Find Your Therapy
Good Afternoon and Happy, Happy Friday my dears! This week has sort of drug by for me, but I made it and I thought it would be a good day for some bloggin’. I actually had some trouble (as usual) deciding what to write about. I was going back and forth on a couple of topics but nothing really stuck out to me. When telling my husband, Cameron, that I wasn’t sure what to say he told me to “Tell them your husband rocks, he has the body of Thor and the brain of Steven Hawking”. I thought ya’ll would get a good chuckle out of that. If you know Cameron at all, he has the body of small yet sturdy brick house, cracks jokes like Jeff Foxworthy, and has the attention span of the Tazmanian Devil.
Now, onto the topic. I decided I wanted to talk a little bit about therapy and my experience with it, but quickly remembered that therapy is different for each person. I personally enjoy talk therapy. I like to call it “emotionally vomiting” and basically purge whatever is on my mind to my therapist. Ever since Covid-19 (damn pandemic) I haven’t been in the office to my therapist, and have done all communication over teleskype or telephone, which I have grown to appreciate. The beauty of therapy is that you have a completely unbiased person that is listening to you, they have no judgement or opinions toward what you say, they let you say your piece and after the fact may offer encouragement or advice on the situation. They aren’t there to correct or perfect you. They are there to listen and to be a helpful support in your life. I personally think everyone could benefit from this and see no downside to it, but I get it, a lot of people don’t care to open up to a stranger and that’s totally okay.
So you aren’t into traditional therapy? There are a million different things that you can do. Maybe you want to open up but you would rather explore that with someone you know and trust. A “Ride or Die” friend who knows your deepest/darkest secrets yet will still love you through it. This is the kind of person you want to confide in. You don’t want your business being out there for anyone and everyone, so talk to someone you love and trust. Go out for coffee, or if you’re like me, I used to show up at my former preachers house at midnight and sit in a lawn chair ‘til 2am. But whatever makes you comfortable… you do you, boo.
Maybe talking is the last thing you would ever dream of doing and the thought absolutely freaks you out. Journal or write out your thoughts. I like to keep a journal that I use with my daily devotional. I try to write out what’s on my my mind, I like to say things that I am thankful for, and I typically end it with a prayer. I do this most nights, and more times than not, it brings me a sense of peace and closure for the day. When I was going through darker times, times where I was having consistent invasive thoughts and lots of fear and anxiety, I would literally write down prayers. I would write down Godly affirmations, anything that I could to take my mind off of the negative. I still have lots of these prayers and notes in my desk drawer at work as a reminder. I would write down hymns that I knew, or scripture. The simple action of writing these things down really calmed me and helped to bring me some solace.
There are TONS of therapeutic avenues you can go down and these are just a few - Meditation, Breathing Exercises, Visualization. An old friend of mine mentioned to me recently that she did some hypnotherapy and it worked really well for her. I’ve never tried it, but she said it worked wonders. There are also everyday things that can be therapeutic for some. I use everyday chores and tasks as therapy when I just need to disengage and give my mind a break. The point I think in these instances is to do something that doesn’t require much thought. It doesn’t require talking or engaging with others. Something that sort of numbs the mind and resets how you feel. For my dad, he loves to mow grass. My nana likes to pull weeds. My sister Caitlyn enjoys going for a run and breaking a sweat. At work if I find myself stressed or not able to focus, I’ll go outside with a bucket and pick up trash in the parking lot or through the shop. The guys at work will joke and say “need a little therapy?” and I’ll say “yep” and do my thing.
Whatever therapy you choose, choose something that allows you peace and quiet. Find your therapy. Don’t do it for anyone else but you. Mental self care is just as important as physical self care, so take care of your mind!
May your weekend be filled with good food, good company and good moods.
Love and Hugs - Alexis