Negative Nelly. Eeore. Danny Downer. We’ve all been that person before. Faced with a challenge, change or, sometimes, just a glum Wednesday, we find ourselves tumbling down a rabbit hole of negative or distorted thought patterns. Unchallenged, over time, those thought patterns can become habit. Telling yourself (or someone else) to snap out of itContinue reading “How to Disrupt Negative Thoughts”
Author Archives: Renee Branson
Beyond the Label of Mental Illness
This week is Mental Illness Awareness Week. Too often, the phrase mental illness conjures up the most stereotyped caricatures. The realities are much different. One in five adults will experience a mental illness each year. One in 25 adults will experience a serious mental illness each year. Knowing this, how do we embrace the labelsContinue reading “Beyond the Label of Mental Illness”
Owning Your Story Is Not Owing Your Story
“Owning your story.” It is a phrase often repeated by life coaches, consultants, and therapists like myself. It is a fundamental ingredient of what it takes to live an authentic life. But what does it really mean? What is our “story?” We each have a running list of things that we believe, understand, have hadContinue reading “Owning Your Story Is Not Owing Your Story”
Setting Your Intentions and Giving Yourself Permission
I start my workshops the same way nearly every time. I ask participants to write their intention for the day on a sticky note. It can be anything. Often they are related to the topic of the workshop (resilience), but sometimes it is just about how they want to be that day. Intentions that IContinue reading “Setting Your Intentions and Giving Yourself Permission”
Letting Go of Our Judgmental Narratives
I took a walk this morning. That seems very unremarkable, I know. It wasn’t a heart pounding run or even a hike through beautiful vistas. Nope. It was just a long, ambling walk around my neighborhood. I have been taking these walks almost daily for most of the summer and for me, that is remarkable.Continue reading “Letting Go of Our Judgmental Narratives”
Let’s Call a “Time-Out” on Sports Analogies; It’s Bad for Well-Being (and Isn’t Great for Business, Either)
Is there any more common metaphor in business than sports? Everything from team dynamics to business development, from leadership qualities to success metrics, there has been a sports analogy trotted out and attached to it. While I am a big sports fan (I am a born and bred Ohio State Buckeye, after all), I amContinue reading “Let’s Call a “Time-Out” on Sports Analogies; It’s Bad for Well-Being (and Isn’t Great for Business, Either)”
Smart Law Firm Leaders Know WELL-Being Means ALL Beings
One of the most harmful experiences to our mental well-being is isolation and loneliness. This is not to be confused with peaceful solitude or introversion (gaining energy from that peaceful solitude). Those are healthy and necessary forms of alone-ness. We can be alone and still experience connection and belonging with those who aren’t currently sittingContinue reading “Smart Law Firm Leaders Know WELL-Being Means ALL Beings”
Lessons to be Learned from the Resistance to Resilience
Recently, while attending a legal conference, I struck up a conversation with a gentleman I’ll call John. It began like most social networking event conversations, but quickly took a turn I wasn’t expecting. While it was off-putting (for reasons you will soon see), it held important insight into the resistance to the progress the legalContinue reading “Lessons to be Learned from the Resistance to Resilience”
A Guide to the ABA’s Well-Being Pledge
The American Bar Association’s Working Group to Advance Well-Being in the Legal Profession has created a campaign to promote well-being and mental health. The primary vehicle of this campaign is the ABA Well-Being Pledge. Below is guidance on implementing these seven areas of focus and action found in the pledge. 1. Provide Enhanced and RobustContinue reading “A Guide to the ABA’s Well-Being Pledge”
The Role of Colleagues in Suicide Prevention
Knowing, or even suspecting, that a colleague is contemplating suicide is frightening. It is common to feel unsure about what to do if the situation were to arise. Concerns about overstepping bounds with a colleague, making matters worse, or being wrong entirely cause people to hesitate. The positive news is that people can play aContinue reading “The Role of Colleagues in Suicide Prevention”
Renee Branson 