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Inspirations

Week of March 29th

POSSIBILITIES

Spring is upon us in the Northeast. This new season, more than any other, brings new beginnings. The birds begin to chirp, the trees begin to bud, and the flowers begin to bloom. Spring is also a time of transition; the cold dark nights fade away into warm sunny days. Hopefully, the warmer weather and longer periods of light are reducing your vulnerabilities to emotion dysregulation. Accordingly, Spring is a time of possibility and opportunity.  Can you see the new opportunities?  Do you find yourself with a renewed interest in movement and self care? It is important to bring intention to the present in order to benefit from the current seasonal change.

During this season of movement and transition, do you rise easily? After a long winter during a pandemic, many can find the new season a welcomed change. Have you had to use your radical acceptance skills to transition into Spring?  Have you cultivated a beginners mindset in order to be as willing as possible?


WORDS OF WISDOM

words of wisdom

CURRENT EVENTS

SKILL REHEARSAL
Can we practice beginners mind this week as we rediscover the changes in our environment?
What do you notice that’s new? What colors do you see in nature that have been missing in winter?
Are you aware of new sounds or more intense sound?

PODCAST OF THE WEEK
Podcast Episode 089: Turning Challenges Into Our Most Rewarding Experiences with Eric Winters
by Potential Psychology

TED TALKS
The secret to great opportunities? The person you haven’t met yet | Tanya Menon
By Ted.com

BOOK OF THE WEEK
(Click below to purchase the book)

ACTIVITY
Bubble Paint Bouquets by myjoyfilledlife.com

 

RECIPES FOR THE WEEK

CONTRIBUTE
Click below to learn more

 

Week of March 22nd

FEAR

We are officially rolling into Spring this week, and the weather is showing it. Along with the added sunshine, there have been some horrific events of hate in the news recently. It is safe to say that all of us are saddened by these acts of violence. Sometimes fear can lead to negative judgements. We take this week as an opportunity to remind everyone why it is important to challenge our fears and judgments of others.

When we notice fears pop up in ourselves, it is easy to feel alarmed. Instead of following fearful judgments, we can try stopping and slowing down. In DBT, we practice loving kindness in our mindfulness exercises. In this practice, we actively send love and compassion to ourselves first, then others, in an effort to let go of judgements.

Can you think of a recent time when something scared you? Can you remember the last time that you had negative judgments that led to hostile feelings? We hope you can use your STOP skill, slow down and practice loving kindness. How can you practice more love and compassion this week?


WORDS OF WISDOM

CURRENT EVENTS

SKILL REHEARSAL
This week can you practice mindfulness if judgements?
Can you practice bringing loving kindness to your judgmental mind?
What do you notice when you practice compassion when observing judgement?

PODCAST OF THE WEEK
Episode 012: We Hear You
by SelfEvidentShow.com

TED TALKS
What We Can Do About The Culture of Hate | Sally Kohn
By Ted.com

BOOK OF THE WEEK
(Click below to purchase the book)

ACTIVITY
Random Acts of Kindness by thirtyhandmadedays.com

 

RECIPES FOR THE WEEK

CONTRIBUTE
Click below to learn more

 

Week of March 15th

BEGINNER’S MIND

Here we are one year into the pandemic. Many of us have leaned into newly established pandemic routines. Sweatpants are now appropriate for work calls, masks are the new essential outfit accessory, and zoom has become our “local” spot for social life and connection. Over this past year, we all have evolved by establishing new routines to cope with our unthinkable reality. Despite some new found comforts, a return to pre-pandemic life is starting to flourish. Schools are starting back in person, more are dining indoors, and some are even getting to hug grandparents and other loved ones for the first time since March 2020. In the presence of these “return to normal” changes, it is reasonable to feel discomfort and unfamiliarity. This week at Metro, we are reminded of a mindfulness concept called Beginner’s Mind.  

Beginner’s mind is about embracing a curious perspective. Amazement can occur when we take situations, no matter how often we have experienced them, with a novel outlook. When we start to take a beginner’s mind approach we open ourselves up to possibility, excitement, and the opportunity for new information.  

As the world continues to “re-open” we invite you to adopt a beginner’s mind. Allow yourself to experience old, well seasoned, pre-pandemic routines as if you are encountering them for the first time. What do you notice? What do you see, hear, or smell? We encourage you to approach your experiences, old or new, as if you are experiencing them as something new. Our hope is that you will find yourself more connected and engaged with the present moment.


WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

MEME OF THE WEEK

SKILL REHEARSAL
This week can you do one new activity each day? Please be mindful when trying each new activity.
We have a week to really practice out what skills of Mindfulness in DBT.

PODCAST OF THE WEEK
#68: The Lazy Genius Tries New Things
by Google Podcasts

TED TALKS
Try Something New for 30 Days | Matt Cutts
By Ted.com

BOOK OF THE WEEK
(Click below to purchase the book)

ACTIVITY
New Things To Try for 30 Days

RECIPES FOR THE WEEK

CONTRIBUTE
Click below to learn more

 

Week of March 8th

TIME

A year ago today, we had no idea our lives were about to change dramatically. Most of us had not heard of Zoom, and we probably looked forward to movie nights with our neighbors, or dinner out with friends on weekends. Kids would soon be pulled from school where they and their parents relied on their social supports and extra curricular activities. Millions of people were about to get sick, and some fatally. We thought it would be a few weeks of hunkering down at home while healthcare workers helped the folks who would inevitably catch this volatile virus. Nearly 365 days later, we are looking back on a year of grief, change, fear, and hope.

This week, we are considering the function of anniversaries and making meaning out of time. If you have ever celebrated a birthday, a wedding anniversary, or perhaps a milestone since quitting a self-destructive habit, then making meaning out of time is a skill you have already used. Anniversaries serve a variety of functions. To name a few, they can prompt us to connect with others, celebrate progress, share memories, or grieve a loss.

Where were you a year ago this week? What stands out? We are looking forward to hearing how you are making meaning out of time.


WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

MEME OF THE WEEK

SKILL REHEARSAL
We hope you are continuing to build your distress tolerance mastery. In particular we are focused on the Improve Skills.
How are you making meaning out of time this week?

PODCAST OF THE WEEK
Introducing the longest year a podcast about life during the pandemic
by PBS.org

TED TALKS
How the pandemic will shape the near future | Bill Gates
By Ted.com

BOOK OF THE WEEK
(Click below to purchase the book)

ACTIVITY
The Artist’s Way: 25th Anniversary Edition
(Click below for information)

RECIPES FOR THE WEEK

CONTRIBUTE
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Week of March 1st

GETTING ACTIVE

As the pandemic continues, many people have found themselves more and more inactive. Repetitive lockdowns, cold wet weather, and cumulative loneliness has resulted in reduced physical wellness. However, turning your mind to get physically active is imperative during the pandemic.

Physical activity is often discussed in psychological research as paramount to improved mental health.  Moving your muscles, maintaining activity and getting outdoors is correlated with increased reported levels of happiness and overall well-being. If you can’t be outdoors, stay active in your home. Today there are many ways to stay physically active within your home environment based on free Apps and other social media outlets.

This week, we are hoping to inspire a new present day goal to improve hour level of physical activity. Today’s efforts can be the becoming of a longer term fitness challenge. Start moving today as investment in tomorrow’s challenges. Metro is excited to announce a community wide effort to celebrate community, physical activity and psychological wellness. We hope you’ll join us for our Life Worth Living Fundraiser, May 2, 2021 at 12:00 pm EST. Details about our community effort to exercise together can be found at https://metronydbt.com/life-worth-living-ride-fundraiser/

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

MEME OF THE WEEK

SKILL REHEARSAL
This week we are focusing on setting a goal with our physical health. We are focusing on our practice of PLEASE skills. Can you write down a goal for physical activity? Let’s make that goal measurable and specific! What’s something new you can add for twenty minutes this week?

PODCAST OF THE WEEK
How To Get Fitter, Stronger and Be Kinder To Yourself with Alice Liveing
By Play.acast.com

TEDx TALKS
The Brain-Changing Benefits of Exercise | Wendy Suzuki
By Ted.com

BOOK OF THE WEEK
(Click below to purchase the book)

ACTIVITY
Join us for MetroNYDBT’s Life Worth Living Ride Fundraiser
(Click below for information)

RECIPES FOR THE WEEK

CONTRIBUTE
Click below to learn more

Week of February 22nd

BEING MIND

We are three weeks away from declaring one year in a pandemic. For many of us, this anniversary prompts grief, loss, and sadness. For others, it can be an opportunity to reflect on progress, change, and perspective, and may motivate us to set goals.  Both of these states of minds are valid. In the next couple of weeks leading up to the one year mark, we are reminded of an important dialectic; being mind versus doing mind.

Being mind is the awareness, acceptance, and curiosity of your physical and emotional self. In this state of mind we practice mindfulness of our current emotions as a way to notice our experiences without an agenda. In doing so we are able to focus on the uniqueness of each moment and allow our thoughts, emotions, urges, and sensations to be as they are. Being mind can be challenging. At the same time, it allows us to discover what is needed for our bodies and our minds.

There are several ways we can practice getting into our being mind. First, we allow ourselves to be present with our current emotions, thoughts, and sensations. Our goal is to notice without judgment and to focus on feeling versus doing. As a way to help guide us through this practice, we use our breath. Breathing serves as an important grounding agent to help us fully participate in the present moment. While in being mind, try breathing in for five counts and out for seven.

As acknowledged previously, amidst the upcoming one year mark of the pandemic, we honor that there may be an urge to plan, make changes, take action, and set goals. While this is a beneficial state of mind, we want to also acknowledge the importance of leaning into our being mind and tapping into the mindfulness of our current emotions. How are you finding stillness in your day? How are you stopping to notice how you are feeling? What is it like to be aware of your current emotions? Lastly, how are you using your breath to stay in the present moment?

 

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

MEME OF THE WEEK

SKILL REHEARSAL
We would like to encourage you to stop to notice your emotions. Can you practice the skill of observe for five minutes each day?
Pause your day, practice observe and exhale. How are you using your breath to stay present in the practice?

PODCAST OF THE WEEK
Ellen Langer | Science of Mindlessness and Mindfulness
By OnBeing.org

TEDx TALKS
Richard J. Davidson | How Mindfulness Changes the Emotional Life of our Brains
By Ted.com

BOOK OF THE WEEK
(Click below to purchase the book)

ACTIVITY
DIY Galaxy Jars by MomDot.com
(Click below for full instructions)

RECIPES FOR THE WEEK

CONTRIBUTE
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Week of February 15th

LOVE

With Valentine’s Day this past weekend, we figured love is in the air. What does love mean to you? Of course, love means different things to each of us. For many, love is a deep commitment and connection to someone or something. For some, love originates from within.  For others, love can be experienced from others or by oneself. Love isn’t only a feeling; it is an active experience.

How do you show love? Maybe its in the way you cook. Maybe its in the calls you make to check in. Love can be found in doing homework with kids or zoom calls with grandparents. Perhaps you show love by volunteering at your local food pantry. Some of us love ourselves in meditation and mindfulness disciplines.

Where do you love? We hope you have found at least one area of your life to build love. Over time, love can be found in your heart, in your homes and in your behavior. Love is a knowing beyond walls and specific relationships. Love is the mindful participation in your life that may lead to expanding your own experience in the world.

This week, as you experience love, we invite you to practice the DBT skill of mindfulness of your current emotion. When we practice this skill we can stand back and let go of distractions. Using this skill can increase our practice of kindness and compassion. Mindfulness of love can have the added benefit of reducing distress.

 

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

MEME OF THE WEEK

SKILL REHEARSAL
Love can be a particularly intense emotion to experience.
This week we are encouraging you to practice mindfulness of your current emotion of love.
As always we strongly encourage you to let go of judgment and explore your awareness of love.

PODCAST OF THE WEEK
Modern Love
By NPR

https://www.wbur.org/modernlove/2020/04/08/david-finch-daniel-radcliffe

TEDx TALKS
Psychological flexibility: How love turns pain into purpose
Steven Hayes | TEDxUniversityofNevada

BOOK OF THE WEEK
(Click below to purchase the book)

ACTIVITY
(Click below for full instructions)

RECIPES FOR THE WEEK

BONUS RECIPE
Blood Orange Yogurt Cake by HowSweetEats.com

CONTRIBUTE
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Week of February 8th

FORCES OF NATURE

The National Weather Center said last weeks winter storm was a “powerful nor’easter”. Six days later the East Coast of the United States was blessed with, yet again, a nor’easter. Such storms have always been a part of winter in the Northeast. For some, two significant storms result in a great snowball fight and larger than life snowmen. For others, two nor’easters in one week, during a pandemic, feels particularly overwhelming.  The forces of nature are providing many of us significant challenges.

For some the challenges we face are external. Our commute is slower, our heat is more costly, and our sidewalks need to be shoveled. For some the forces of nature push up against our internal obstacles. Our mood is lower, we are noticing more loneliness and our movement is minimal.

How do we manage our mood when nature and the environment are so intense? We use the opportunity to practice mindfulness of the energy, formidability and color of our environment. It can also be a time to soothe ourselves with warmth, playful activities and cooking.  Above all we should practice radical acceptance of the normative forces of nature and take on the challenges it presents.

 

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

MEME OF THE WEEK

SKILL REHEARSAL
The cold weather and intense weather patterns can be difficult to accept.
This week can you practice, observe and describe while outdoors?
As always, please try to let go of judgement and be open to your outdoors.

PODCAST OF THE WEEK
Cicely Tyson
By Oprah’s Master Class

BOOK OF THE WEEK
(Click below to purchase the book)

ACTIVITY
(Click below for full instructions)

RECIPES FOR THE WEEK

BONUS RECIPE
Grilled Chicken Wings

CONTRIBUTE
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