Alexandra Louise, Therapist & Resiliency Coach

ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT THE WINTER BLUES?

👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼As autumn is here & winter approaches, we begin to lose more & more daylight (in the Midwest). This can definitely impact our mental & emotional wellness. So, what can we do?

Having a daylight therapy lamp is one of my #1 recommendations to help fight Seasonal Effective Disorder. (Ps. The one below is 45% off today)

☀️☀️It supports a healthy circadian rhythm, improved quality of sleep & truly can help with increase energy as we lose our sunlight hours.

Wishing you an autumn and winter season that if filled with happiness, hygee & health!

🔗 Here is a link to a highly effective light (ps. The angle & distance from your eyes/face do impact effectiveness per research):

Carex Day-Light Sky Bright Light Therapy Lamp - 10,000 LUX - Sun Lamp To Combat Winter Blues and To Increase Your Energy Combat the Winter Blues, circadian sleep disorders, jet lag, shift work adjustment and low energy with the Carex Day-Light Sky Bright Light Therapy Lamp. The light therapy lamp is a 10,000 LUX light that features "in home" bright light therapy. Bright light therapy experts recommend BrightZone Te...

MYTH VS. TRUTH

MYTH: Safety Planning is just for emergencies to stop people from ending their lives.

TRUTH: Although Safety Planning is key if someone is experiencing suicidal or self-harm ideation, this is not the full story or purpose of a Safety Plan. Having and using a Safety Plan can be a great resource/tool to use when you feel high levels of anger, anxiety, or panic or when you are working hard to rewire your brain from going into a state of reactivity.

HERE IS WHY: Our brains are wired to protect us. They are designed to work strategically to "survive." Sometimes, like when we are in actual danger, the fight-flight-freeze-fawn reaction is perfect. Sometimes though, we can shift into a state of living where this "survival brain" becomes our normal day to day way of functioning. This is exhausting and honestly, long-term, it can be harmful to us both emotionally and physically.

So, how do we get out of "survival brain"?

1. Get Safe

2. Engage in healthy coping skills to complete our stress response cycle instead of shoving down/suppressing the emotions, body sensations and thoughts (ie. Using Safety Plan, Engaging in Therapy, Practicing Healthy Coping Daily)

3. Find Evidence of Safety (ie. Use Mindful Observation, Connection to Others, Honoring when Safety is Present)

4. Repeat….steps 1, 2 & 3, as needed.

***When we have been in survival brain for a long period of time, there are strong neural pathways that jump quickly to survival and heightened nervous system responses are triggered very easily. It takes time for our brains to develop new pathways. Its okay if at first you feel like you have to use coping skills a lot. In fact, it makes sense! Be compassionate with yourself through this process.

P.S. You are worthy of safety and protection. You are worthy of rest and peace. It is okay to take up space. It is okay to prioritize your mental wellness. Sometimes life can feel dark and foggy...sometimes it can feel like a whole lot of riding the waves, and sometimes, it can be awesome and glorious! Please take time to fill up your tool box so that you can make it through the tough and experience all the good.

Wishing you wellness and healing!

Warmly, Alexandra Louise, Therapist & Resiliency Coach

(This post is not intended to be medical/therapeutic service and is only intended for information purposes. If you are experiencing increased mental health symptoms, please seek the medical/therapeutic services needed for individualized recovery support)

Creating a Safety Plan, a brief guide and Safety Plan Template — Alexandra Louise, LCSW Creating a Safety Plan, a brief guide and Safety Plan Template

🌟 EXCITING NEWS! 🌟
I am thrilled to announce the launch of my brand-new resource page with 60+ recommended books, apps, and tools! 🚀🎉

📚 WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?
This page is designed to be your one-stop-shop for recommended reading, apps and helpful tools for a variety of mental health and wellness topics. From personal development and self-care to the latest science-backed strategies for improving your mental health, I've curated a collection of resources that I believe can make a positive impact in your life for yourself or someone you love that may need some extra support and encouragement.

💡 WHY DID I CREATE A RESOURCE PAGE?
Learning leads to so much healing and empowerment! When we have the tools and guidance to grow, great things can happen! I truly believe that knowledge should be shared and accessible to all. So, I decided to create this resource page to provide you with a hub of quality resources, tools and tips. The best part—as I continue to learn, grow and work with clients, the resource page will also continue to grow.

🔗 WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT?
Simply visit https://alexandralouiselcsw.com/resources and dive right into the treasure trove of knowledge. Don't forget to bookmark it for easy access to come back to over time. Presently there are over 60+ resources covering the following topics: ADHD, Anxiety, DBT, Depression, Eating Disorders, Highly Sensitive People (HSP), New Therapists, OCD and Perfectionism, Parenting, Personal Growth & Empowerment, Post-Concussion Syndrome, Trauma and Substance Use

🤝 Spread the Love! If you find any of the resources helpful or know someone who might benefit from them, please feel free to share the page with your friends and family. Let's build a network of positive change, healing and empowerment together! ❤️

Resources — Alexandra Louise, LCSW ResourcesRecommended Books, Videos, Apps, Etc. This Resources Page is an ever-evolving, beautiful list that continues to grow over time as I learn about the latest helpful tools, books, apps, etc. May it be a place where you find additional resources to strengthen your healing & empowerment journey!...

🌟 5 Fast & Easy Ways to Cope with Anxiety 🌟

1️⃣ OBSERVE & ACKNOWLEDGE THE ANXIOUS THOUGHT (instead of trying to push it away/avoid it).. THEN, DECIDE IF IT GETS TO STAY AND WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT.

Don't believe every thought that enters your mind. When your mind starts swirling and there are anxious thoughts that are darting your way, take a pause to consider and acknowledge the core key anxious thoughts. Sometimes, they are present because they are trying to be helpful and keep you safe and prepared. Thank them for this! If there is a genuine need to address a presenting concern, go ahead and move towards problem-solving (journal it out or process verbally with someone). However, often anxious thoughts are habitual and are distorted from what is really going on in real life. In these moments, you get full permission to acknowledge the thought and release it because it is not beneficial. You can even address the thought internally as you would a much younger, frightened version of yourself, reminding him/her that everything is going to be okay and that there are no monsters under the bed, and that you are safe. A moment to consider and acknowledge the thought and decide if it deserves to stay. The beauty in learning how to observe, acknowledge and decide what thoughts you want to keep around is that you develop freedom in the power to choose! You no longer feel controlled by your thoughts and will begin to have less overall reactive emotional responses. It’s a great, empowering place to be! Remember, it’s totally okay to challenge the negative, anxious thoughts and replace them with realistic and positive thoughts and affirmations.

2️⃣ MOVE YOUR BODY TO HELP COMPLETE THE STRESS RESPONSE CYCLE.

You might be thinking that this sounds WAY too oversimplified…but there are very real physiological responses to anxiety and stress that we experience when we are in the midst of an anxiety or panic attack that can be helped by simply moving our bodies. Movement helps to release negative, anxious energy, and it often provides some bilateral stimulation that activates the body’s relaxation response while also helping to regulate the autonomic nervous system. Movement through exercise has the added benefit of increasing endorphins in the body, the “feel good” chemicals that help improve mood and an overall sense of well-being. So, if you feel anxiety manifesting in your body (ie. Physical shaking, dizziness, weakness, nausea, etc.), take some time to move your body. Side note, just in case you were curious: the best kind of movement for bilateral stimulation=cycling, swimming, running, walking, elliptical (basically anything where there is bilateral movement).

3️⃣ SHIFT YOUR FOCUS AWAY FROM INTERNAL THOUGHT CHAOS & RETURN TO THE PRESENT MOMENT.

Use your five senses to ground yourself. Notice the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures around you. What is this practice? It is a practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness is key because it anchors you back into the present moment. It is like a hamster finally being able to get off her hamster wheel and feeling the freedom to run and play while actually having forward movement that leads to positive experiences and progress rather than leading nowhere. Ruminative anxious thoughts often do not lead to resolution or progress but simply result in the person feeling emotionally (and sometimes intellectually) exhausted. So, try it today! When you begin to feel like you are stuck in your head in an anxious pattern of thinking, tell yourself that you are going to try something new and totally different. Look around the space you are in and describe what it looks like; take a sip of your coffee or afternoon tea and fully notice how it smells and tastes—fully savor it; feel your feet on the ground or how you feel sitting in your chair, notice any sensations in your body where you may be holding stress/tension and breathe into those areas; delight in the sounds, feelings and all that the present moment has to offer you. As you practice this coping skill, notice how you feel more in flow and less in panic. Lean into this experience for 5-10 minutes as a mental/emotional reset practice.

4️⃣ RECONNECT WITH YOURSELF AND FIND INNER CALM THROUGH DIAPHAGMATIC BREATHING.

How do you do the practice and coping skill of diaphragmatic breathing? So glad you asked! Let’s practice it now. First, find a quiet space (even if it means going to a closet/bathroom/stepping outside) to sit/lay comfortably & practice this special breathing technique. Next, place one hand on your stomach & the other on your heart/head. Inhale, breathing in through your nose (slowly); exhale, breathing out through pursed lips (slowly). Notice the sensations and focus on the rise & fall of your belly. Stay in this practice for 5-10 minutes to enhance inner calm. Let the soothing rhythm of your breath cycles restore balance to your mind and body.

5️⃣ SCHEDULE TIME FOR SELF-CARE TO HELP REDUCE OVERALL STRESS & ANXIETY.

Taking time to daily hit the pause button on the "doing" to live into the "being" is key to reducing overall anxiety, stress, overwhelm & burnout. A few ideas: 10 minutes of journaling; 30 minutes of exercise; singing on the commute to work; playing a board game with your child/teen/partner; soaking in the bath; going for a quick swim; doing something creative; meditating; etc.

***Interested in receiving a full month's calendar of daily self-care activities? I have created just this and would love to share the PDF calendar with you for FREE! Just shoot me a message down below sharing that you are interested, and I will DM you with the link.

Wishing you wellness today!

-Alexandra Louise, Therapist & Resiliency Coach