Spring cleaning. It’s that time of year when garage doors open, rakes come out, closets get decluttered, and floors are polished to a sparkling shine… well, in theory, anyway! It would be great if we could just keep our homes and our worlds clean and uncluttered all year round, but the reality is that life … Continue reading Spring Cleaning of the Soul
Depressed. Alone. Defeated. How many times have you trudged through your day under the heavy burden of these feelings? For me, it has been far too many to count. If you have walked this journey, or are currently walking it, then you’ve probably found yourself many times asking, “Where is God in all of this?” … Continue reading Where is God when I’m Depressed?
We all believe lies about ourselves. Even when we don’t realize it, our creative minds come up with these sneaky, little untruths that can convince us we are something we’re not… or, often times, that we’re NOT something that indeed we ARE. A huge part of my mental health recovery journey has always been identifying … Continue reading 4 Lies that I Believe About Myself
Life has been so busy lately, as usual. Sometimes I wonder why I bother to say that anymore at all. The reality is that “busy” is not only my normal nowadays, but pretty much everyone else’s normal too. When people ask me how things are going, I often say, “it’s been busy.” But really, could … Continue reading Pursuing the Dream, and Not letting “Normal” Slow Me Down
Sometimes living with mental illness feels like a life sentence in jail. You become a prisoner of your own mind, and you slowly lose your ability to function in the outside world. All you know is the four walls of your prison cell. Anything outside of that becomes foreign, distant, confusing, and even more worrisome … Continue reading From the Comfort of My Prison Cell
Have you ever heard of someone who has experienced total recovery in their life and thought to yourself, “Wow, they’re so lucky”? Maybe you were struggling with the mental illness or addiction that this person had overcome, but instead of finding hope in their story, you just looked at them as though they were one … Continue reading Recovery: More than Luck
Over the past month and a half since I started Braver Than Before, I have had countless people commend me for the openness and vulnerability that I have displayed through this platform. My goal with this blog has always been to write about my life and my struggles with as much transparency as possible, because … Continue reading 5 Action Steps to Help You Embrace Vulnerability
Have you ever had one of those dreams that seems to happen somewhere halfway between waking and sleeping? It comes to you in a hazy dreamlike state, but strangely in it, you find yourself in your own room, in your own bed, and convinced that what you are experiencing in the dream is really happening … Continue reading Anxiety: Is There Life Beyond the Nightmare?
When I was a little girl, I always slept with a blanket on my head. I suppose that statement requires a little bit of explanation. I don’t mean that I pulled my comforter up over my head to cover my ears when I went to sleep, like I do now. What I mean is that … Continue reading The Blanket Diaries…
A little while ago I was looking after a toddler that had some separation anxiety. Everything seemed to be going well until about half an hour in when he started to slowly and despondently creep towards the door. He was looking for his mommy and I could tell that he was on the brink of … Continue reading How a Toddler Taught Me to Take My Time
Braver Than Before 