The Mental Emotional Health Blog

There is so much value in getting regular, restful sleep. Sleep feels good. It’s healthy and necessary.  Just because we promote healthy sleep habits for children doesn’t mean we should neglect it ourselves. If you’re having trouble sleeping, ask for advice. Then try things out until you create a comfortable sleeping environment, and protect that sacred sleep time as well as you can.

I’ll work on a follow-up to this at some point that deals specifically with insomnia. I’m off to bed now.

I am a big fan of the Dune books by Frank Herbert. One of the more memorable quotes from several places in the books is “The Litany Against Fear”. I think it’s cool so here it is:

I must not fear.

Fear is the mind-killer.

Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

I will face my fear.

I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.

Only I will remain.

- Frank Herbert

Fear is an interesting emotion (now you can really tell I’m a therapist because normal people generally wouldn’t say such a thing). I have two resources for you today concerning fear.

• One is a website article: http://www.kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=familydoctor&lic=44&cat_id=20123&article_set=21060&ps=204
• The other is an excellent book by Gavin de Becker, The Gift of Fear 

I don’t have much else to say lately, as things have been busy for me. I’ll try to get my posts out more frequently pretty soon.  Thanks everyone! 

I was at a Perkins restaurant over the weekend, enjoying a slice of French Silk Pie. Then I found myself annoyed at two people that had just arrived and were a few tables over from where I was sitting. They weren’t loud or verbally obnoxious. But they were standing at their table for the entire 10-15 minutes or so before their food arrived. I honestly don’t know why it bothered me. I just kept thinking “Would you please sit down?!”

So being the therapist I am, I started exploring why it bothered me. I reviewed recent days briefly, and the overall situation of my family, my job, and my life. After processing all that, I have concluded that the two people just annoyed me and it wasn’t me displacing my own stuff onto them.

I wonder if they always stand around at restaurants. At least it didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the French Silk Pie.

Experiences and relationships shape who you are, but who you are is more important than anything you face.