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Michelle Gottlieb Psy.D., MFT, LPCC
Individual, Couple and Family Therapy
Resolving issues from your past that block your future

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Seeking Safety

There are many scary things happening in the world. Some of these events may impact you directly. Some may impact someone you know. Some you may only hear about on the news or social media. But they all have some impact.

You may feel like the world today is a scarier place than it ever has been and that you need to protect yourself by making your home more secure. Please do so if that helps you. Some people reduce their fear by isolating. Some, by connecting with other people. Some by drawing closer to their faith. There are many ways to reduce your anxiety. Some are healthier than others. For instance, increasing your use of alcohol or other drugs may not be a healthy choice.

We all need to find ways to feel safe. The first step is even recognizing that you feel anxious. Some people do not want to admit to that since that may make them appear weak. Feeling fear is a great way to be able to recognize danger. It is often a good thing. It is only not healthy when you feel fear constantly. It is wearing on us both physically and emotionally. It then no longer works as early warning system if it is a constant emotion.

You need to find ways to increase your sense of safety. One of the things that I often recommend is the proverbial, “stop and smell the roses”. By which I mean, take those moments out of your life to notice those small events that bring us peace and joy. Seeing trees. Hearing laughter. Watching something goofy on TV. Hugging a friend. Watching a sunset. Listening to music. Dancing. Whatever does it for you, take time, every day to mindfully be in that moment. Stop. Take it in. Feel the peace. The calm. The safety. Be there. Those moments build up our resilience, which helps us deal with what may be happening in the rest of the world.

Take the time that you need. I wish you peace on your journey.

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