Good Pain Vs. Bad Pain

I think most people with chronic pain are familiar with this concept, but maybe you haven’t articulated it. When I started doing Pilates and experimenting with different types of bodywork, like acupuncture, chiropractic work, cupping, electrical stem, gua sha, etc., I started to really clarify this point for myself and my practitioners and trainers. Good …

My New Pandemic OCD Rituals

OCD means that even when I am exhausted or in pain, sometimes I can’t help but engage in my rituals and obsessive behaviors. In these times, I can find myself washing up the dishes, and then suddenly I’m doing laundry and cleaning all the counters and the toilets and I don’t know exactly how I …

Anxiety Doesn’t Always Have a Trigger

Anxiety doesn’t always have a trigger. Sometimes it’s clear to me why I feel anxious: I am waiting on test results or about to meet with a new client. Sometimes, I find that my anxiety is triggered by alcohol or caffeine. I can often pinpoint something that’s making me anxious. I can say to myself: …

Some Things You Cannot Do Until You Are Ready

There’s a lot of discussion in the world about “if you wait until you’re ready, you’ll never do it” or “don’t wait until you’re ready, the world is at the end of your comfort zone.” For many people “ready” seems like a dirty word. It’s an excuse or a limit to what you can do, …

Despite Years of Discouragement, This is How I’m Trying to Embrace Exercise Again

Figuring out how to manage your chronic conditions is often a years-long work in process that never really ends.  My newest experiment is a continuation of my on-again, off-again relationship with exercise. Exercise has never come easy for me. I’m not naturally athletic and having back surgery twice only compounded my lack of athletic ability …