Mental Health Blog
This mental health blog reflects many years of life in my neck of the woods. You’ll find things I’ve learned and gone through, thoughts and tools that have helped me along my midlife journey.
You will find a variety of topics on these pages. Many are linked to my therapy specialities. Lot’s are just about life, plain old life and living it at midlife.
Rest assured I have not invented the wheel here on these mental health blog pages. I’ve collected stuff along the way of my life’s journey. That includes information, coping tool ideas, practical notions and tidbits of wisdom which you will find in this library of blog posts.
Writing is a tool in itself. Especially when it comes from your heart. It helps solidify knowledge, and recognize emotions too. Also, it helps to validate experiences and is a release as well. Writing has been an important coping tool for me. It is one you just might want to give a try.
My blog I offer to you straight from my heart in hopes you can relate and know you are not alone. I hope you find some encouraging words, coping tools and ideas to tuck away and use as you navigate through your midlife journey!
Jude
Am I Being Manipulated?
How to tell if you are being manipulated We can be manipulated in any kind of relationship--at work, in friendships and in our family. Basically people pressure others in sneaky ways to get what …
Hey West Michigan, wonder why you are feeling SAD?
Our grey winter days do contribute Here in West Michigan we live in one of the top 3 regions in the US for having the greyest winter days! We are out ranked by the Anchorage …
Dealing with life challenges
Catch your resisting brain If you are at all like me and perhaps the majority of us, fairly often you want things to be different than they are…especially with life challenges. Everyday life challenges us all …
Reaction Habits: Our Lives Are Teaching Us!
Seeing reaction habits is powerful! Our lives are teaching us…that saying is really so very true. My life is constantly teaching me things. Most importantly I keep learning about me. Including reaction habits of …
A 2026 Happier New Year
How can I make 2026 a happier new year here in Holland, MI? We all wish for each other to have a happy new year. But in reality, it takes more than wishes to create …
Peace On Earth
Will there ever be peace on earth? These days it seems that peace on earth is further than ever from being even remotely possible. Tis the season when we offer that phrase more readily to …
Holiday Self-Care
Holiday to do’s…find holiday self-care! The holiday season brings so many things to us all. It’s a season of wonder. It’s a season that brings stress too. That’s why holiday self-care is so important to …
Gratitude: The Giving of Thanks
What can gratitude do for your life? This really is a very important holiday this day of giving thanks. Not only is it an opportunity to spend time with family and friends over an especially …
Fall change…all ready?
Accepting change isn’t always easy to do! Seasons change, it officially turned fall here in West Michigan but you wouldn’t know it. We’ve had near record-breaking temperatures! Making it hard to believe it’s fall. I …
Living on Autopilot
Living on autopilot…ever do it? I do go about living on autopilot more often than I like to admit. It happens when I take life or my circumstances for granted. And when I am barely …
Helping someone with anxiety
My friend/loved one has anxiety—what can I do? Ever wonder how best to talk to someone when they are filled with anxiety? It’s not easy to know what to say. Sometimes we can say things …
Extreme heat and your mental health
Everyone is potentially vulnerable in extreme heat! We know that extreme heat puts people at risk for having heat related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Now we know that heat in the extreme …
- Am I Being Manipulated?
- Dealing with life challenges
- Reaction Habits: Our Lives Are Teaching Us!
- A 2026 Happier New Year
- Peace On Earth
- Holiday Self-Care
- Gratitude: The Giving of Thanks
- Fall change…all ready?
- Living on Autopilot
- Helping someone with anxiety
- Extreme heat and your mental health
- Silence is Golden
- Am I Being Manipulated?
- Hey West Michigan, wonder why you are feeling SAD?
- Dealing with life challenges
- Reaction Habits: Our Lives Are Teaching Us!
- A 2026 Happier New Year
- Peace On Earth
- Holiday Self-Care
- Gratitude: The Giving of Thanks
- Fall change…all ready?
- Living on Autopilot
- Extreme heat and your mental health
- Invisible forks in the road of life…
- A 2026 Happier New Year
- Peace On Earth
- Holiday Self-Care
- Gratitude: The Giving of Thanks
- Mental Health Awareness Month: May
- Take A Mental Health Break
- Spring Hope in Holland, MI
- Helping A Wounded Heart Heal
- Mental Health Awareness: Election Grief
- Mental Health: Coping With Post Election Stress
- Looking for a way to improve your mental health?
- Tis the season….to not always feel merry
- Am I Being Manipulated?
- A 2026 Happier New Year
- Mental Health Awareness Month: May
- Spring Hope in Holland, MI
- Helping A Wounded Heart Heal
- Imagine…Take 2…
- Mental Health: Coping With Post Election Stress
- Gee whiz every day there is yet another trauma event to cope with!
- Coping During Community Unrest
- Tips for Coping With Trauma Flashbacks
- What Does Undiagnosed PTSD Look Like?
- The News Triggers PTSD Trauma
- A 2026 Happier New Year
- Extreme heat and your mental health
- Mental Health Awareness Month: May
- April Is Alcohol Awareness Month!
- Spring Hope in Holland, MI
- Helping A Wounded Heart Heal
- Midlife High Intensity Drinking + The Holidays = Risky Consequences
- Mental Health: Coping With Post Election Stress
- My Loved One’s Substance Abuse Is Just Too Much!
- Alcohol Plus Anxiety = More Anxiety
- The Gate to Happiness: Self-Compassion
- The Key to Handling Impermanence
