Mental Health Moment with Joe and Lori Miller

The best thing about the holidays is spending time with family. 

But sometimes being around our families bring out some old patterns and anxieties we thought we had dealt with. 

You might find yourself slipping back into some feelings you don't like when you get around family.

You can't control your family, but you can control how you react and what (and who) you'll allow to mess with you.  

Joe and Lori share some ideas for how you can set some boundaries so you can really enjoy your holiday experience.

Welcome to the new Mental Health Moment podcast! Lori is now joined by her husband, Joe Miller, who is also a licensed mental health therapist. 

On top of being mental health professionals, we've got 30 years of marriage under our belts, too! We've certainly learned a lot about each other and ourselves in the process.

We'll share some of our experiences and riff a bit on life. 

Together we'll unpack some of the ways we've observed ourselves and others overcome life's challenges.

In our very first episode, we share our thoughts on our new journey together, and talk a bit about discouragement. 

It's easy to make plans and draw lines in the sand with our intentions. But our world doesn't change until we start running. To move forward, we have to take action. I was confronted with that reality last week while waiting for a storm that, thankfully, never came to South Florida. But it gave me the time and space to reconsider my intentions - and resolve to run with intention. 

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Okay, I managed to go 87 episodes without bringing up baseball...until today! ⚾😀 I was hoping for a comeback win in today's Yankees game, but alas, it was not to be. But if they had pulled it out, it would have been because each player owned his turn at the plate. 

You can find some parallels for this in your life outside the ballpark. 

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So many songs and movies preach the virtues of believing in yourself. But what does believing in yourself look like? I think our idea of belief in what we can do has been a little hijacked by hero movies. Learn some practical ways to believe in yourself that doesn't require big life moments.

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You don't know how much you've grown until you have to step up and do something useful. Here's a little lesson about growth from two little pear trees in Tulsa, OK.

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 This time of year is full of change and transition. Everyone's coming and going, and some are starting new adventures.   

I reflected on a couple of years ago when everything changed all at one time for me.   It was the first time I was ever this intentional about managing myself through something.  

I found out that it's possible to weather change and not let it turn you upside down! 

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 We know life can just be challenging and stressful. That's part of living in today's modern world. 

You may have your stress under control now but you may need some help keeping it together. Is that serious enough for therapy?

This episode gives you a few things to look for to decide if it's time to see a therapist.

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  Why did the turtle cross the road? 🐢 😜 Like the chicken, he was trying to get to the other side. But turtles don't move nearly as fast as chickens. 🐔  

So the bigger question is, What is the turtle supposed to do when he gets stuck in the middle of the road? 

He does have some options.   Here's a little life lesson from a Florida gopher tortoise and his dilemma in the middle of a busy road.

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