We have far more impact on our own mental wellness than we may have been told. Every day, we can make choices to create who we want to become.

Psychologist Dr. Nicole LePera, offers these ways to begin to create mental well-being:

• Place boundaries, honor your limits, say “no” to things that cause resentment
• Keep one small promise to yourself every day
• Practice meditation + deep belly breathing 
• Write about your experience and insights. Journaling can be transformative for many people.
• Move your body every day in whatever way feels best for you
• Connect with like-minded people/create community 
• Address your gut health/mircobiome 
• Become aware of unresolved trauma + the behavior/patterns it’s created in your adult life
• Honor the inner child: create, play, do something just for you
• Practice ego work: become aware of your ego + the stories it creates around your life experience that keep you repeating your familiar past

Remember, the brain can change throughout life. New neural pathways can be created with consistent practice. Our genes are not fixed, they’re responding to the environment around us. The body/nervous system can heal.

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I highly recommend this powerful resource:

The app: “Waking Up” by Sam Harris, Neuroscientist, and author.

This app offers a great balance of Theory and Practices. There are free offerings (one month free for example) that are beautifully produced.  I’m currently going through the 28 days of mindfulness/meditation series that is the best program I have encountered for practice and learning in short sessions. I’m also listening to fascinating special speakers. If you want to upgrade for greater access and can’t quite stretch the cash, you can request a gift.

To view last week’s Mindfulness on Completing the Stress Cycle, click here.

Lisa Wellington is a Certified Mindfulness Teacher who writes about integrative practices that downshift stress, increase insight, and jumpstart joy.

She is best known for her work with law enforcement professionals as well as those challenged by housing instability and addiction. Trained in the Fine Arts at Washington State University, she specializes in group training that engages participants’ inherent creativity.

If she is not under a stack of books about psychology and spirituality, she can be found at a Puget Sound beach or nearby trail, always searching for the absurd, which is her superpower.