Nicole Russo, LPC, NCC, CAADC

24/08/2023

10/11/2022

Here are five steps to being happier - which resonates most with you?

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19/10/2022

Healthy love exists ♥️

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06/10/2022

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Credit: cartoons by Liana Finck

03/08/2022

How do you protect your energy?

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24/07/2022

Knowing your worth means:
🌸 valuing yourself regardless of what others think or say
🌸 forgiving yourself for things you might have done differently
🌸 setting respectful, assertive boundaries with those who may have crossed over lines you’ve set in the past

And so much more …

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19/07/2022

Growth:
A nonlinear process we as humans go through at different periods in our lives in order to move forward.

The recipe for growth typically starts the same: awareness. What needs to change? Where am I unhappy? What is uncomfortable for me right now?

15/07/2022

As humans we tend to look at our progress with a very “zoomed in” lens- “what have I done for me lately?”?

The more honest perspective is much wider and more full of smaller pieces strung together to show a beautiful mosaic of a journey. These bits can very easily get lost in the fabric of our day to day life- we must try to make a conscious effort to remind ourselves that they are there.

🌸

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11/07/2022

Better vagal tone is associated with better mental health… so how will you be practicing the fine art of vagal stimulation? 🧐

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30/06/2022

How to regulate your nervous system 🌀

1. Visualize the emotion —> close your eyes and give the emotion you’re feeling a shape, color, or “feeling”. Is it a stress ball you can squeeze? What about a piece of wood you can break?

2. Proprioceptive activities —> practice weight training or utilize a weighted blanket or vest

3. Add a little heat —> the presence of heat can be soothing and stimulate the release of endorphins, as well as regulate blood pressure. Try a hot bath, a heating pad, or holding a hot cup of tea

4. Practice mind wandering —> bring up a beautiful image of something that brought you joy, and dive into the experience with your eyes closed by envisioning it in detail. Wander through the memory. Feel the objects, smell the smells.

5. Get some sun —> exposure to sunlight can affect serotonin levels; aim for 20 min a day

6. Practice heartmath breathing —> a scientifically backed method of creating calm; focus your attention on the area of your heart, and imagine your breath is flowing in and out of your heart. Inhale to the count of 5 and exhale to the count of 5. (More to come on heartmath!)

28/06/2022

There is a belief that successful and loving relationships (I.e. “healthy) don’t also include things like awkwardness, tough situations, uncomfortable conversation, and attraction that changes with time.

This not a true phenomenon, and we must remind ourselves that nothing is “wrong” with us or our partners for experiencing the full range of human partnership!

*Does not apply to situations of domestic abuse

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