Even those that are self employed, micro businesses and mom and pop shops need accountability systems, even if they are set up to hold just yourself accountable. Especially if you are a solopreneur, this is essential.

Have an office desk job? Feel low energy much of the day? Does work take up the majority of your time? How is your general health and level of fatigue? Congratulations, you are amongst thousands of workers whose jobs force them into sedentary positions for hours at a time. As a counselor, ( and other counselors and therapists can likely relate) we spend hours on our rumps as we listen to clients in our quest to be present and engaged in the therapeutic alliance for the client

How many times do you wait until you are at max output before you decide it's time to pause, slow down, rest or relax?  How many of you don't build in a slow down day until your body forces you to by getting your attention through extreme fatigue or illness. We Americans are notorious for moving at a pace, trying to get it all done and then some.  We eat fast, move fast, sleep little, and  drive fast  to accomplish as much as we can... until we can't. I am the first one to sa

You know that feeling… when someone says something that feels attacking or blaming. The sentences usually start with” You did… or conversely, “you didn’t do …”.and the feelings that result can feel pretty awful. The feelings of shame are often deeply rooted. They often begin in childhood. Whether it’s a parent who shames us for not doing our homework or cleaning our room, how they get their message of dissatisfaction across is the difference between feeling shame, or being ab

Some people are introverts.  They really thrive on alone time, and socializing for them can often feel a bit too much. It is important that if we live with or date an introvert, to be aware that their social battery can become drained pretty quickly. Others are extroverts- they get energized by being around people, and often are great at making social plans, nurturing friendships and are the first to pick up the phone to text a friend, what are you doing tonight? Then there a

Traditional business ownership dictates that after a certain number of employees, we need managers to manage them and keep them on their toes.

It only takes reading one news article about what is happening in our country, to feel angry, helpless and depressed. The news is pretty grim in our country and in many parts of the world right now. So much divisiveness, injustice, fear and hatred.  Flagrant violations of law and common decency abound, and thoughts of how to help make a difference (or pack bags and leave) are common for many of us who care about our fellow human, neighbor, community and country. As a mental h

What is it about human nature that we put things off in hopes of a someday that may or may not ever arrive? Have you heard yourself say it... Some day when the kids are grown we'll take that vacation, or someday we'll take the whole family and drive those 4 hours to go see the grandparents... Someday I'll quit my stressful job and pursue the career I really want.  Maybe your somedays sound like, someday I'll really stop working so many hours, play with the kids more, or get m

I'm fresh off a continuing ed seminar on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion honing in on Health Equity.   I thought I was walking into a lecture style class, but was pleasantly surprised to find a very interactive format.  While ticking the boxes of intellectual and social stimulation for me, it also provoked much thinking on how these issues are faring in our own community, state and country as well. We are living in such divisive times where many leaders have completely abando

You know that feeling of blah, angst, or just a solid dissatisfaction with the way some things are? You can feel it in your body, and in your brain.  Sometimes it manifests as body aches, or fatigue, or sometimes it morphs into anxiety or depression.  It's that nagging feeling that something in your world is really out of balance, or really not ok. Sometimes we feel this with a job that we are not well suited for. Maybe we are on a career path that as we've gotten older just

The beginning of a new year is a great time to pause to analyze your business.  Taking a SWOT analysis is a smart business strategy to do more than just annually.  SWOT means pausing to analyze the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of your business.

Ushering in a New Year is often time for reflection and celebration.  For those that have sustained great losses in 2025, the hope of a New Year looms large.   Some of us lost people we loved perhaps in passing or due to a fragile relationship that saw a rupture that has not resolved.  Some sustained financial worries and losses with investments or income with the Government shutdown that many are still recovering from. Yet others found joy, perhaps in a new relationship, the

I had a client share with me just last week about his real feelings of sadness and dread around this time of year "when everyone else is so happy and joyful."  His story (the thoughts he tells himself of how it "should be") is why so many can feel alone and deeply saddened at the time of year that they believe they "should be" so happy. The truth is many people are hurting. Some have lost loved ones; a partner, spouse, parent or child and their heart is still grieving. The ho

Some of you may have heard the acronym KISS, and while we can do without the Stupid part at the end, it does serve as a way to keep top of mind an important concept, especially this time of year.  And that is, it's a great season to remind ourselves to keep things simple.   The holidays are rife with opportunity for stress, and complicating things.  We often make things more stressful by procrastinating shopping, or thinking we have to do more than what is really needed to ma

It's the Holiday Season. And while we have lovely songs to sing, and parties to attend, for many this is really more of a Stress Season.  It is so easy to get wrapped up ( pardon the pun) in so many extra to do's that we fail to stop and see the lights, hug those closest to us, spend time with those we love and like or take a walk in the rain. Instead of treating this season as "one more Christmas" or thinking this years celebration needs to look like all the ones before, per

Are you one of those people- the kind where every holiday gathering has to be just right? The right decorations, and the right menu and the house must be clean within an inch of it’s life? Are you that person who has so much anxiety about everything being just right that you have forgotten how to enjoy the holidays? It can be enormously difficult for some people to embrace what is; anything less than perfect can feel unbearable. Where did this drive for perfection come from a

The calendar reminds us once a year on a Thursday late in November that it’s time to gather around family or friends. With some kind of stuffed bird as the centerpiece, we pause our busy lives to spend time with those we love. We shut down work, gather around an overflowing table of traditional foods we eagerly await, and pause to give thanks in between the stuffing of food and perhaps raucous conversation. We have this day set aside for expressing gratitude, food, fun and fr

The holidays are upon us. While some of us embrace the opportunities for family, food, football and fun, others approach the holidays with increased stress and trepidation at the mere thought of being around extended family.  For many, family is fraught with difficulty.  Whether you have an aunt, who passively aggressively asks why you are still single, or the drunken uncle that can't seem to hold his liquor, the struggles are real in many families. As the saying goes  you ca

How often have you heard your internal voice screaming, " you idiot, what did you do that for?"  How many times do you experience having a big emotional reaction that surprised even you? And then your inner voice begins to berate you for having that big reaction.  That voice might sound something like, "why couldn't you keep your self under better control?" How often have you found yourself criticizing someone else who dared to have an opinion that was different from yours? 

As I write this,  today is my anniversary of jumping out of a perfectly good plane many years ago. I was a freshman at Bowling Green State University when I realized I was no longer bound by the rules of my family home, and jumping out of an airplane struck me as both fun and terrifying.  My roommate was completely not interested in joining me in this adventure and neither were any of my friends or floormates. So, I did it alone.  I jumped static line- more terrifying then ju