#supportgroups

I think when we name our truths on a daily basis, life and her many complications, become easier to bear. -Team SG

Happy Pride Month!!!!! -Team SG Never be ashamed of who you are, never doubt you are worthy, you are beautiful, you are courageous, you are all gifts to this world.

Parents of beautiful and wonderful #LGBTQIAkids, hug your babies, march with them, wear your rainbows proudly, be their best advocates.

We are so pleased to be #allies of the #lgbtqiacommunity, you are always welcome on our site, we love you, we support you! -Team SG ❤️ 🌈

https://gay-and-lesbian.supportgroups.com/ https://transgender.supportgroups.com/ https://coming-out.supportgroups.com/ https://bisexuality.supportgroups.com/

Dear Members,

Have you ever taken a Yoga, Pilates, or Meditation class, or really any kind of workout?  If you have, you are well familiar with the phrase, “Make sure you are breathing!”  A small sarcastic voice inside my head is like, yep, got that one covered, but really, do we?  When we suddenly find ourselves in any stressful, scary, anxious… situation it is as if we forget we have lungs at all.  Or transversely, we feel like we have bellows in our chest as they are emptying and filling at such a frantic rate.  So how do we get to that perfect balance of breathing through all the madness that takes place in our life and how do we learn to reset when things get out of hand? This week’s Life Hack is therefore about, Learning to breathe, or quite literally, TAKE A DEEP BREATH!  For a moment, if you are able while reading this, access your body, are you wearing your shoulders as earrings?  Take a moment to hunch them up, breathe and and then relax them down.  Ahhhhhh.  See you are feeling better already!  Now, take a deep breath in and let it out, again, Ahhhhhhh.   “Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.” -L. Frank Baum There is so much going on in today’s world, our focus is on our phones, our kids, emails, alerts, a million different scheduled events, school, work; jump out of bed in the morning and then fall into it in the evening.  We don’t allow for very much down time.  Time to just sit and relax is so important, not only for you, but for your kids as well.  We are teaching our children that being plugged in from dusk to dawn is normal.  That working all the time is normal.  Working hard is a wonderful example for them, but working non stop, never taking time to take care of your health and mental health is an example that needs to stop now.  

Breathing in, I calm my body.

Breathing out, I smile.

Dwelling in the present moment,

I know this is a wonderful moment.  -Thich Nhat Hanh

We see so often on the site where people are at the end of their rope, they don’t know what to do, should they stay in a marriage, should they work through infidelity, should they follow through on suicidal thoughts, should they come out, what will happen if they come out…?  We go from thought to panic over and over and over again. What if instead of going from 0-100, we stopped for a moment after a thought comes to mind and in that moment we just breathed in and out for a few seconds.We are not suggesting that this will somehow enlighten you, heal you or even reveal anything to you, but when you breathe deeply you calm the heart, your blood pressure slows, and you halt the fight or flight response. “...the rhythm and the depth of your breath directly affects the state of your mind and the health of your body. According to yoga and ayurveda, breath is a carrier of Prana, the Energy, that gives life to the body. No breath, no life and no energy!

Even if you don’t believe in energy and Prana, you still can’t live without breathing.” -Nadya Andreeva Spinach and Yoga Blog Here are a few suggestions on how you can add deep breathing, taking a moment to slow down in life and take a breath, into your daily schedule:

1. Instead of waking up and grabbing your phone, while lying down or sitting somewhere comfortable, take a moment to breathe in and out for 5 minutes or an amount of time that seems doable to you.  Set a goal for the day and if you can’t seem to make it to 5 minutes, play some peaceful music to help you relax.

2. When a situation with the kids, or your boss or your partner... gets you stressed and upset, acknowledge how you feel and breathe in and out until you calm yourself.  

3. Remind yourself that most situations, no matter how awful, are usually not permanent.  Life may seem hellacious and very well might be, but often there is an escape route.  Take time every day to breathe and use that time to search internally if there is anything left that you can work with to see your way out.  Is there another therapist to try, a new medication, a new treatment, a new view and way to reframe what is going on?

This is again, not a magic button, deep breathing, ok, check done, why the #$%^&*())*@# isn’t everything better?!  It is about setting a new mindset and pace.  

Wishing you all nothing but the best and deep breathing-

Team SG Resources:

http://www.spinachandyoga.com/5-hard-to-resist-benefits-of-breathing-deeper/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jesse-kornbluth/thich-nhat-hanh-could-you_b_162447.html

https://anxiety.supportgroups.com/

https://stress.supportgroups.com/

https://depression.supportgroups.com/

Dear Members,

We are currently on Day 7 of Hurricane Harvey.  For those affected, we are so heartbroken for the pain and loss you have been through.  For those who are just vaguely aware of what is going on, no judgment, sometimes living under a rock is a needed coping mechanism.  What has been so amazing to see is the thousands of rescuers that have descended on the Gulf Coast and the city of Houston.  Yes, some people are paid to do just that, but it doesn’t downplay their bravery and courage.  The volunteers are heroes as well, without any reason whatsoever, they have stepped into a very dangerous situation with no other goal than to help others.   It has always amazed me, and at the same time intimated me, to see someone who is completely selfless and seems to live their life close to perfect and “God” like. Recently I have come to realize that we all have our strengths and weaknesses.While some people are natural heroes and without hesitation plunge into disaster zones; I am more the behind the scenes, donate money, donate goods, makes meals, deliver chocolate and caffeine to teachers sort of person.  I am learning to be okay with that and embrace the fact that I am doing my part to aid in the distribution of smiles and caffeine!

“What day is it?" It's today," squeaked Piglet. My favorite day," said Pooh.” - A.A. Milne I think we all want so much to learn to live in the present. To live a life with no regrets and at the end of our life, if we are granted the foresight to know the end is near, to be able to look back with satisfaction on how things turned out. Great goal, but a little harder to figure out exactly; how do we live a life without regret?  How do we live in the moment?  Especially when we are constantly being pushed by ourselves, our counselors, our therapists, parents, partners, spouses, bosses...to be better, to reach further, to hit our fullest potential?   To live our best and to live in the present doesn’t mean to accept what our present is, if it isn’t the best or healthiest direction.  It means to accept that you are in this place in time, it is either where you need to be and to keep growing in this very place, or it serves as a rest stop along the way towards where you SHOULD be.   For example:

You have just gotten diagnosed with a Mental or Physical illness, the news is devastating, no one likes that look when the doctor or nurse comes in with their forehead crinkled in concern.  The diagnosis is a pause button, will you crumble up and crawl under a rock like we talked about in the beginning of this week’s Life Hack or will this be the starting point for living in the now?  Will this be the first step towards figuring out what your life will be like from this moment on and making each of those moments count? “Happiness, not in another place but this place...not for another hour, but this hour.” -Walt Whitman For those of us going through some really hard times be it flooding, medical issues, financial issues, relationship concerns, divorce, trying to figure out how to come out, etc. the important thing to realize is; in the attempt to remain present stop and think of one thing at this moment you can be grateful for.It may take more than a minute, but if possible, close your eyes, relax and just send a personal message to yourself. Some personal mantras could be:

“I am going to be okay” “Things are not looking bright, but the sun always comes out eventually.” “I am feeling like things are out of my control, but right now, that is okay.” “It is okay to not be okay right now” If all else fails, SCREAM at the top of your lungs, preferably in a closet or the car, and just get all the frustration and anger out for the moment.  Life is full of ups and downs, we can’t always anticipate what is awaiting us around each corner of life, but when we decide to live in the moment, we don’t worry as much, our anxiety doesn’t gnaw on us every moment of everyday, our OCD may improve, and our depression may lessen.  It is all about taking a moment to access what is going on with us at this very moment, deciding if we are on the right path and making adjustments as needed.   “Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.” -Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment Wishing all our members the strength and courage to face this life with the very best they have to offer.  

All the best- Team SG

https://self-esteem.supportgroups.com/

https://anxiety.supportgroups.com/

https://depression.supportgroups.com/

https://relationship.supportgroups.com/

https://stress.supportgroups.com/

Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief

https://www.redcross.org/donate/hurricane-harvey

https://texasdiaperbank.networkforgood.com/projects/33717-change-a-life

https://safoodbank.org/

http://www.houstonfoodbank.org/