The Power of Giving Thanks

It seems so simple. Too simple? Give thanks. Okay, now what?

The truth is (and the research shows) that taking a moment to note and to FEEL gratitude can have powerful effects on your health and well-being.

Thanksgiving is a natural time to give thanks. It's also a natural time to be with our family. Let's be real. Sometimes being with family can be challenging. I'm not suggesting that you ignore that fact or that you pretend to enjoy hearing the story of Aunt Edna's hip replacement surgery for the 15th time. What I'm suggesting is that…

Family, Self-Care, Personal DevelopmentKelly Forys DonahueNovember 26, 2019gratitude, thanks, neuroplasticity

My left eye, nutrition, and mind-body healing

I woke up at 3:30 Tuesday morning with a pain in my eye. It felt as if sand had drifted in under my contact, but I wasn’t wearing my contacts and I was in bed, not at the beach. I assumed I must have an eyelash or random piece of hair in my eye, so I rinsed it with water and then with saline but it still didn’t feel better. I had a feeling that this was something that might not go away on its own.

Health, Self-CareKelly Forys DonahueOctober 24, 2019mind-body, nutrition

Practice Makes Progress

It's easy not to start something when we feel that the outcome has to be perfect. It prevents us from starting. It deflates our self-esteem.

If we change our mindset to focus on progress and not perfection as the outcome, it changes our willingness to practice. Our willingness to begin. And my friends, beginning is more than half the battle.

The magic of just beginning is based on a principle called behavioral activation. The idea is that even if you aren’t feeling like doing something, you start it in a small way, knowing that once you start the behavior, you will feel activated to continue.

Personal Development, Health, Self-CareKelly Forys DonahueSeptember 15, 2019practice, self-talk

Five Benefits from Laughing Until Your Cheeks Hurt

Last weekend we had friends over to celebrate an old friend moving to town. The kids were laughitn while chasing one another through the house until they settled on Mario Kart, never to be seen again…until we announced they could have dessert :)

The adults were listening to music, eating good food, telling stories, and laughing…a lot! It was the kind of laughter that makes your cheeks hurt the next day. The kind of laughter that makes you smile just remembering it. Laughter feels good in your body, and science supports its positive benefits.

Health, Self-CareKelly Forys DonahueJuly 21, 2019laughter, health, happiness

Oh What Fun! Why Making Time for Joy Makes a Difference

My clients look at me with a puzzled expression when we talk about what they do to cultivate joy in their life. These high-achieving, lovely people can’t come up with any hobbies or pleasurable activities that they currently do, and they fumble to remember hobbies and activities that they once enjoyed.

They are not a lone. Loss of joy is a real epidemic in our society today.

Health, Self-CareKelly Forys DonahueJune 24, 2019laughter, joy, self-care

Six Strategies I Used to Ride the Wave of Overwhelm

Let’s get real about overwhelm. It’s a real thing. It happens. We’ve all been there. That feeling of having so much to do but not having a clue where to start. You want to scream or cry or run away while doing both.

I've been helping my clients who feel overwhelmed for many years. It happens when little things accumulate over time. That overwhelmed feeling can happen when a few big things, often unexpected things, happen. Helping people deal with overwhelm comes easily to me, but following my own strategies is a bit more challenging.

It's Your Turn. Stop Living the Checkbox Life and Do This to Feel Better Now.

We all know someone who, from the outside, has checked all of the boxes. She seems to have it all. She shows up with freshly baked muffins at the PTA fundraiser, cooks dinner for her family, smiles when she’s with her husband, shuttles her children to and from endless activities, has the cutest pics on Facebook, had the great education that has led to a 6-figure corporate 9 to 5 gig. From the outside.

Self-CareKelly Forys DonahueMarch 2, 2019Everyday Self-Care, Book, Worry

Self-Care Lessons from the West Coast: Tips You Can Use No Matter Where You Live

Self-care. Here we go again. I know. I preach self-care in most every facet of my interactions with clients, friends, and family. The two reasons that it comes up in most every conversation are: 1) Self-care is vital to healing mental or physical issues and for preventing mental and physical issues, and 2) I need to hear the need for self-care on repeat for my own benefit, because if I am not taking care of myself, I can't take care of (or even provide high-vibe information) for others.

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