Over the past few months, I have found myself telling clients that at the end of the day, they “just need to do it”. What is “it”? Eating, utilizing coping skills, being mindful, reaching out to others, shifting your thinking, acknowledging emotions to name a few.

What makes “doing it” so challenging? I notice a lot of people don’t know what skills they can use to help navigate tough situations. I hear a lot, “I know what you are saying, I just can’t do it in the heat of the moment”.

It becomes easier to just do it when we are prepared for upcoming scenarios that may bring with them tension, stress, and/or anxiety. What do you need to be successful this season?

Choose joy, just do it!

Employ recovery focused behaviors, just do it!

Be compassionate with yourself, just do it!

Ponder, plan and prepare, just do it!

Enlist the help of others, just do it!

Change your thinking, just do it!

Share with friends and family, just do it!

Celebrate you, just do it!

It is harder than this and there is no magic to other than you just need to practice.

Be Kind to Yourself

By Kelly Roper

Sometimes life is overwhelming,
And it seems like there's no place to turn.
There's no one looking out for you,
And you can feel your stomach churn.

This is the moment to remember,
You've got to be kind to yourself.
Take some time to regroup and put
Those cares and stressors on the shelf.

Take time out for a walk,
or listen to your favorite song,
As long as you do something positive,
You really can't go wrong.

Letting go of the pressure for a while,
Can often make all the difference.
You can come back calm and refreshed,
And not feel like you're on the defense.

Then you can take the stressors and cares
Off the shelf one by one,
And deal with them more patiently.
Before you know it, they'll all be gone.