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When You’re Down
I’ve written a lot of articles in my career and when I drew a blank today I grabbed a box of Kleenex. In grad school, whenever we were blocked, we knew that something really important would come to the surface. And whalla it did. I was fooling around with a friend recently and they said, “When you are down people kick you.” Have you ever heard that phrase, “When you are down they will kick...Learn More![](https://basicsteps.life/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/scheduling-alone-time.png)
Scheduling Alone Time
For many people, life is but a blur. Activity, activity, and then the big crash – or is there one? Often when we are too busy it becomes difficult to unwind. Did you know that relaxation is a necessity in life? So is time away from the electronics. Do you give yourself time to simply let your mind go to where it wants to go? It’s true that Psychology is the study of relationships, but have we...Learn More![](https://basicsteps.life/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/three-foot-tosses.png)
Three Foot Tosses for Mindfulness
We play a basketball game in our program where people are asked to take three shots from a marker that is three, six, nine, twelve, or fifteen feet away from the basketball hoop. When you sink a basket, you make positive points, if you miss, you make negative points. The point of the game is to make the most positive points you can. Each marker is equivalent to the number of points you make....Learn More![](https://basicsteps.life/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/sadness.png)
Sadness
If you suffer from depression, it can be debilitating. No energy, no motivation, feeling helpless, hopeless, and worthless. Even when I was working with megastars in Malibu who was well known around the world, even they would feel this way. One day I was shocked when one told me, “I want what you have – your peace”. How do we get the peace we desire? How does energy come back? How does...Learn More![](https://basicsteps.life/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/feeling-giddy.png)
Feeling Giddy
Years ago, I had the privilege of being in a comedy group that performed in some of the top clubs in Hollywood. We would take the negative expressions in society and create new positive twists on them. This morning I laughed thinking about March Madness, where the team I grew up with had an amazing win and of course “All Heaven broke loose!” Yes, I have been stung by the madness. It has shown...Learn More![](https://basicsteps.life/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/goal-setting.png)
Goal Setting
Rapunzel: “I’m afraid that my dream is going to come true tonight and then what?” Ryder: “Well that’s the good thing because when you achieve your dream you get to create a new one.” Here is some Disney wisdom to live by. Dreams are what make life so rich. Without you are faced with the same ol’ same ol’. Dreams, like goals, are essential because if you got into your car without a destination,...Learn More![](https://basicsteps.life/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/basic-steps-mental-health-holiday-blessings-post-01.png)
Holiday Greetings
It is the time of year to reflect on the people and experiences of the past year and the impact this has had on you. Though, what a trying year it has been for us all. I just saw a report on the increase in mood disorders, substance use, and domestic violence cases which saddened me greatly. I often wonder how people can turn their back on their problems and celebrate the holiday season....Learn More![](https://basicsteps.life/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/basic-steps-mental-health-coping-with-covid-19-1.png)
Coping with COVID-19
Did you ever believe this pandemic would go on so long? Isn’t it surreal to go shopping and seeing everyone masked up? I heard that in China they have monitors on people and anybody who has a temperature is whisked away to the hospital for a checkup. Their numbers are going down, ours aren’t. A person I know who works at the CDC who predicted at the outset of the disease, that it was going to...Learn More![](https://basicsteps.life/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/basic-steps-mental-health-family-therapy-when-a-family-member-is-sick-1.png)
Family Therapy – When a Family Member is Sick
When a family member is sick it puts the whole family system out of balance. The good news is – this can be used as an opportunity for the entire family to heal. In this article, we take a look at Family Therapy. They believe that when somebody is sick the family is looked upon as being in need of repair. The system doesn’t only refer to your family, it can refer to as the relationships...Learn More![](https://basicsteps.life/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/basic-steps-mental-health-basic-steps-to-be-at-peace-1.png)