Acksanna Witherspoon, MA MFT Witherspoon Counselling
161 Stafford St. Suite #3 R3M 2V8 Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Sound familiar? Maybe this reminds you of someone you know. Personally, anxiety has always been what holds me back, but has just taken shape in different forms throughout my life. As a young child I would have anxiety and panic attacks before school, I developed ulcers in middle school about puberty (yes, believe it or not I was terrified about getting my period) and as an adult I avoided social settings and countless days being unproductive when there was too much on my pl...ate- all because of anxiety. For people who have loved ones drop the A word, encouragement and support is the best thing you can offer. This cycle becomes all too familiar when we are isolated to try and deal with it on our own. Anxiety is like a fire alarm that goes off when there is simply the thought of smoke. Eventually with treatment and the right resources/support, we can manage what triggers those alarms and be proactive in turning them off using simply, yet efficient, skills . #spoonforthought #witherspooncounselling #copingskills #stressmanagement #mentalhealthawareness #selfcare #anxietyfree #therapylife #stressfree #burnout #relax #anxiety #anxietyrelief #anxietytips #counsellingtips #therapy #therapytips #winnipeg #winnipegbusiness #winnipeglocal #love #instagood

self - compassion Meaning being moved by ones own suffering and treating oneself in a caring and empathetic way- just as one would treat a good friend. Hmm..self-talk in the same manner we hype up our friends? Absolutely. Isolating ourselves with the daunting thoughts of imperfectionism pushes you into a dark, shameful hole. Self-kindness sees that all people fail, make mistakes, and go through some unavoidable tough seasons in life (therapists included). . What can you d...o? - M I N D F U L N E S S . This helps balance out thoughts; not ignoring the painful experiences, but complimenting these thoughts and emotions with compassion towards the self. Research shows people who are self-compassionate are: * Psychologically healthier * Positive psych strengths (happiness, optimism, wisdom, personal initiative, curiosity, etc.) * Greater capacity to deal with life stressors * Alleviate body dissatisfaction/decrease body shame Play a podcast on self-compassion, read a book on mindfulness, stand in the mirror and admire what you love about yourself, make a list of the things you’ve accomplished in your life. Don’t be so hard on yourself, you’re doing great. . . Source: Albertson, E. R., Neff, K. D., & Dill-Shackleford, K. E. (2015). Self-compassion and body dissatisfaction in women: A randomized controlled trial of a brief meditation intervention. Mindfulness, 6(3), 444-454.

When love doesn’t work, we hurt. Indeed, hurt feelings is a precisely accurate phrase, according to psychologist Naomi Eisenberger of the University of California. Her brain imaging studies show that rejection and exclusion trigger the same circuits in the same part of the brain, the anterior cingulate, as physical pain - Sue Johnson