As spiritual exercises like meditation and yoga rise in popularity, the concept of mantras has become more familiar. A mantra is a phrase you use in meditation to help you focus and create an intent that will be a positive driving force in your life. As you repeat the mantra during meditation, either out loud or in quiet thought, you’re planting a seed in your mind that will grow as you continue to nurture it through consistent meditation practices. Mantras can be very powerful tools used to help you gain confidence and calm anxieties in all areas of your life.

For many women, the workplace continues to be a stressful, complicated arena. Women continue to face discrimination and gender bias, struggling to get ahead while maintaining a pay gap of 24 cents on the dollar compared to men. Pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment, and many other issues plague the working woman on a daily basis. While you may be unable to change your workplace, you can change how you perceive and react to challenging circumstances.

This is where you can use mantras to ignite your personal power, and give yourself confidence and peace of mind at work. You can use the mantras in this article, tailor them to suit you personally, or create ones of your own. Use the mantras during meditation in the morning before work.

First, find a quiet place to sit with your arms resting at your side, your palms face up on your lap; make sure you don’t lie down. Give yourself 10 to 15 minutes to meditate. If you’re very busy or pressed for time, even five minutes is sufficient. If you’re unfamiliar with how to meditate, there are apps you can download for your smartphone or tablet to help guide you through different meditations; just search for “meditation” in the App Store. You can also search YouTube for “meditations” and try the guided meditations available there for free.

Here are examples of mantras you can use to help you feel empowered in the workplace:

• I am strong, I am intelligent, I am capable.
• I am worthy.
• Taking care of myself is my top priority.
• I am capable of achieving anything I set my mind to.
• I am focused on doing my best.

It’s important to recognize that our internal dialogue must always be under control. Negative thoughts about others, our situation, or ourselves can make a bad situation much worse. By using mantras to enforce positive thoughts, you can maintain a positive attitude at work in the face of adversity, and keep negative self-talk at bay.

 

Are you struggling in the workplace, and in need of support and guidance to help you advance in your career? We can help. Call our office today to set up an appointment with one of our specially trained staff.

We are born knowing that we are infinitely lovable. Babies and toddlers demand love and attention. They ask to be held, they ask for toys and presents and they feel they deserve them. When we’re very young, we simply somehow just “know” that we are amazing and deserve nothing but goodness.

But then something happens…

We get programmed by kids at school and various media outlets. We hit puberty and our hormones kick in and suddenly instead of being awesome and lovable, we believe we aren’t good enough, smart enough, or good looking enough.

The good news is, you can fall in love with yourself all over again, and here are some ideas to get you started:

Make Time for Yourself

Little kids spend a lot of alone time playing. And during this alone time, they are really connected to their inner world. The “us” in this inner world is the real us, not the us in the business suit or rush-hour traffic or grocery store line. Spend quality time just with you so you can reconnect to the “you” you’ve forgotten.

Say “No” More Often

When we constantly put others’ needs before our own, we tell our subconscious mind over and over that we do not matter. If you are a people pleaser, get into the habit of saying no to others and yes to yourself more often.

Do What You Love

Maybe when you were young you wanted to be a painter or singer or photographer, but an adult “talked some sense into you.” Well there is no reason you can’t explore these passions as a hobby now. Doing what you love is one of the best ways to love yourself more.

Speak Your Truth

When you constantly tell other people what they want to hear instead of telling the truth, you silence yourself. This, in turn, kicks your self-worth to the curb.

Don’t be afraid to always be authentic and truthful. Sure, you’ll sometimes have to find graceful and tactful ways to share your truth with others, but it’s the best way to love yourself.

Get Help

When our self-worth is low or non-existent, attempting to love ourselves can feel impossible. If you suffer from self-esteem issues, speaking with a therapist can help you recognize where these issues came from and how to work through them to truly love yourself.

If you’d like to explore treatment options, please be in touch. I would be more than happy to discuss how I may be able to help you get your spark back.

People from all cultures, backgrounds, and religious beliefs can suffer under the weight of mental health issues. Traditionally, therapists kept religion out of their office, focusing instead on their client’s mental well-being. But, since spirituality can play such a significant role in a person’s overall health, more and more mental health professionals are now beginning to incorporate the person’s religious and spiritual beliefs into their treatment plan.

For many Christians, Muslims and Jews, God is the central part of understanding themselves and their core values. God is the highest priority and the highest solution to any problems they may face. Instead of finding religion as an antithesis to the discipline of psychology, many therapists are now realizing that religion can and should form a large part of the solutions to underlying mental health issues of their clients.

The Primary Agent of Change in Therapy

Typically, the client is considered to be the primary agent of change in therapy. Muslims believe that human beings are instructed to internally strive (jihad) and make all efforts to beneficial change. However, they also believe that it is the will of God that ultimately decides whether or not that change materializes.

I and other therapists that help Muslim clients always strike the balance of guiding them on their personal journeys toward health and well-being, empowering them to identify behavioral patterns and make necessary changes, all while including God’s divine plan into our treatment plan.

My Commitment to My Muslim Clients

I make the following commitments to all of my Muslim clients:

I Recognize Your Diversity

I recognize the rich diversity in the Muslim-American community.

I Never Avoid Religion

I invite my Muslim clients to engage in religious conversation and to share with me any religious coping methods they currently use, such as praying, reading the Koran, etc.

I Respect Your Personal Journey

As with all my clients, I never take a one-size-fits-all approach to your treatment plan. I respect that your mental health journey is unique to you, your background, culture, and religious influences.

If you or someone you love has been curious about exploring treatment options but was not comfortable with the idea because of your religious beliefs, please reach out to me. I’d be more than happy to discuss how I might help.

 

SOURCES:

• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-therapy/201109/the-varieties-religious-therapy-islam
• https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/09/treating-muslims
• https://www.apa.org/monitor/oct06/reaching

July is BIPOC mental health month. The event was established in 2008 as the Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in an effort to create awareness of the unique struggles faced by underrepresented groups in the United States. Campbell was an author, teacher, and mental health advocate with a mission to shine a light on the mental health issues of minority communities.

BIPOC mental health month seeks to continue the visionary work of Campbell by developing public education campaigns that bring awareness to as many people as possible while also addressing the needs of BIPOC.

Traditional Roadblocks Keeping BIPOC from Receiving Treatment

According to the Mental Health America organization, over 15 million BIPOC have reported they struggle with mental health issues. Unfortunately, many of these people face roadblocks to seeking the treatment they so desperately need.

A Stigma

Far too often people in the BIPOC community refuse to seek help for their mental health issues because they belong to a culture that has a social stigma surrounding therapy. For instance, in some BIPOC communities, admitting you need help means you are “crazy” or “weak.”

Lack of Access

Often, people within the BIPOC community do not speak English. If these people live in smaller, rural communities in the United States, they may not have access to clinicians who speak a foreign language. In addition, according to the American Psychological Association, 86% of psychologists in the United States are White. With so few BIPOC people becoming therapists themselves, it can then be hard for others within their community to find a therapist who understands their culture and specific challenges.

Lack of Resources

Individuals within the BIPOC community often face a lack of resources to even begin learning about mental health and the specific issues they may be facing. One such resource is the National Alliance of Mental Illness. If you are a member of the BIPOC community, please share this resource with others.

If you or someone you know is a part of the BIPOC community and suffering from depression, anxiety, PTSD, or any other mental health disorder and would like to explore treatment options, please reach out to me.

RESOURCES:

• https://themighty.com/2020/07/bipoc-mental-health-month-things-to-know/
• https://mhanational.org/BIPOC-mental-health-month
• https://www.neomed.edu/ccoe/mental-health-resources/bipoc/