#anxietymanagement

EP 36- The End of the Podcast Season & Surviving the Holidays with Mindfulness

Hello and welcome back to another episode of Mindful Living with Dr. Cecilia Lopez. This is Zy, hello and Happy Holidays!

First off, this is the final episode for the 2021 season. Dr. L is working on a project she is excited to share with you all, which is coming in 2022. However, to avoid stretching herself too thin and experiencing burn out, we believe it’s best to take some time off the podcast for the Holiday Season.

Speaking of the Holiday Season, in today’s episode, Dr. L covers how to use mindfulness when dealing with Holiday Season stressors. Practicing mindfulness can help you stay grounded if you’re feeling overwhelmed (positive or negative) from seeing family members, last minute shopping, traveling, and other unique challenges the holidays bring.

Some themes and topics discussed are the following:
– Using your breath as an anchor to the present moment
– Recognizing whether you’re externally or internally stimulated and how to manage this
– Sitting in stillness and being aware of the present moment
– Radical Acceptance vs Resistance
– Utilizing mindfulness to manage anxiety, stress, and overwhelm
– and more!

To follow and support Dr. Lopez, you can find her on:
IG: @drcecilialopez
Email: cecilia@drcecilialopez.com
Business email: contact@drcecilialopez.com

Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/join/drcecilialopez?

You can find the Mindful Living with Dr. Cecilia Lopez podcast on:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Podcast Addict

We hope this episode helps you in some way! Until next time, we are grateful to share this space with you 🙂 See you in 2022!

EP 34: Utilizing PLEASE(D) Skills to Manage Stress & Mood

Hello! Dr. L here, bringing you another episode of Mindful Living. Yessss, I am a day late. Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

On this episode I bring you the acronym, PLEASE! PLEASE was originally an acronym for skills within Dr. Marsha Linehan’s Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. I found an updated version of this acronym called PLEASED. Many scholars, psychologists and mental health professionals have since created updated versions of DBT and its tools and techniques. One such author is Lane Pederson, who wrote The Expanded Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills Training Manual (Second Edition, 2017). In this version, PLEASED (yep, a D was added) stands for the following:

P: Physical Health
L: List resources and barriers
E: Eat balanced meals
A: Avoid drugs and alcohol
S: Sleep between 7 and 10 hours
E: Exercise for 20 to 60 minutes a few days per week
D: Daily (Use PLEASED skills daily)

I provide my definition and opinions for each letter of the acronym. For the exact definitions of PLEASE from Marsha Linehan, this information is found free online, as well as many other mental health professional’s version of this acronym.

I hope this episode helps you in some way! Until next time. 🙂

IG: @drcecilialopez
Email: cecilia@drcecilialopez.com
Business email: contact@drcecilialopez.com
Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/join/drcecilialopez?

Lane Pederson, PsyD, LP, DBTC is not affiliated or associated with Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, ABPP, or her organization.

Ep 33 – Using Assertiveness Techniques to Communicate Thoughts, Emotions and Desires

Hello and welcome back to another episode of Mindful Living with Dr. Cecilia Lopez. This is Zy, hello!

For today’s episode, Dr. L covers assertiveness skills for effective communication. These skills can assist you if you need to communicate thoughts, emotions or desires to someone while remaining respectful. Assertiveness can help with setting boundaries, expressing vulnerabilities and also validating your speaking partner. These skills can be used in romantic, platonic, familial, and professional relationships, and even with strangers.

Included in these skills are the following:
– “I” Statements
– Validating Others
– The “Sandwich Technique” (one of my personal favorites)
– Being a Broken Record (on purpose)
– The importance of tone
– Tricks, tips, and sayings that Dr. L has made up over the years to help teach this communication style

We hope you learn a thing or two and find this episode helpful! I personally think assertiveness skills are invaluable and are very helpful (and I still use what I learned today).

Feel free to share this episode with someone you think may find it helpful and, if you have a minute, please leave a review on the podcast platform of your choosing (Apple, Google, Podcast Addict, Spotify).

You may also find this episode on IGTV (IG: @drcecilialopez) and can leave a comment. For business inquiries you may email me at contact@drcecilialopez.com. To work with Dr. Lopez as a therapy client (California residents) you may email her at cecilia@drcecilialopez.com.

Dr. L has a Patreon! If you’d like to donate to support us in making this Podcast and other things to come, click this link https://www.patreon.com/drcecilialopez.
We appreciate you!

Ep 32 – Using the “Pickle Jar Theory” for Time and Stress Management

Hello and welcome back to another episode of Mindful Living with Dr. Cecilia Lopez. This is Zy, hello!

For today’s episode, Dr. L gives you a quick overview of what is called the “Pickle Jar Theory”. More commonly known as Stephen Covey’s Time Management Matrix, this technique helps you with time and stress management by helping identify and prioritize different tasks. The matrix is a box divided into four quadrants, which each represents a different way your time is organized based on urgency and importance. Dr. L also teaches this by using the examples of golf balls, marbles, sand, and water.
The four quadrants are:

1. [Golf Balls] Urgent and Important (to me)
2. [Marbles] Not Urgent yet Important
3. [Sand] Urgent but Not Important (to me)
4. [Water] Not Urgent and Not Important

We hope you learn a thing or two and find this episode helpful! I know when I was working with her and she gave a lesson on this, I found it very useful.

Please share this episode with someone you think may need it and, if you found this episode helpful, leave a review on the podcast platform of your choosing (Apple, Google, Podcast Addict, Spotify).

You may also find this episode on IGTV (IG: @drcecilialopez) and can leave a comment. For business inquiries you may email me at contact@drcecilialopez.com. To work with Dr. Lopez as a therapy client (California residents) you may email her at cecilia@drcecilialopez.com.

Dr. L has a Patreon! If you’d like to donate to support us in making this Podcast and other things to come, click this link https://www.patreon.com/drcecilialopez. We appreciate you!
for more info on the matrix theory:

https://wwwp.oakland.edu/Assets/upload/docs/Instructor-Handbook/The-Pickle-Jar-Theory.pdf

https://facilethings.com/blog/en/time-management-matrix

EP 31- A Tip Called TIP: Grounding The Body During Anxiety or Anger

Hello! This is a short and sweet episode which provides a popular Dialectical Behavioral Therapy tool called TIP!

TIP is a great way to ground the body when you feel overwhelmed, especially with anxiety or anger. This technique helps calm various parts of the body which may be activated during a fight-or-flight response, such as reducing muscle tension and burning energy brought on by adrenaline. TIP stands for the following:

T: Tip the temperature
I: Intense exercise
P: Paired progressive muscle relaxation

I hope you enjoy this quick explanation of the technique and you find it useful! Also, please share this episode with someone you think may need it and, if you found this episode helpful, leave a review!

You can find us on Apple or Google Podcasts, Spotify and Podcast Addict! Enjoy!

Ep 30 – Practicing What I Preach: A “Story Time” Episode On Using Coping Tools During Adversity

Hello! In this episode I provide a good ol’ fashion STORY TIME. What makes this story special is that I discuss “practicing what I preach.” I often have the privilege of teaching and practicing the tools and concepts I discuss on the podcast with my clients, but this last weekend OOOOHHH BOY did I have to practice almost everything I teach/practice with my clients, on myself. We were hit hard by a storm in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and between interacting with an intense version of Mother Nature while also experiencing two very odd medical issues, my Sunday was not going well. I give examples of the tools I practiced and review topics from past episodes, including:

-Riding waves

-Bringing yourself into a state of conscious awareness, and practicing mindfulness

-Belly breathing and other breathing techniques (especially to prevent panic attacks)

-Utilizing natural supports

-Radical acceptance and surrender

-Sitting in stillness

-Reframing thoughts (with emphasis on the theme of gratitude)

-Tapping into the “I can handle anything in the moment” attitude

I often say, “You’re human, not a robot,” and I had to remind myself of this often on Sunday, as well as Monday, Tuesday…lol, actually, everyday. I hope sharing my story helps you in some way, whether that be reminding you of tools to use, or simply giving yourself permission to have a bad day.

Thank you so much for sharing this space with Zy and I. If you enjoyed this episode please give the show a review on Apple or Google Podcasts, or Spotify. You may also find this episode on Podcast Addict or my IGTV (IG: @drcecilialopez). For business inquiries you may email Zy, and her email is contact@drcecilialopez.com. To work with me as a therapy client (California residents) you may email me at cecilia@drcecilialopez.com.

If you’re enjoying this podcast and you’d like to share your support, please considering joining my Patreon and becoming a member! By joining you help Zy and I pump out episodes and manage the behind the scenes of this show. We appreciate you SO MUCH.

patreon.com/drcecilialopez

EP 28- Answering Listener’s Questions: When Other People Trigger Us & Managing Panic Attacks

On this episode Dr. L answers questions presented to her by her listeners. She discusses her insight and tips on what to do if a person hurts us and we are left feeling anxious or angry, touching on subjects of riding waves, mindfulness, thought reframing and radical acceptance. She then discusses managing panic attacks, providing breathing tips and a mindset of celebrating your wins. She is joined with her friend, assistant and coordinator, Zy.

If you aren’t already following Dr. L you can @drcecilialopez on instagram. Also please subscribe to this podcast so you may be alerted of new episodes, share it with others, and/or leave a review. Lastly, for guest bookings or business inquiries you may contact Zy, at contact@drcecilialopez.com, and if you would like therapy services with Dr. L, you may email her at cecilia@drcecilailopez.com. Thank you! Don’t forget, Dr. L and Zy are both so grateful to share this space with you.

You can find the Mindful Living with Dr. Cecilia Lopez podcast on:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Podcast Addict
Enjoy!

EP 26-Two Weeks of No Speaking: Utilizing Mindfulness, Grounding & Attitude During Adversity

Hello and welcome back to another episode of mindful living with Dr. Cecilia Lopez.

On this episode Dr. L discusses her experience with getting not-so-great medical news and going on two weeks of vocal rest. Luckily, she is now OK, but she emphasizes her experience of noticing the mind as it went to the future while resisting the past. She discusses and provides examples of using mindfulness, grounding, acceptance, and the “I can handle anything in the moment” attitude to help her rest easy in the “land of the unknown” versus float away with anxiety. These examples may assist you if you are, have, or ever will face adversity that is outside of your control. Enjoy the episode!

Hello, this is Zy! If you aren’t already following Dr. L you can @drcecilialopez on instagram. Also Feel free to subscribe to this podcast so you may be alerted of new episodes, share it with others, and/or leave a review. Lastly, For guest bookings or business inquiries you may contact me, Zy, at contact@drcecilialopez.com, and if you would like therapy services with Cecilia starting October, you may contact Cecilia, and her email is cecilia@drcecilailopez.com. Thank you! Don’t forget, Dr. L and Zy are both so grateful to share this space with you.

You can find me on:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Podcast Addict

EP 25- Prioritizing the Self Through Assertiveness, Self-Care, and Grounding w/ Gilza Fort-Martinez, LMFT

Hi! The episode today was taken from a live Dr. L did with a licensed therapist named Gilza Fort-Martinez, LMFT. Gilza is known as the “tough love healer,” and she assists women with rebuilding themselves after betrayal. She also specializes in life transitions and relationships. In this episode, Dr. L and Gilza discuss what it means to prioritize the Self and avoid Self-betrayal. They discuss assertiveness, boundaries, prioritizing the Self in relationships, and how the use of grounding and CBT can assist with putting yourself first.

On this episode you will also meet Dr. L’s friend, assistant, liaison, coordinator and podcast producer Zyanya Santana (AKA Zy) and learn how they met and what brought them together as friends and colleagues.
Enjoy the episode! And, if you would like to follow or get in touch with Gilza, her instagram handle is @toughlovehealer, and her website is gilzafort.com. And if you aren’t already following Dr. L you can @drcecilialopez on both tik tok and instagram. Also Please subscribe to this podcast so you may be alerted of new episodes, share it this episode or the podcast, and leave a review. Lastly, For guest bookings or business questions you may contact me, Zy, at contact@drcecilialopez.com, and if you would like therapy services with Cecilia starting October, you may contact Cecilia, and her email is cecilia@drcecilailopez.com. And don’t forget, Dr. L and Zy are both so grateful to share this space with you.

EP 24- You Can Handle Anything In The Moment: Challenging Worries Of The Future & Having Faith In Yourself

Hi! On this episode I discuss the power of believing you can handle stressors in the moment. This episode reviews the following points:

1) You can’t tell the future, and this is a luxury.

2) Being mindful of putting out fires that don’t exist.

3) Having faith that you can handle anything in the moment.

4) Challenge your thoughts (including questions to ask yourself in order to do so).

5) Noticing yourself creating imaginative worries of the future non judgmentally, and bringing yourself back to the present moment.

I will provide another episode with more details on challenging thoughts this month. I hope you found this helpful and I would love if you shared this episode, whether you’re listening on apple podcasts, Spotify or IGTV. If you’r not already following me on tip Tok or IG, my handle is @drcecilialopez on both. You can email me at cecilia@drcecilialopez.com if you’d like to inquire on therapy, and for business inquiries you can email my coordinator Zy, and her email is contact@drcecilialopez.com.

EP 23-The Impact of What You Consume Via Sight & Sound (Mindset, Mood, Energy)

Hi! On this episode I breaks down how impactful what we consume can be on our mindset, mood and overall energy. Often when we hear someone discuss “what we consume,” we might think of what we eat, but I’m not just talking about nutrition from food. Im talking about what we consume through our other senses, like what we hear and see, which can include who we spend time with, what we watch through screens and what we hear through speakers and our headphones. In this episode I go over the following points:

1) Asking yourself if what you’re consuming makes you feel good from the get go?

2) Checking in with your body while consuming…once you feel low, gross, drained, uneasy, off, or the themes of your thoughts take a turn to the land of stress, you may have overindulged. Know when to switch what you consume or take a break from consuming at all.

3) It’s ok to consume things that are a little, ya know, haha, questionable. Such as me and my death metal and violent martial arts movies…but just like you’d have balance with junk food, have balance with that.

4) Know when something is out of alignment with you from the get go. Pay attention to your body the first few seconds to minutes while you go down this rabbit hole of instagram posts. Pay attention to your muscles, your jaw, your forehead, your stomach. Did they tighten up? Pay attention to your inner dialogue. Did the theme of how you think shift? Pay attention to your mood and energy? Did it just shift to low or anxious? If so, get out of there.

My name is Dr. Cecilia Lopez and I hope these tips and insights helped you. Please share this episode with someone you think would be interested, and if you’re not already following me please do so you can stay up to date with live events, workshops, therapy openings and more podcast episodes. My handles are @drcecilialopez on tik Tok and IG. I appreciate you so so much for listening.

EP 22- *Bonus Episode* A Quick Guide To Riding A Craving Or Emotion Wave

Hi! This is a quick guided meditation for riding a crave or emotion wave. What does that mean? If you feel discomfort caused by stress, emotions or a craving and it feels overwhelming or you find yourself using energy to distract from it, then listen to this. It can be hard to sit and actually feel the discomfort of a craving or emotion, but having a guide may help. This 5 minute guide runs you through the tools to actually feel the discomfort. It takes much more energy to avoid/distract from “feeling our feels,” but actually feeling them isn’t very fun either, which is why this quick guide is presented to you, now.

Here is what we do in this short meditation:

-Mindful feeling
-Exercising controlled attention
-Belly breathing
-Mindful listening
-Mindful observation
-Mindful tasting
-Mindful smelling
-Active body relaxation and grounding

Repeat this short meditation as many times as you need. If you found this helpful please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and say hello on IG! 🙂 @drcecilialopez

EP 21- Managing Assumptions & Difficult Emotions: Using The Motto “Guess Less, Ask More, Wait & See”

Hello! On this episode Dr. L discusses her motto, “Guess less, ask more, wait and see.”

She discusses the following:

-The power of investigating and exploring to combat assumptions which cause anxiety, depression, anger, and any uncomfortable emotion in between.

-Being mindful of “filling in the gaps of the unknown” through future thinking, and how to keep your imagination in check (if it causes you anxiety or other uncomfortable emotions).

-Examples of exploring/asking questions to combat worrisome thoughts of the past, and waiting and see how things unfold to combat worrisome thoughts of the future.

If you enjoyed this episode please let Dr. L know in the comment section of her IGTV (where you can find this latest episode) on Instagram and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Don’t forget to give her a follow on IG and Tik Tok @drcecilialopez for more content on mental health and wellness. She is also accepting new therapy clients (California residents) and to inquire further you may email her at cecilia@drcecilialopez.com. For all other business inquiries please send an email to contact@drcecilialopez.com.

EP 20- When Fears Block Your Goals: Language, Choice, Mindfulness, Grounding

Hello! On this episode Dr. L discusses how mindset (thoughts, beliefs and self-talk) cause fears which may be hindering you from reaching your goals.

Dr. L discusses the power of language and choice, and how to use mindfulness and grounding to move through fears so you can build the life that you desire.

Information in this episode (3 Thinking Options) is from Dr. Cecilia Lopez’s TAKING CHARGE (G3R) PROGRAM ©

EP 19- Riding the Wave of Cravings and Uncomfortable Emotions

Hi! This episode focuses on riding the “waves” of cravings and uncomfortable emotions (which include uncomfortable feelings and body responses). In my clinical opinion, it is better to feel your emotions and feelings rather than stuffing them down OR acting them out impulsively. But how exactly do we do that? How can I feel my emotions without feeling like I’m losing it?

This episode covers how to feel discomfort in a way that is grounded and present. This can help with managing impulses as well as managing stress put on the body by “stuffing” our feelings down.

Head over to my IG to leave a comment under the IGTV video of this episode! You may also communicate with me via DM on IG or message me on Tik Tok (@drcecilialopez for both). I look forward to hearing from you!

-Dr. L

Ep 10- The Power of Self-Care, Featuring Erika Cadenas, LMFT

Hi! In this episode I had the privilege of interviewing my dear friend, Erika Cadenas, licensed marriage and family therapist. She brings us 7 self-care tips to help us boost and maintain a balanced mind, body and soul as we continue to navigate through these difficult times during the pandemic. This episode covers the following:

-Creating structure and a routine
-Getting plenty of sleep
-Staying connected to sources of support
-Disengaging from social media
-Practicing positive affirmations
-Practicing mindfulness
-Practicing empathy and kindness with self

Erika Cadenas can be reached via erikacadenaslmft.com and through IG @erikacadenaslmft. Please feel free to reach out to her or myself with any questions. And we are both accepting new therapy clients! 🙂

EP 9- A Perspective on Imposter Syndrome

In this episode I discuss the following:

-A brief description on what Imposter Syndrome is

-My perspective on this syndrome from a cognitive behavioral and schema therapy framework

-Educational information on ways to move THROUGH the thoughts and feelings associated with imposter syndrome

-How to “build the faith” in your capabilities, competencies, skills and overall worth

For anyone who listens to this, know that I appreciate you SO much.

Dr. L

EP 7- A Guide to Moving Fear Energy

If you struggle with feeling fearful, anxious or nervous, this episode is for you. This is a short, to-the-point guide on how to ground yourself, shift your mind and what to do with the uncomfortable energy fear creates. More specifically, this episode covers the following:
⁣⁣
-My clinical/professional perspective on what FEAR is ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
-How fear becomes ANXIETY ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
-How to quickly ground yourself and gently move to a “REST” state ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
-How to reframe the thoughts which fuel FEAR ENERGY

-How to burn and MOVE fear energy
⁣⁣
Let me know what you found helpful from the episode on my IG or FB @drcecilialopez, and please share!

EP 6- Stress vs. Anxiety

This episode covers the following:

-The difference between stress and anxiety

-Controlling responses to stressors with mindfulness

-Controlling responses to stressors with thought reframing

-Examples of acceptance versus thought reframing and why these are helpful

*Bonus Episode* A Guided Paired Progressive Muscle Relaxation

This is a bonus episode that is unlike my other episodes, in that I am not providing much info on a topic, and instead I am guiding you through a paired progressive muscle relaxation.

To skip the intro, fast forward to 5:25.

You may do this exercise when feeling anxious, panicked, angry, irritable, agitated, overwhelmed, stressed, tense, or are struggling with an overactive mind or falling asleep

This exercise focuses on reducing cortisol (our stress hormone) and activating the parasympathetic system (our “rest and digest” state).

Enjoy!

Grounding Your Body In A Crisis

What exactly is a crisis?

According to the awesome Dr. Marsha Linehan, creator of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), a crisis is considered a highly stressful, short-term (meaning it isn’t going to last forever) situation that causes a sense of pressure to resolve the crisis immediately. A crisis situation is subjective, as not everyone views every situation the same. For example, giving a presentation in front of your boss and the team while you’re also afraid of public speaking may seem like a crisis to one person, but not another. Realizing you can’t pay your rent this month may seem like a crisis to one person, but not another. You get my point. During a crisis, we can use distress tolerance tools when we feel intense emotional discomfort (anxiety, panic, anger) which also can lead to discomfort in the body (e.g. rapid heartbeat, hyperventilating, dizziness, tunnel vision). We should especially use tools when we feel like this and still need to GET. STUFF. DONE (e.g. take your kids to school, work, attend class). Dr. Marsha Linehan calls tools to help these types of situations “Crisis Survival Skills.” One acronym she created is TIP, which stands for Tip the Temperature, Intense Exercise, Paced Breathing and Paired Muscle relaxation.

One way to sort of “shock your system” out of a fight-flight response is to use cold water with the Tip the Temperature technique. It is suggested to hold your breath and dunk your face in a bowl of cold water, but I also think putting hands or feet in cold water or taking a cold shower is effective. From my knowledge, I know that shocking yourself with cold water immediately stops whatever thought process you’re having that is contributing to interpreting your situation as a crisis (how very CBT of me lol), which can help slow down or stop the fight-flight response. It also increases alertness and helps you focus if you’re starting to panic or experience intense emotions to the point of feeling overwhelmed.

In regard to Intense Exercise, when we are in a fight-flight response (experiencing anxiety, panic, and even anger) we need to do something with all those chemicals our body is releasing to keep us safe from danger (our body is trying to do us a favor, but little does it know that giving a presentation is not an immediate life-or-death situation). Use that energy to avoid that shaky, dizzy, lightheaded feeling we can get when feeling overwhelmed. Go for a brisk walk, do pushups, jumping jacks, jog, shake about like a little kid who has heard music for the first time. Sometimes I stand on my tippy toes and pulse over and over as a way to burn off excess adrenaline. Try it. 😉

With Paced Breathing, in a nutshell you need to breathe DEEP, SLOW, FULLY, and WITH YOUR BELLY. Push your belly out as you inhale and keep going (slowly) until your lungs fill up fully, then exhale (slowly) with your mouth the size of a Cheerio until all the air is gone, and repeat. A trick is to breathe in 4 seconds every round, and breathe out longer than you breathe in (so breathing out 5, 6 or 7 seconds, every round). You will notice I state this breathing method A LOT in my posts. It activates your parasympathetic system which is key to calming down in a crisis situation.

Regarding the Paired Muscle Relaxation, the DBT technique indicates you tense your body muscles while breathing IN with your belly, and releasing your muscles as you exhale. If you want a different method of relaxing muscles, I suggest actually clenching various parts of your body (feet, calves, gluteus [yep, your butt], stomach, back, raise your shoulders up toward your ears, make fists with your hands, and scrunch of your face TIGHT), and hold for 15 seconds, then release. Aaaaahhhh…feels good.

I obviously added my own spin on some of these as this is all a collaborative effort. I want you all to have as much control over yourself as possible, and when faced with a crisis it is imperative to ground your body so you can GET. STUFF. DONE.

You are all amazing. Don’t forget.

Love,

Dr. L