by thetendingyear | Nov 11, 2019 | Chronic Pain, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Personal Development, Spirituality
I’ve never liked the phrase “everything happens for a reason,” but it wasn’t until recently that I had a name for what felt so icky to me: spiritual bypassing. Psychotherapist John Welword defined spiritual bypassing in his book Toward a Psychology of Awakening as the...
by thetendingyear | Aug 6, 2019 | Chronic Pain, Coaching, Personal Development, Productivity, Slow Living, Values
I decided my future career when I was sixteen years old: tenured English professor. I’d been writing poetry and painting for about a year, and I determined that I needed to choose one and commit myself to getting really good at it. I chose poetry, and followed that...
by thetendingyear | Jul 30, 2019 | Chronic Pain, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Personal Development, Values
I recently posted a picture of myself on Instagram with the following caption: Three truths: 1️) Today I got to go on a lovely walk and talk in the woods with a friend. 2️) I am loving my new short haircut and feel cute and fun in my body. 3️) I am navigating a new...
by thetendingyear | Jul 23, 2019 | Chronic Pain, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Personal Development
If you or someone in your circles have lived with chronic pain or illness, you may have heard about the Spoon Theory. It’s a phrase I’ve used throughout The Tending Year posts and newsletters in reference to my chronic pain, but recently I’ve started a new treatment...
by thetendingyear | Jul 2, 2019 | Addiction & Recovery, Chronic Pain, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Personal Development, Values
I consider acceptance to be the first step in the process of engaging with the truth of our experiences. Sometimes coming to acceptance is a struggle, but—for me— the struggle is satisfying because it shows me that I am growing. I only recently (this year) started...
by thetendingyear | Jun 25, 2019 | Chronic Pain, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Personal Development, Productivity, Slow Living, Values, Workaholism
I live by a balance of routines, rhythms, and rituals. I worked hard to test out different practices and find a pattern that supported me well. Recently, however, my triple-R system has been off, which means I’ve been leaning heavily on another R: rest....
