Dr. Jenn Hardy

Dr. Jenn Hardy Hi! I'm a psychologist in private practice in Maryville, TN. I like to post my thoughts about life,

I like to post my thoughts about life, therapy, and everything else.

One way to settle your anxious thoughts is to write them down.Sometimes we realize that our racing thoughts are actually...
07/17/2025

One way to settle your anxious thoughts is to write them down.

Sometimes we realize that our racing thoughts are actually our brain rehearsing our to-do list over and over and over again. In trying to remember our list, we overwhelm ourselves.

This happens to a lot of people at night when they are trying to fall asleep. Their mind gets to racing and planning and reviewing.

•Get those worries out of your head and onto a paper.
•Prioritize and organize your responsibilities.
•When your brain starts wandering back to its worry review, gently remind it that you already have written those things down.

Confession: when I’m really anxious, I write down some things I’ve already done so that I can immediately cross them off my list. And I may put an “easy” thing or two on the list to help me get unstuck some more.

How about you?

[Affordable Self-care: keep a to-do list.]
Slide 2 [Saturday essay: The other side of the coin: What it’s like for a therapist when a client leaves. Know that I will always include an audio version with my essays.]

Tag someone who needs this reminder.Caption [Most people have a complicated relationship with their family. It’s ok if y...
07/17/2025

Tag someone who needs this reminder.

Caption [Most people have a complicated relationship with their family. It’s ok if you do, too.]
Slide 2 [Saturday essay: The other side of the coin: What it’s like for a therapist when a client leaves. Know that I will always include an audio version with my essays.]

We think of you between appointments.We think of you after we have ended our work together.We miss you.We hold onto hope...
07/16/2025

We think of you between appointments.
We think of you after we have ended our work together.
We miss you.
We hold onto hope for you.
We get excited for you.
We care enough about you to tell you the hard truths, kindly.

And it’s ok to talk about this attachment you feel. If you’ve had complicated and hard relationships in the past, then it makes sense if it all feels scary and new.

caption [it’s ok if you feel really attached to your therapist. We feel attached to you, too.]
Slide 2 [Saturday essay: The other side of the coin: What it’s like for a therapist when a client leaves. Know that I will always include an audio version with my essays.]




In other words, it’s ok to protect the white space in your calendar.And it’s ok to stick to your boundaries in this soci...
07/14/2025

In other words, it’s ok to protect the white space in your calendar.

And it’s ok to stick to your boundaries in this socially distanced world.

The best relationships allow someone to say yes as easily as they allow a no. These golden friends don’t need something else scheduled in its place or a list of compelling reasons. They just believe you and don’t take it personally.

I work to be that kind of friend and find those kinds of friends.

caption [just because I’m free doesn’t mean I have to say yes.]
Slide 2 [Saturday essay: The other side of the coin: What it’s like for a therapist when a client leaves. Know that I will always include an audio version with my essays.]

Bedtime routines aren’t just for kids. Adults need them, too.Each step of the routine is another signal to our bodies an...
07/14/2025

Bedtime routines aren’t just for kids. Adults need them, too.

Each step of the routine is another signal to our bodies and brains that sleep is near.

A couple hours before bed, I turn off bright lights, avoid stressful TV, and get into my comfy PJs. A lot of nights, I play my piano or read a book...something that gets me away from screens.

How about you? What is in your bedtime routine?

Caption [Affordable Self-care: Create a bedtime routine and stick to it.]

You don’t have to wait until everyone is all squared away before you are allowed to focus on your needs. If you do that,...
07/13/2025

You don’t have to wait until everyone is all squared away before you are allowed to focus on your needs. If you do that, then you’ll never be able to take care of yourself.

Everyday will bring new problems. People need to be allowed the space to struggle with their own issues. They have to be allowed to live their own life, to get things wrong, to get things right.

Like them, you need to be allowed to live your own life, to get things wrong, to get things right. After all, it’s the only one you get.

And, if your job entails fixing other people’s issues (e.g., mechanic, customer service, restaurant server, etc), then I hope that you can protect some space in your life where you can focus on yourself.

Caption [Your life is more than solving other people’s problems.]

You don’t need to be all “hot and heavy” with your job. 😉Don’t get me wrong. I love my job, but do I get up everyday dyi...
07/10/2025

You don’t need to be all “hot and heavy” with your job. 😉

Don’t get me wrong. I love my job, but do I get up everyday dying to go to work? Well, no.

And honestly I think that most people who say they feel a deep passion for their work also share a similar feeling.

In a different vein, I also think some of us simply aren’t pulled toward an emotionally intense relationship with a career.

Maybe their personality is laidback or analytical. Maybe they simply focus their emotional energy elsewhere, like family or volunteering.

caption [you don’t have to feel passionate about your job in order to know it’s the right one for you.]

You are allowed to care about work-life balance. You are allowed to have downtime, rest, and hobbies.You are allowed to ...
07/07/2025

You are allowed to care about work-life balance. You are allowed to have downtime, rest, and hobbies.

You are allowed to “leave money on the table” in order to have time outside of work to do other things that you love, to take care of yourself, and to connect to the people you love.

caption [hustle culture looks a lot like burnout culture. It’s ok to opt out.]

Said this in my last Saturday essay. Decided to let it breathe out here on Instagram.Caption 1 [the more we work toward ...
07/04/2025

Said this in my last Saturday essay. Decided to let it breathe out here on Instagram.

Caption 1 [the more we work toward tolerating disappointment, criticism, and distance...]
Caption 2 [the better we can show up for ourselves and as ourselves in relationships.]

Slide 3 [Saturday essay: family typecasting…when the helper could use some help. Know that I will always include an audio version with my essays.]

Can you see how that approach is still letting other people make decisions for you? You become a reaction to them rather...
07/03/2025

Can you see how that approach is still letting other people make decisions for you? You become a reaction to them rather than an expression of yourself.

Being yourself will mean that you will end up picking a lot of the same things as the people around you. Not all the same but more than you may mean or want to. That’s ok if it is who you are.

Pull your energy inward. Quiet your thoughts enough to listen to yourself...to your core. That’s when you’ll know who you are and what you want.

How similar or different you end up being won’t matter so much anymore. You will realize it is enough to simply be yourself.

Caption [trying to be different from everyone else is not the same as being yourself.]

Slide 2 [Saturday essay: family typecasting…when the helper could use some help. Know that I will always include an audio version with my essays.]

We live in a world where we are so much more connected to what’s out there than ever before. We can think that we are mi...
07/01/2025

We live in a world where we are so much more connected to what’s out there than ever before. We can think that we are missing out, lazy, or not doing a good enough job as a parent when we pass on opportunities. We teach our kids to hurry, hurry, hurry up by living life in super speed.

How much is enough? Have you only done enough when you feel exhausted, burnt out, or overwhelmed?

For me, I try measure the pace of life by how often I have space and time to get bored. If I haven’t had time to get bored, then I’m too busy. You see, boredom is the breeding ground for creativity. Some of my most energized and joyful moments have happened when I’m creative.

This approach is tough to stick to because it is so very different than how a lot of people operate these days.

Just remember: they can push back. You are still allowed to say no.

Caption [there is no busiest person award. Stop trying to win it.]

Slide 2 [Saturday essay: family typecasting…when the helper could use some help. Know that I will always include an audio version with my essays.]

Authenticity doesn’t mean that everyone needs to know everything about you.•It does means being true to who you really a...
07/01/2025

Authenticity doesn’t mean that everyone needs to know everything about you.

•It does means being true to who you really are.
•It means being honest about your boundaries, your values, and your personality.
•And, it means knowing you don’t have to share all of you all at once to be a genuine person.

Caption [you can be authentic and private at the same time.]
Slide 2 [Saturday essay: family typecasting…when the helper could use some help. Know that I will always include an audio version with my essays.]

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Knoxville, TN

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Tuesday 8am - 2pm
Wednesday 8am - 2pm
Thursday 8am - 2pm
Friday 8am - 2pm

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