your stress mindset.

11/26/2020

I’ve had inspiring conversations with clients who have been honest about the hardship this pandemic has brought, along with some of the incredible gifts which they said would not have been recognized, embraced, if this crazy time in our history was not happening. Embrace it all, since, ultimately, this time is going to be an incredible revealer of who we each are, and can be! Illuminate yourself, Luminesce coaching and counseling.

10/26/2020

As we enter the second wave of this pandemic I am reminded of how grateful I am to live in Canada, have the resources to live comfortably and not have to stress about some basic things, such as getting healthy food, a warm home, and technology that allows me to access people I care about, at any time, anywhere in the world! What a blessing to live at this moment, this time! Not minimizing the struggle, I think its a tough time, just saying that I'm choosing to focus on being as grateful as possible for the gifts. Love your feedback. Illuminate yourself, Luminesce Counselling and coaching!

09/06/2020

Discomfort, especially the chronic type, can be hard to tolerate, we often find ourselves fighting against accepting discomfort which makes sense. I struggle often to accept my own current life, with sciatica. My gift to myself, and all reading this, is a shift surrounding how to view the word acceptance. Acceptance is reminding myself that for 48 years prior to sciatica, my body supported me in working out hard and playing hard. Thank you body for good health for so many years! Acceptance is reminding myself that my body is has a hell of a lot more strength and resilience than brokenness. Thanks body! Today I’m thanking my body for the strength I have, and the past ways it has held me up, rather than fighting with the discomfort. Hope this gives you all a little more courage to journey more kindly with your own discomfort. Illuminate yourself, Luminesce counselling. Feel free to share if you think this can benefit someone else.