For those of you following the series, you’ve likely noticed the hashtags I use – especially #BeTheOne.

#BeTheOne is a the national initiative by The American Legion, a cause that’s very close to my heart…

In the Navy we had a saying, “A complaining sailor is a happy sailor.” While it may sound counterintuitive, there is a deeper meaning behind this concept about mental health and stress management in any environment – workplace or otherwise.

As an attorney, I often hear plaintiffs in auto accident cases describe in the moments after the crash that they were “in shock”. While some might assume that this refers simply to surprise, as attorneys, we follow up with a crucial question: “What do you mean by ‘in shock’?”

My family left me…

This week, let's dive into two powerful mindfulness techniques: #Mantras and #PositiveAffirmations. While both aim to ground us, they serve different purposes and have unique approaches to stress management.

I have a slightly different take on #Mantras than most people.

I told my family that I was going to start writing about stress and wanted to hear their thoughts. My mother told me, “Just make sure not to send us back to Prohibition.” I promised her that would not be my intent, but that I would need to talk about alcohol consumption and its complicated relationship with stress.

So how do you teach your brain what a “stressor stimulus” is and what it is not?

One way to teach your brain what is not a stressor stimulus is to use what are called “grounding techniques”.

As we take a moment after the holidays to rest and recharge, I’ll continue the introduction of this series into - What is #Stress?

Stress is a biomechanical response to internal or external stimuli causing the additional production of the hormone cortisol.