The Idea of the Week
Dr. K from HealthyGamerGG explains how the brain feels overwhelmed, and it may not be what you think. In the 9-minute video, he explains the relationship between passive challenges (challenges you did not choose) and active challenges (challenges that you choose to take).
You feel overwhelmed when the challenges you did not choose (like taxes, bills, health issues, children crying, or an unexpected deadline coming up) outweigh the challenges you do choose.
How do you notice you’re overwhelmed? Here is a list of questions to help you reflect:
- What thoughts or inner dialogue commonly come up when you feel overwhelmed? For instance, “I should be able to do this.” Look out for “should” or “must” in your thoughts.
- How do your thoughts and inner dialogue change when you feel overwhelmed?
- Are there any early warning signs or signals that indicate you might be heading towards feeling overwhelmed?
- What self-care, important tasks, or meaningful activities do you drop when you’re overwhelmed?
- How does your breathing change?
- When you’re overwhelmed, where in your body do you notice tension, discomfort, or other physical sensations?
The Practice of the Week
Feeling overwhelmed (a 7-minute article from Verywell Mind) is a heavy weight to carry that may feel like you will be crushed by the weight or drown in all the responsibilities.
What you do to help ease the overwhelm in the short-term, such as skipping a meal so you can tackle everything on your to-do list, can amplify your feelings of overwhelm.
Even setting aside the active challenges you choose to take, such as learning the guitar or starting a blog, so you can tackle the passive challenges can lead to feeling overwhelmed.
Check out Dr. K’s video above to learn how adding more active challenges in your life actually helps calm feelings of overwhelm.
Here is another technique to conquer overwhelm (3-minute video) by Therapy in a Nutshell:
First step: Slow it down. Grab a piece of paper and dump everything you need to do and everything that is overwhelming you.
Next, cross off everything on the list that is out of your control.
Then, if there is something you need to do about what you cross off, write what you can do. For instance, you can not control your child’s feelings, so cross tantrums off and instead write, “I need to enforce a boundary.”
Now, the remaining items and what you can do is still a lot. We can only do one thing at a time, so circle one action you can take right now.
Then go do that one thing.
News of the Week
Conscious Connected Breathwork Classes
Join Melissa Jacobs of Harvesting Sage for Conscious Connected Breathwork. This is a tool for anyone who has suffered from or experienced overwhelm, fatigue, burnout, anxiety, irritability, or grief.
This potent practice can elevate spirits, liberate pent-up emotions, enhance sleep and relaxation, bolster physical well-being, and offer a multitude of other benefits.
Offered weekly starting Thursday, March 28 at 8:30am to 9:45 am.
$30 | Part of a plan
Unlock the power of your breath to heal and transform!
Flowing with Grief
Engage with your grief through physical movement and breathwork. Let your movement and breath be the emotional release of the grief stored in the body. Use yoga practices, not aimed at strength or flexibility, but rather at nurturing the emotional self and the physical manifestation of grief.
This is a weekly 60-minute session, starting on April 8th at 5:30pm.
$25 | Part of a plan
The yoga practice is accessible to all and you do not need prior yoga experience. It can be performed seated or on a yoga mat.
Another KAP Retreat!
Unlocking Your Mind:
A Journey to Self-Discovery
Dive deep into experiential therapy incorporating meditation, writing, art making, yoga, and other body-centered modalities. Step away from the stressors of daily life and fully immerse yourself in the therapeutic process. We will use Ketamine and experiential therapy to break through the stuck places to find more freedom, pace, and motivation!
Zoom Preparation Session: Wednesday, April 17th from 6-8 pm.
In-person retreat Thursday, April 25th through Sunday, April 28th with accommodations for 3 nights.
Zoom Integration Session: Wednesday, May 1 from 6-8 pm.
Getting the Love You Want:
An Immersive Couples Weekend
Elevate your relationship with this Immersive Couples Weekend Workshop. Learn essential tools for a conscious, healthy relationship that you can practice beyond the workshop. Discover the profound joy of understanding and embracing each other’s love language where you both can feel seen and loved by one another.
Invest in your relationship and join Lauren Ippoliti, LCSW-R for a weekend to focus on caring for your relationship and yourself!
Lauren is offering two slots each time for FREE to either therapy graduate students enrolled in MFT/MHC/MSW programs. There is one free slot left for April’s workshop, so secure your spot quick!
April 5th – 7th, 2024
Fridays 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am to 7:00 pm and Sunday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
2100 E. Genesee Street Syracuse NY, 13210
Join Tati, back by popular demand, for her next series of Family Constellations Workshops this April 20-21!
Tati owns a healing and psychotherapy practice working with sacred plant medicine, ancestral healing, and art therapy in her home in Ecuador.
Last year, Tati visited the U.S. for the first time to hold workshops and healing sessions in Erieville and Fayetteville, NY, all of which had such a positive reception that people requested more! Join Tati for her return this April and her next series of workshops and healing sessions.
The Thought of the Week
Wishing you a peaceful week!
