Blog

October 2020

  • Communication and trust during times of chaos

    It is virtually impossible to go through a day without communication. We communicate in person, via phone, texts, email, online meetings, social media, and more. The messages can include clues such as tone, body language, facial expressions, and our perspective. During times of chaos and uncertainty, it is even more essential that we begin our conversations with care and compassion. In stressful periods, many experience fear, worry, and anxiety. And those that have experienced trauma in their lives may be experiencing re-traumatization. There is much potential in communication – the potential for productivity or for misunderstanding. We can all think […]

    Read More

April 2020

  • Coping with Coronavirus: the Impact and 20 Ways to Minimize Fear

      Chronic fear impacts our physical health, memory, brain processing, and our mental health. This article will explain what happens in our brains and bodies when we experience fear and ways that we can move from fear to resilience. We feel the emotion fear when we are threatened. The perceived threat can be either physical, psychological, or emotional and can also be real or imagined. We often think of emotions like fear or anger as bad, but every emotion serves a purpose. Fear can help to keep us safe by motivating us to take action that will prevent us from […]

    Read More
  • Being compassionate in a time of crisis

      If I had to pick one word to describe what we need during this time, that word would be compassion. Compassion for self and compassion for others. Why compassion? When we are under duress or experiencing stress we are more likely to make mistakes, communicate less effectively and present with emotions and behaviors that vary from our norm. For many, the changes and the challenges that we are currently facing trigger unresolved grief or trauma. We feel rocked to our core. Trauma lives in cellular memory, not just the brain. When we experience a traumatic event such as what […]

    Read More

January 2020

  • Resolve to be a better communicator in 2020

    Resolving to communicate more effectively should be added to our list of New Year’s resolutions, with emphasis on face-to-face communication. A study by the Joint Commission for Transforming Healthcare revealed that up to 80 percent of serious medical errors can be attributed to miscommunication among medical staff. The good news is that we can easily learn skills to help us communicate more effectively and improve our business and personal relationships. Making effective requests of others is an integral part of good communication in the workplace and at home. But many of us haven’t learned how to deliver a concise request […]

    Read More
  • Identify and Address Your Concerns

      Many years ago, I learned the value of identifying things that were bothersome and quickly taking action to remedy as much as possible. For example, that favorite sweater that you reach for repeatedly and once in your hands, you remember that a button has fallen off – gift yourself a moment to sew the button back on and enjoy that sweater. In today’s world, our concerns often consume more energy than sewing on a button, but when we identify concerns, we can become empowered to improve situations. Like you, I have many concerns. Taking the time to identify concerns […]

    Read More

October 2019

  • Recovery from Burnout

    I intended to write an article to inform others that the World Health Organization (WHO) now lists burnout as an official ailment in the International Classification of Diseases — a handbook for doctors and health insurers. This information is important because so many of us experience the symptoms but minimize the effect of burnout in our lives, including our relationships and health. Every time I would think about writing the article, I quickly busied myself with other projects. Then I thought perhaps I was hesitating because I needed to learn more about the subject. I ordered a DVD for a […]

    Read More

August 2019

  • Identifying and Removing Stressors

    This summer I addressed little things in my life that either annoyed me or added stress. Once identified, it was easy to take action. Below are a few examples. I hope you will be inspired to identify and remove some of your own stressors. 1. Every morning I felt frustrated with having dirt and dog hair on the kitchen floor. Action: Bought a robot vacuum. Result: A smile each morning as I see the floors and empty the vacuum. Love it so much we now have one for the carpeted rooms and will be getting one for the upstairs. 2. […]

    Read More

May 2019

  • Learn tips for calling EMS during National EMS Week

    As seen on LivingUpstate.com This week is National EMS Week and it gives us an opportunity to express appreciation, learn a little EMS history and get some tips for helping emergency responders help us. I have deep gratitude for EMS practitioners. Without the help of a 911 operator and the EMS personnel who answered a call many years ago, I would not be writing this article. I was 13 and home alone. I had a history of asthma and on that particular day, none of the medication I had was helping. I was hesitant to call 911 as I thought my […]

    Read More
  • Learn about police work at Spartanburg Citizens Academy

    As seen on LivingUpstate.com This week is National Police Week, the perfect time to learn more about police work in our local community. In 2016, I had the honor of attending the Spartanburg Police and Spartanburg Fire Citizens’ Academy. The first night of class I looked around the room and realized that I was old enough to be the mother of my classmates. For a moment I wondered, “What have I gotten myself into?” Each of us responded to a question to tell why we had decided to attend. Most of the class members were there because they were considering a […]

    Read More
  • Peace Begins with Me

      Recently I attended a Peace Conference. Early in the day we were told that “peace begins with us.” Peace begins with us. I have been contemplating those four simple words since the conference. Peace is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as “In a general sense, a state of quiet or tranquility; freedom from disturbance or agitation; applicable to society, to individuals, or to the temper of the mind.” If peace begins with our own ability to enjoy peace, what are our chances for peace beyond us? How many of us have peace in our daily lives? Today during my morning […]

    Read More

January 2019

  • The Importance of Identifying Concerns

    Recently I was asked following question: What issue for today’s working women is of most concern to you? When I started writing my response, I noticed that I had more concerns than I realized. These concerns weren’t for working women but for everyone. Taking the time to identify these concerns has brought them to my consciousness. I am motivated to do what I can to lessen some of the concerns. As we start this New Year, I hope that we work together to lessen our concerns. Best wishes for a year filled with all that brings you joy and peace! Read response […]

    Read More