https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw These journal entries reflect my thoughts and feelings about the different material we went through this semester. en-us 2023-01-11 18:58:31 UTC 2023-04-05 11:54:07 UTC hello@padlet.com nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2441353530 "<sub>The best way to make a difference in the world is to start by making a difference in your own life" 
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus</sub>

_{As someone who loves to read and write, I like to express myself using my words, but I also like to use quotes as I feel that they are a great representation of what I am trying to get across. The quote that I had written out by Julia Louis-Dreyfus properly ties into what I will be writing about on the therapeutic alliance. I wanted to speak on the therapeutic alliance because when we discussed it in class, I was looking back on all of the times when I would speak to certain teachers. They would be supportive and care for me while trying to help me achieve my goals, and that made me want to speak with them and helped me be more successful with the tasks that I was doing. I think that it is so important to have a healthy client-to-counselor relationship because that is the only way for the sessions to be successful and have meaning. Having the client choose where they want to begin and giving them the freedom to start their story where they want while supporting them by listening and guiding them is such an important task to have a successful therapeutic alliance.}

^{The quote by Julia Louis-Dreyfus is important because when we are thinking about a client and therapist relationship, it needs to be one where the client feels they are able to express their needs and wants without feeling like they are a burden, or that they do not feel comfortable. Making a difference in the client's life is not only important, but it is essential because the client is at that session because they are looking for support and guidance, and they are looking to that therapist to help them do so. I think this quote relates to a therapeutic alliance between a client and a therapist because I know how hard it can be for a person to come forward and ask for help and be in a therapy session. Just a client making that decision to even come to a session is a start for them by making that decision to help change their life in a positive way. So, it is important that a therapeutic alliance is shown because showing that you care by validating the client's feelings and allowing them to take charge and guide the conversation in the way they feel most comfortable makes the client feel safe and shows them that they can trust you and are able to open up more. The therapeutic alliance topic stood out to me because I can relate to not being heard or accepted, and it makes you not want to express your feelings anymore. I think that it is very important to have a therapeutic alliance with a therapist or counselor because those are the people we put our trust in.} 

]]> 2023-01-11 19:31:17 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2441353530 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2441354063 <sup>“We don’t always have control over where life brings us but we can control how we choose to respond to new circumstances.”
- L. Lionel Kendrick</sup>

<sup>Mindset is very important to me. I always try to see the best in every situation and even if it is not something that I planned for, I know that everything happens for a reason and that whatever happens is what is meant to happen. In our very first class, we discussed what is known as cognitive reconstructing, which is the meanings that we assign to a certain situation that affects how we feel and act, and it is not a reflection on the situation itself. With cognitive reconstructing, we cannot change the situation that happens, we can only change how we feel about the situation and how we choose to respond to it. I really loved the examples that were shown about a friend canceling plans last minute without a reason, and the other friend getting sad, angry, or worried because those are all thoughts that I have had before, and it was easy to relate to. Looking at it now, I know that I was not able to control that situation, but I was able to control how I was feeling, and if I had a positive attitude toward the situation, I would not have suffered thinking I was the issue, and I could have coped with it better. 

The quote that I had added by L. Lionel Kendrick was a great representation of how I feel now, and I felt that it clearly portrayed the importance of cognitive reconstructing and my mindset about life as well. We cannot control what comes our way and what types of situations are going to happen. What we can control is how we react to those situations and how we choose to respond. The questions I always ask myself when I am in these situations are "why do I feel this way?" or "why am I upset?" I ask myself these questions because I know that I had no control over the situation, but I still feel all of these negative emotions when I know that I was unable to control it. What I realized is that it is ok to feel sad, worried, or anxious, but we cannot let that be a roadblock in our way. I also realized that once we start asking ourselves these questions on why we are feeling a certain way and we become aware of these feelings, then that is when we are able to change our mindset and how we can use cognitive reconstructing to reorient our thoughts so we can properly cope with these situations.</sup>

]]> 2023-01-11 19:31:41 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2441354063 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2441419646 <sup>In week 2, we learned about our thoughts and how they automatically conjure up negative ideas and ideologies about a situation. What really stuck with me during the lecture this week, was the statement "It is not the situation that determines the outcome, it’s the automatic thoughts that come from a situation that determines the outcome." I wholeheartedly believe and really relate to this statement a lot because once I realized that I am able to control my thoughts, which can control my attitude, perspective, and outlook, I felt more at ease and less stressed out about the situation. I know that everything happens for a reason. Whether what happens is good or bad, we cannot control what happens in that situation. We can only control how we feel about it and the actions we are going to take regarding the situation. Why should we dwell or be upset over a situation when it already happened and we cannot change the outcome? I have learned to change my perspective and not judge or critique myself because that will only make me feel worse about what happened. This brings me to my next topic which is about cognitive distortions and automatic thoughts, which is also a topic that stuck with me this week. 

The photo above represents the unhelpful thinking styles that we all have when certain situations occur. At the beginning of class, we went through 12 unhelpful thinking styles. I am guilty of having done most of those thinking styles, and I wanted to touch on this topic because I found I find it very interesting. Two of the distortions that I can relate to the most are "Personalization" and "Disqualifying or discounting the positive." For example, if I walk by someone I know and they don't say "hi" to me, I would automatically personalize that and believe that they did not say "hi" because they don't like me. My second thought would be that maybe they didn't see or recognize me. My mind would automatically go to the thought of them not liking me, and I know that it is not true, but it is always the first thought that is on my mind. Another example would be that I tend to disregard my positive achievements sometimes. This can also relate to any compliments I may receive as well. I am guilty of telling myself that I could do better and not that I did the best that I can. When it comes to compliments, I tend to disregard the compliment and try to justify how it's not true. I received a compliment on my hair one day, and my response was "thank you, but it looks very oily right now." I took that compliment and turned it into a negative. I really want to work on my thoughts and attitude and be more positive when it comes to these thinking styles, which I feel would make me more content and at ease with myself.</sup>

]]> 2023-01-11 20:28:10 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2441419646 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2450386130 ^{I wanted to showcase what I wrote down for the "my thoughts on trial" worksheet. I felt that it was necessary that I do this because by actually seeing and organizing my thoughts, I was able to have a clear understanding of them. I mentioned how math has always been hard for me no matter what I do, and that I had accepted the fact that math just was not for me. I weighed out the evidence for that thought as well as the evidence against the thought, and I came to the conclusion that I was not putting in the effort necessary for me to actually understand and succeed in math. I really enjoyed doing this activity because it had just proved to me that I am capable of achieving success when it comes to math, it is just my worries and past failures that are taking over that make me doubt my abilities and really see my potential. I feel that this activity was important for me because I don't have to believe that I am not good at math anymore. By changing my whole perspective on math and how I feel about it, I feel like I actually can succeed in it and do very well. It is just about the amount of effort that I put into it that will determine how I do.}

]]> 2023-01-19 21:01:21 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2450386130 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2456642754 <sup>I wanted to take time in this journal entry to express what I can do to support my own self-regulation practices. I found the picture above here on padlet, and I felt it really helped me better understand what self-regulation is, and how I can do it. First I want to start off by mentioning that all of the helping skills support emotional regulation, and they are essential tools to use. Learning that the helping skills support self-regulation, I can now help myself understand how I can manage and properly understand my behaviour so I am able to process information and respond in a healthy way. I believe that all of the helping skills are essential when it comes to self-regulation, but there are certain ones in my opinion that should be used before others. There is a saying along the lines of "the first step to receiving help is admitting you have a problem." I believe that the saying relates to self-regulation. In my opinion, the first step when self-regulating should be understanding your own behaviour and trying to understand why you are feeling a certain way. This would relate to "recognizing stressors" as shown in the picture above. In order to manage one's behaviour and reactions, a person first needs to understand why they are feeling that way and what could have possibly been the cause of it.

This week I have learned the importance of self-regulation, and what I can do to support the practices that I would like to share. I will make sure to identify why I am feeling a certain way and what could be the potential cause of it. I will then be thinking clearly enough to properly assess the situation and respond in an appropriate way. I feel like doing these practices will not only help calm me down, but it will allow me to understand myself more and reduce my anxiety.</sup>


]]> 2023-01-25 18:56:05 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2456642754 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2465092446 <sup>Seeing as it is the start of a new month, I decided that my first journal entry for this week would be a reflection on my self-care plan, to showcase what has improved in my life, and what I should still be working on. My strengths within my plan are being consistent with my emotional, spiritual, and workplace/school goals. Writing in my journal for 15 minutes at the end of my day has helped me feel more relaxed and less anxious when it comes to everything that I have on my mind. In doing so, I was able to write my thoughts out and not keep them bottled in myself which gives me lots of relief and I am able to have a good night's rest knowing that I have expressed my feelings and not tried to hold them in. My spiritual well-being is the easiest for me to be consistent with because I usually just take 5 minutes before I go to bed, and I just clear my mind in silence with a candle lit by my side, and this has helped me a lot when it comes to winding down for the night and having a clear mind for me to get a solid 8 hours of sleep. My workplace/school goals have also been quite easy because I have always had a set schedule for when it is time to finish my work and unwind, and because It has been very consistent for a long time, it comes naturally and is easy for me to continue doing. 

I am very happy with my plan, but I still need to work on my Physical, psychological, and relationship goals. For my physical goals, I find it hard to take the time to go for a walk when I come home from school because I like to start my work right away, and the weather has also been very cold, which has also been a factor as to why my physical goals have not been improving. For my psychological goal, seeing as this one does not involve much effort, I am surprised at myself that this wasn't my easiest goal. I tend not to remember to say it in the morning because my mind is focused on just getting ready for school and making sure I don't forget anything. As well as for my relationship goals, my mom and I are both so busy, and we have not had time to talk as much, but this can be easily fixed; we just set aside a time during the day that we just get to talk to each other. Overall, my plan is doing amazing in some areas, but I need to work on other areas of my plan that have not been working out thus far.</sup> ]]> 2023-02-01 19:02:10 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2465092446 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2465130394 <sup>In class today, we had an amazing discussion on motivational interviewing. We talked about how important motivation is, as it allows for someone to continue pushing through whatever they are going through. We learned the importance of naming the emotion that you are feeling and trying to understand why it is that we are feeling that emotion. We also went through how motivational interviewing is done in collaboration with the client to help motivate the client as well as motivate them in their commitment to change. 

In this entry, I want to discuss the in-class activity we did in class on what motivates us. As we were working in groups, we came up with many different ideas on what we do to support the motivation we have when we feel motivated to do something. My response to this question is similar to what I have listed in my self-care plan under "workplace/school." I set a goal for myself in the specific task that I am doing, and if I achieve that goal under a certain timeframe, then I can reward myself with anything of my choosing. I enjoyed doing this activity because it allowed me to understand myself and the different goals and tasks I can set out for myself so I can continue motivating myself. Reflecting on what motivates me, or anyone else for that matter, is very important because it can also create a sense of happiness and adrenaline, which is beneficial because it will ultimately result in a better outcome for whatever task one sets out to do. Speaking for myself, I know how difficult it is to stay on track and be unmotivated to do tasks because they will take so long and involve so much effort. However, knowing that there is an end goal that I have set out for myself is enough of a motivator for me to do my tasks and do them well.</sup> ]]> 2023-02-01 19:28:58 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2465130394 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2465164326 <sup>For this journal entry, I want to touch on the PowerPoint this week that really stood out for me, and would like to give my thoughts on it. The second PowerPoint on motivational interviewing talked about how important it is to listen to what the client has to say and have a client-based approach. I want to specifically talk about the importance of listening. The first video in that module spoke of four tips for being a good listener. As I watched that video, I reflected on conversations I have had in the past and pinpointed areas of the conversation where I was not being a very active listener but instead made the conversation two-sided instead of one. What I mean by this is that I would not really focus on what the other person would say, but I would rehearse in my head what I could say next in order to keep the conversation flowing. As a result, I was not properly in tune with the conversation and was not actively gaining information on what the other person had to say because I was so focused on what I would say next. I hope that learning the importance of good listening and using the correct steps of being a good listener will allow me to be active in conversations. This will allow me to successfully gain knowledge about the other person and fully understand where they are coming from while actively engaging. 

I also want to speak on some new information that I learned, which I found very helpful when it comes to being a good listener, which is the acronym O. A. R. S. This acronym stands for Open-ended questions, Affirming, Reflecting, and summarizing. This acronym is essential for core interviewing skills and should be used when engaging with a client. I wanted to test out this interviewing method with my parents, so I first asked my mom an open-ended question about her day and if she could tell me what she really enjoyed most. I then used affirmations to acknowledge her strengths and efforts, which is important as it keeps the client, my mom, in this case, motivated. We then continued the conversation, and throughout it, I reflected on what she was feeling and made sure to clarify and understand both sides of what she was feeling. In the end, I made sure to summarize and clarify anything and made sure to ask her if I had missed anything or if she had anything else she wanted to speak about. 

I wanted to mention this conversation I had because she told me that after we had talked, she felt super calm and appreciated because of how I made her feel during the process. She mentioned how I was paying close attention to detail and never made her feel like her problems were not important. I am very glad I had this conversation, and I wanted to share how it went because I feel that good listening is so important when it comes to anyone, even those who are not in a therapy session. Being a good listener shows how people feel more valued and appreciated, making it easier for them to seek help or assistance whenever needed because they know they will be supported.</sup> ]]> 2023-02-01 19:55:46 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2465164326 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2474032081 ^{For this journal entry, I wanted to speak on one of the first things we did in the new module: ingredients for problem-solving. I enjoyed doing this activity because I feel like doing these interactive activities helps me learn more, which helps me retain information better. I also just really enjoyed brainstorming and writing my ideas down with the help of my group members as well. I really enjoyed the fact that we were able to relate this activity back to something that I really enjoy, which is baking. It made me better understand how important it is to have steps when it comes to problem-solving, just like it's important to have certain steps when it comes to baking. Thinking about it now, I can only find one difference between baking and problem-solving. Baking requires you to follow a strict set of rules and do things in a certain order because it can affect the way that your baked goods come out. When it comes to problem-solving, there are no strict rules that need to be followed, and they can be done in any order. I think the important thing to take away from this is that everybody has their own way of dealing with the problems that they may have. These ways may be the same for some people but also differ for some people. There is no wrong way to problem solve, and there is no particular order it needs to be done in. Problem-solving comes in many forms for everyone because not everyone deals with the same issues, and the same methods cannot be used. Certain methods work for certain people. Also, the order that these methods come in differs for everyone as well. To conclude, it was really nice to see everybody's creativity come out during the activity we did and reflect on their list of ingredients for problem-solving because it allowed me to learn more about how certain methods can help and why others thought certain methods were really important to touch on when it came to problem-solving!} ]]> 2023-02-08 19:50:17 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2474032081 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2474065573 ^{Module 5 touches on what problem-solving treatment enhances, and that section of the module really stood out to me, and I want to share my thoughts on it. The first that problem-solving treatment enhances is problem-solving skills. This is where the client practices specific skills and receives feedback on them, which supports the client's belief that they can have the confidence to lead and control their life. I like this point because I have learned throughout last semester and this semester thus far that, as a counsellor, we are not meant to solve a client's problem. We are here to help guide them and give them the support they are looking for to get them in the right direction to solve their problems. Allowing the client to practice certain skills and giving them feedback gives them motivation and gives them the confidence to know that they are capable of achieving success. By doing so, the client is learning that they have the power to solve problems, and gives them the motivation to do so. The second point that problem-solving treatment enhances is enjoyment in life. I was very interested in this point the most because something about it stuck with me. Enjoyment in life is where through activities, the client experiences enhanced enjoyment. I took from this statement that the client feels accomplished and empowered by achieving success in these activities. It allows them to learn and experience new hobbies they enjoy doing, which can give them a whole new perspective on life and allow them to learn and understand themselves more by doing these activities. I was drawn to that statement because a client may be so constantly stuck in their mind that they don't find things that give them enjoyment. This can lead them to think that they have no purpose in life, which is not true. Introducing the client to new activities and seeing what they have to offer allows them to gain a whole new perspective on who they are and also changes their mindset in believing that they can achieve success in life.}

]]> 2023-02-08 20:18:06 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2474065573 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2484160794 ^{I wanted to touch on the role-play that my group and I had done for this week's class. I enjoyed creating a scenario, coming up with a SMART goal, and using certain strategies to help me reach that goal. I enjoyed watching the other groups present their role-plays, which gave me better insight into different strategies. As I watched the other groups present, I was making notes on what I had enjoyed about their role-plays and what the groups did well, in my opinion. One thing that a group mentioned is that they asked the client what they believed would be beneficial to them and allowed the client to think of a solution. I think that stuck with me the most because, as a counsellor, we are meant to guide and assist the client through the process of finding a solution and not be the ones finding the solution for them. Prompting the client and allowing them to think of things they enjoy or what could potentially be beneficial to them has the client come up with the solution, which can hold them accountable, which can then lead them to be motivated and confident to go through with it because they are the ones who came up with it. Overall, I enjoyed watching everyone's role-play and learned a lot from every group.} ]]> 2023-02-15 22:03:24 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2484160794 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2491312502 ^{This week I was really interested in the module regarding exposure therapy. I found it interesting because I could relate to this so much, as I was in a car accident less than a year ago. I was in shock when it happened, and I was also by myself, which did not help my anxiety, but I was never scared of driving, and I still am not scared of driving. I drive every day, and that is how I get around. I have learned throughout my life that I will never get over a fear unless I actually do it. Even though I was never fearful of driving after I got into the accident, I could still relate to exposure therapy because the repetition of me still driving afterward could have factored in a reduction of anxiety and fear. I wanted to touch on this topic because I am always one to say, "if you are scared of something, the only way to get over it is to actually do it." Talking about doing it is one thing, but actually doing it is going to help get over that fear, and that exposure is what's going to motivate a person into feeling like they are able to do it, and that fear is just a response to our own cognitive distortions. One of my best friends is scared to drive, even though she wants to, because she is scared of getting in an accident and being in control of a car. I have said this to her multiple times, and she knows that the only way is to actually start driving to get over her fear, but she is scared to do so. Everyone processes fear and anxiety differently, and not everyone can just do it. However, I have noticed that the more motivation and reassurance a person receives from people they value the most, the more motivated they are to proceed. I feel like it is just the initial getting through the process, and then once that is done, we are able to continue the process further, and we are less scared to continue with the process after the first time we do it.} ]]> 2023-02-22 15:21:56 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2491312502 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2491722559 <sup>This week we touched on behavioural activation to increase client engagement with positive reinforcement and provide techniques so there is increased activation and less avoidance and depressive behaviours. I want to touch on my opinion of the BADS (Behavioural Activation for Depression Scale), which was touched on in class. I feel scales are useful when it comes to certain topics and understanding a person's pain or how they are feeling in the moment. Seeing the depression scale and reading the questions, I did not feel like it was a good representation of figuring out if a person was depressed or not. As I was reading through the first couple of questions, I would check off that I do things "completely," which is number 6, but that did not mean that I have feelings of depression. For example, number 2 states, "there are certain things that I needed to do that I did not do," and I check marked number 6 for it. Not because I was not in the right mental state and was feeling depressed, but because I had a long day doing school work and felt like relaxing and watching Netflix rather than finishing or cleaning my room. This question was not a great representation of how I was feeling because I was very content with the state I was in when I was watching Netflix, and it made me feel relaxed and comfortable.

Overall, I believe that it can be useful in some aspects, and some questions are meaningful towards the topic of depression, but I believe more in getting to understand a client. Understanding what they do throughout the day can give you a better insight into how they are feeling and why they are feeling a certain way. The scale is a good way to get information, but it never tells you how we can help the situation, whereas really having that helping conversation and having that goal-setting conversation with a client will benefit the client more. It will also benefit the counselor more when it comes to understanding the client and helping guide them through the behavioural activation process.</sup> ]]> 2023-02-22 20:52:39 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2491722559 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2495503355 ^{This week I wanted to reflect on my self-care plan and my progress so far. I emphasized in one of my earlier padlets that my strengths so far with my plan were being focused on my emotional, spiritual, and workplace/school goals. I have been very consistent with all of these, especially my workplace/school goals. I just recently got hired for a new job classification to work as an art instructor for the City of Toronto. It starts in April, and my specialization is crocheting. I am very excited about that, and I feel that since it is nearing the end of the semester when I first begin my shifts, I won’t feel stressed because I won’t be juggling school and working. I also feel that my school goals are very consistent at the moment, and they have been the one thing that has stayed consistent throughout the course of the semester and the year. I still need to work on my physical health goals, which is also my SMART goal for my behavioural activation plan. I occasionally walk my dog, but it is not consistent enough for me to be content and satisfied with it. I feel like I have made lots of progress with the rest of my self-care plan, and it has been consistent throughout the semester, but I really want to focus on my physical goal. My physical goal is something that I am currently working towards, and it will hopefully start to become easier for me leading into the warmer months.} ]]> 2023-02-26 20:44:48 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2495503355 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2509004055 <sup>This week I also wanted to touch on the behavioural activation assignment. I have completed it, as I started during the reading week. I want to touch on my feelings towards it and how I felt going through the process. Starting with the activity monitoring sheet, I really enjoyed getting to record my activities throughout the day, even though they weren’t that exciting and were very repetitive. My favourite part of the sheet was when it was finished, and I was able to see all of my daily activities laid out. I found it very refreshing and interesting to see all of my interests and hobbies laid out before me and how much deeper I could dive into these hobbies and further branch out with them. I felt very at ease when it came to doing my “up and down” activities. Even though I had to write the activities that made me feel down, I was not upset. I do more activities in my life that make me feel good rather than bad. It was very comforting to see that the things that made me feel bad are probably universal, whereas most people would probably feel the same, considering they are not the most exciting activities. I would be more concerned if something I thought I enjoyed doing was an activity that made me feel down. My down activities were things that I expected, but with that being said, they do not, in any way, shape, or form, hinder my emotions immensely. 

I feel like everyone has to have things that don’t make them feel the greatest. To me, there needs to be balance. Obviously, we do not want things in life that make us feel bad, but we also can’t go through life doing everything we enjoy and be happy all the time. For example, going grocery shopping is essential to people's lives, and we need to get food for ourselves to survive. For me, grocery shopping is a chore that I do not like doing, but I have to do it in order to keep myself alive. Everyone has those activities they do not enjoy, but we must do them because they are necessary. This is why we need to make sure we are identifying what makes us feel good and that we are actively doing these activities in order to keep us sane and enjoy our lives. Overall, I really enjoyed this activity. It gave me a sense of comfort and security, knowing that what I enjoy doing the most is heavily inputted into my daily routine and positively impacts my thoughts and feelings.</sup> ]]> 2023-03-08 17:54:56 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2509004055 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2519304016 <sup>This week we talked about something very interesting to me: mindfulness and relaxation. According to the PowerPoint, mindfulness is being aware by paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally (Kabat-Zinn, 2018). What really interested me was that there are two types of mindful practices, which are formal and informal. Formal mindfulness is about something that you do that has structure within a specific time and place and focuses on something specific, like mindfulness of breath. When I think of mindfulness and relaxation, I think of formal mindfulness because I think of cross-legged and listening to calming music with your eyes closed while being in that state of calmness for a good amount of time. This is because this is the type of mindful practice that I grew up hearing about, and ultimately it became the only one I was aware of. Informal mindfulness practice can be described as doing anything. It is where the principles of mindfulness are applied to everyday experiences in a non-judgemental, open, and accepting way (Rankin, 2023). 

I was very interested in hearing that mindfulness can be formal, but it can also be informal by doing just about anything. This made me think of my own experiences when it comes to mindfulness and relaxation and allowed me to think back on experiences I have on a daily basis where I practice it in an informal way. For example, I crochet every day while watching tv shows or movies, and it is definitely considered an informal practice of mindfulness and relaxation because the principles of mindfulness are applied to it.</sup> ]]> 2023-03-16 12:21:49 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2519304016 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2519326064 <sup>I gained a lot of insight for the module this week, and I have a lot to share about what I have learned and how I view different concepts, which I would like to share. Backdraft is a new concept that I have learned, and I find this concept really interesting. Backdraft is a term for mindfulness to speak on the way that being mindful and bringing that attention to yourself may bring up painful feelings (Rankin, 2023). I learned that sometimes our thoughts aren’t even true, and our thoughts inform our emotions and our behaviour. We have to think of that thought as just a thought, and if our anxious thought doesn’t affect us and we think of it as just a thought, it won't negatively affect the way we feel. This is important to understand because usually, when dealing with our thoughts, we try to deconstruct them and make sense of them when in reality, they are just thoughts that shouldn't be paid any mind to.

I have learned that backdraft is a part of the healing process, and we can either accept these thoughts and feelings that are happening to us and speak about them, or we can accept that these thoughts are there and not pay any mind to them. It is ok to pay attention to and be aware of these thoughts, but we need to remember that these are just thoughts. When these thoughts happen, we should just refocus on our breath, and then at the end of the meditation, we can do a debrief of what we felt and acknowledge that it was a thought and nothing more. I learned that it is important to know that when being mindful, we do not have to speak about what we feel and why we think we are feeling it. We can just accept what we felt happened and let that thought escape our minds.</sup> ]]> 2023-03-16 12:37:58 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2519326064 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2519355102 <sup>One last thing that I wanted to touch on for this week was the mindfulness meditation activity we did in class today. I have tried meditation in the past, but it was never successful. I was always very jittery, and I did not have the patience. When we did the mindfulness meditation in class, it was a very different experience for me. I was shocked at the outcome, and I'm very happy to say it worked. I felt very calm and at ease with myself. The meditation session lasted for around 20 minutes, and at first, I was hesitant that it would work, but I stuck with it and tried it out. For the first 10 minutes of the meditation, I did not feel a big difference in how I felt, but for the last 10 minutes, I felt my body relax a bit more, and I did feel the positive effects of the meditation. As my eyes were closed, I was not thinking of anything, and I was able to feel relaxed I did feel my shoulders drop, and I was less tense. 

I could not say the same when we did the mantra meditation. When we did this meditation strategy, I felt less relaxed, and I was not able to focus. I think it was because, for the mantra meditation, we had to think of a mantra and say that each time we took a breath in and exhaled. It was not beneficial to me because I was too focused on having to say the mantra, so I could not focus on meditating and feeling calm. Overall, I am glad I had a positive experience with the first meditation strategy because it made me feel less tense and more relaxed.</sup> ]]> 2023-03-16 12:57:13 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2519355102 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2537428465 <sup>Learning about dialectical behaviour therapy was interesting because it incorporated everything we learned this past semester. The goal of DBT is to help individuals help change their thinking patterns into a more positive outlook. Practicing mindfulness is one of the aspects of DBT therapy, which is an activity that was done in class that I really enjoyed. In my own words, my understanding of one of the aspects of DBT is that we have to look at both the positive and negative aspects of a situation and examine them carefully. Both aspects are equally important because it is about learning why we are feeling a certain way and understanding those thoughts and feelings, but not letting that stop us from looking at it in a positive light. 

When reading some of the examples of DBT, they stood out to me because I have these thoughts in my mind as well, and it has me in a tough situation where it leads me into a dilemma and makes me really stressed and anxious. I can relate to these scenarios, specifically the one about wanting to eat but also not wanting to gain weight. I have struggled with this for a couple of years as I started entering my twenties, and I am in a constant state of worry and anxiety about wanting to eat but also not wanting to gain weight. I believe it is very important that the client is able to have supports to deal with these situations but also understand that they need to understand their feelings and why they are feeling a certain way, and not to ignore these negative aspects because they are important to understand so it helps the client when it comes to the healing process when they feel they are ready to start.</sup> ]]> 2023-03-29 23:36:18 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2537428465 nicolettegiorgi https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2537442289 <sup>I really enjoyed the informal mindfulness presentations that happened. I feel like life can be very hectic at times, and having those moments of relaxation and calmness is very important to ground you. I really like the activity of art therapy, which was the activity that my group and I did. I thought it was a great way to bring out that inner child, let loose, and not think or care about what is happening, but draw whatever you feel. Even though I did not participate in the activity, I could see the enjoyment that people got from it, and I could tell by their faces and the way they were sitting that they enjoyed the activity. 

Learning about mindfulness meditation and participating in them in class really made a difference in my day. It made me think about incorporating some of the activities we did in my life sometimes. Specifically, when one of the groups had the class ground ourselves and really be in touch with ourselves by walking outside of the classroom. I was surprised that this activity was able to make me feel calm and relaxed, and I was thinking about doing it once a day whenever I feel stressed or anxious.</sup> ]]> 2023-03-29 23:54:07 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolettegiorgi/2fa8s58nbhltdiqw/wish/2537442289