Upgrade Your Life: A 12 Step Plan
Inspirational

Upgrade Your Life: A 12 Step Plan

andrayachristine28 Comments

Most of our problems are caused by the individual in the mirror. Take an honest inventory of yourself - do you have toxic tendencies? Even if you don't, what patterns or behaviors have you tolerated that are bringing you down? What are you allowing that is inconsistent with your dreams and future plans? Sometimes we self-sabotage out of fear, ego, or a lack of discipline. It's time for an honest evaluation.

Experiencing Grief – How to Help Yourself and Others
Grief

Experiencing Grief – How to Help Yourself and Others

andrayachristine4 Comments

I come from a family where strength is the norm. If something needs to be done, one doesn't let feelings or emotions get in the way. My Papaw's favorite line when any of us started crying was "dry it up!" They're the folks who sing at funerals; the folks who put duty and responsibility and doing for others and yes, attending church, before mental health. Even my husband is super strong. On days like today, I'm left with a sense of shame that I can't live up to this standard.

Lists to Lift Your Mood
Inspirational

Lists to Lift Your Mood

andrayachristine5 Comments

One of the worst things about having anxiety is the anticipation of anxiety; the dread that hits several days or a week before an event. This dark sense of dread and foreboding can well up out of nowhere...when this occurs, my first reaction is to long for safety and escape from the stressor; this is usually impossible. What helps manage the sense of dread more than anything is finding ways to boost my mood and be more positive.

Need a Dream? 4 Ways to Get Inspired (Doggos Included!)
Inspirational

Need a Dream? 4 Ways to Get Inspired (Doggos Included!)

andrayachristine18 Comments

Growing up in Kentucky, I spent a lot of time outside. I had a special place to think, to ponder life and the world. I went there to get away from my troubles. It had a magical quality hard to describe to someone not acquainted with country life. Some days when I visited, I was a gymnast creating elaborate routines; others I was a singer belting my latest heartache. I spent time there writing lyrics and poems in my mind. It was on a little rise beside a stream looking out over an orchard - Papaw (who specialized in rigging things up) made it for me out of a wooden board and two cables...