Tag Archives: Derrick Shirley.

Wellness Tips from “Everyday Wellness” (formerly The Self-Care Daily)

Posted by: Derrick Shirley on May 15, 2012 8:00 am


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Tip #111: F.E.A.R. spells T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

I came across an interesting acronym for F.E.A.R. that may help to keep things in perspective when venturing into the murky waters of the unknown (*cue dramatic music);

F-alse, E-vidence, A-ppearing, R-eal.

This may be useful to consider in contexts where our thoughts take a situation and exaggerate it to the point of worry and discomfort (e.g., “What if I don’t get the job?”).

If you are in a different situation however, such as being face to face with a different threat (eg., a mountain lion) here is another acronym for F.E.A.R. I found that supports a different message:

F-orget, E-verything, A-nd, R-un.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the second one.

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Wellness Tips from “Everyday Wellness” (formerly The Self-Care Daily)

Posted by: Derrick Shirley on May 4, 2012 4:37 pm

Notice to “Counselling Connect” blog readers: I hope this message finds you well and I sincerely hope you have been enjoying the self-care articles and wellness tips. As the subscriber list has grown, in the upcoming months this email service will undergo some exciting changes including a new name “Everyday Wellness”, new picturesque headers and new content. Here are your wellness tips for this time around – enjoy!

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Wellness Tips from The Self-Care Daily™

Posted by: Derrick Shirley on April 2, 2012 8:00 am

Tip #28: Fun with your Signature

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Write your name with your non-dominant hand.

If you are right-handed, use your left. If you are left-handed use your right. If you are ambidextrous, use your toes (or just use your toes anyway). It may be hard to read, but you’ll love the laugh you’ll get just trying. Have fun and sign away!

When your spirit is up, you are up.

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Wellness Tips from The Self-Care Daily™

Posted by: Derrick Shirley on March 13, 2012 9:58 am

Tip #26: Try Some Potato Peel Push Ups

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If it is your turn to cook tonight, do some exercises in the kitchen while you prepare the food.

Try some deep knee bends, various stretches or yoga poses, counter push ups or dips, or do lunges as you walk around the kitchen from the fridge to the stove to the sink.

If you really get into it, create some of your own new exercises and/or pair them with your preparation activities such as, “Potato Peel Push Ups” (after every potato peeled, you do one push up), or “Dish Washin’ Deep Knee Bends” (after you wash a plate or glass, you do one deep knee bend). There are no limits to your imagination so have some exercise fun while you are in the kitchen.

As you are cooking healthy, you can be thinking healthy and squeezing in a little exercise.

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Wellness Tips from The Self-Care Daily™

Posted by: Derrick Shirley on February 8, 2012 11:39 am

Tip #78: Feel the power of your freedom.

You are free to choose and follow any path in your life and/or your career. Make choices that support, and are aligned with your goals. If you are unclear of your life or career path, set time aside to review or renew it, or ask for help if needed.

Be grateful for your freedom to choose and exercise it.

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

“Wellness Tips from The Self-Care Daily™.”

Posted by: Derrick Shirley on January 20, 2012 8:00 am

Wellness Tip #37: Vacation Planning for Health

Be heart led rather than head led when planning your next vacation.

Do you have a dream vacation spot or activity? Is there some place you have always wanted to visit or some thing you have always wanted to do or try? Let your deepest yearnings and passions guide you and influence your choices and activities. Let your “down time” fill you up physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Do some internet research or call your travel agent to get more information. You might find your dreams are not as far away as you once thought.

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

“Wellness Tips from The Self-Care Daily™.”

Posted by: Derrick Shirley on January 9, 2012 12:25 pm

Tip #1: WRITE TO LIVE

As this is the first official self-care tip of 2012, I will share with you one closest to my heart. It remains the most powerful instrument of personal change and transformation in my life, business and weight loss (I lost over 180 lbs) to date:

Personal Writing.

Even if its just a few lines about how you are feeling, try to do some journaling today and everyday. I cannot even begin to tell you how powerful this is and doing this earlier in the day brings the greatest benefits.

Write a letter to yourself, write about your work, or just empty your mind. Write about something funny and watch your mood shift with each word. If you are concerned that someone might read your writing, write on loose-leaf paper, tear it up when finished and destroy it. In this self-care activity, the process is more important than the content.

Make the time to connect with you. You are worth it!

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

What is Your Self-Care Catch Phrase?

Posted by: Derrick Shirley on August 18, 2011 2:45 pm

I love vacations. I love road trips. I love eating. These three things added up spell, “weight gain.” Well not exactly, but “IlovevacationsIloveroadtripsIloveeating” does not pass a spell check.

Despite my best efforts, on our recent vacation to New York and the East Coast of Canada, I sacrificed healthy eating for convenient eating; sandwiches, snacks, pretzels, subs, some fresh fruit but very little vegetables. As a result, by the end of the two weeks I could feel the difference in my body. Even my eleven-year-old step daughter could feel it, “When I get home, I going to eat vegetables for a whole week!” she said. Experience is a great teacher.

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Practically Yours: Self-Care Tips for Counsellors – Social Health

Posted by: Derrick Shirley on July 19, 2011 11:38 am

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.  “Pooh!” he whispered.  “Yes, Piglet?”  “Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s paw.  “I just wanted to be sure of you.””  ~A.A. Milne

It is all about relationships really. A dog sleeps at your feet. A cat circles your leg and purrs. A baby sleeps as it is held. We have relationships with clients and colleagues, family and friends, co-workers and supervisors, ourselves, our jobs, our cars, computers, food, even our phones (lose your cell phone and you will – very quickly – appreciate the depth of your connection). We are relational beings, pure and simple.

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Practically Yours: Self-Care Tips for Counsellors – Mental Health

Posted by: Derrick Shirley on May 10, 2011 9:03 am

How do we maintain good mental health as we help others with theirs? What are some best practices for mental and emotional clearing between sessions? Are there any special considerations for counsellors and psychotherapists concerning our own mental health?

This is part two of a six part series that addresses the links between self-care and good health. In part one of this series, I introduced six components of health and discussed physical health (Ivker, Anderson, & Trivieri, 2000). In this post, we will discuss characteristics of good mental health and offer practical applications for counselling practice.

Ivker et al. (2000), summarize mental health as a “condition of peace of mind and contentment”. Memories of the introduction to “The Little House on the Prairie” immediately come to my mind. This was a popular television series from the 1970’s that opened with the three little Ingalls’ girls running happily down a grassy hill. Good mental health may include freeing experiences such as this as well as others. Having a job that you love doing, being optimistic, having a sense of humour, experiencing financial well-being, and/or living your life vision are other characteristics of good mental health according to Ivker.

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA