Lindsey Pace, LCSW

Is anxiety bossing you around and determining every decision or step you take? In the most basic sense, anxiety is a physiological state in our body that is set off by an area of our brain known as the amygdala when our body or our mind perceives some kind of a threat or danger. Before modern times, this internal alarm system would've saved us from predators and prehistoric dangers. If our ancestors didn't have the instinct from anxiety to run or fight we would not be here. In this regard, anxiety deserves our gratitude and respect.  The way anxiety feels in our bodies varies person to person but typically one can expect to feel the following: tightness or heaviness in the chest, butterflies in the stomach, light-headedness, shallow and rapid breathing, tightening of the muscles, increased heartrate and palpitations, sweating, dry mouth, etc. This physiological process is honestly amazing because it allows us to be at peak alertness and readiness to make the next right move tha

My family welcomed a new Aussiedoodle puppy into our home and family last week. On the one hand it was a very planned and researched addition and on the other hand it was somewhat impulsive. Although we had been considering getting a dog for months and were talking through all the logistics of this, we had been looking to make this move in the Fall of this year. Unexpected loss in combination with a series of fortunate events prompted us to go ahead and make this leap sooner than anticipated. So, here we are with an 11 week old puppy and ALL the responsibilities and lifestyle changes that go along with that. Much like changes that occur with the addition of a child or having to assume care of an aging parent, our proverbial plate has quickly gone from full to overflowing. So often we add to our plates (whether by necessity or choice) and continue to push forward and expect the same level of engagement and performance from ourselves when in reality we need to take these opportunities t

I went to a stupid spin class at the YMCA the other day. I call it stupid for many reasons but mainly because spin does not yield to my natural athletic skills and therefore I love to hate how challenging cycling is. I much prefer a bootcamp or yoga class. Also, I can’t for the life of me figure out why people just tolerate these teeny tiny little bike seats instead of advocating for a bike with a soft and wide cushioned bench. Seriously, if you have to buy diaper butt shorts to protect your bottom on your bike doesn’t that sound like a manufacturing error??? I guess it's just me. Anyways, I’m glad I went to the class because it was a blaring object lesson on resistance. As a therapist, resistance is something that I must be highly attuned to in order to have any hope of effective therapy. Resistance is something that we could all benefit from paying closer attention to because resistance represents an area of our life that we hold dear and a pattern of protecting ourselves, for be

At the time when I wrote this, I had just gotten off the phone with one of my dearest friends who is going through what we adoringly call a season of suck. This friend has been one of my ride-or-die partners for almost 10 years now. She is what I call my "move-a-body" friend (a term I learned from Brene Brown  one that I will happily share with you). Move-A-Body Friend:  noun "a friend who will hide your crimes and save your ass" Yep, this is the friend I would call if I murdered someone and needed to hide the body. Sorry if that was too dark for you but that's the truth of the matter (not that I would murder someone, but this is the depth of security and loyalty I find in my friend). Without this type of friendship or intimate relationship, I would manage, maybe do well at times, but I would be far worse for the wear. For this reason, it is absolutely essential that we have a friend or community in which we can share all of us- the bold and the beautiful and th

Perhaps burnout has been a companion of yours for sometime now. You've actually gotten used to it and adjusted your life according to your limited reserves. You've surrendered to the burn so to speak. You no longer beat yourself up for not having enough energy for everyday tasks. You stopped saying yes to requests and activities because you knew that you would end up cancelling or being a no show anyways. Your friend group and support system has shrunk because in their efforts to be supportive of you they began to feel helpless and their efforts futile. You started your caregiving journey with zeal and conviction and purpose and passion but all that is gone now and you are alone, tired, and resigned to the idea that this is how its always going to be. I frequently talk with people who find themselves in this place. I try and offer hope and encouragement and care and support but it often seems to evaporate into thin air. Its almost as if the person in this situation doesn't

Whether you find yourself caring for your precious newborn, multiple kiddos, a spouse who has been injured or is sick, or aging parents, you are likely to experience some level of burnout during your time in this caregiving role. You might've even taken on this role already in a state of burnout from the basic demands of everyday life. While some people might view burnout as a preventable state resulting from not caring for yourself adequately or not having healthy enough boundaries, I would argue that burnout is a natural and normal part of being human. I believe that being a person who cares for and cares about other people is inherently good and exhausting and there is no way to avoid caregiving burnout unless you choose to stop caring altogether, and I'm guessing that's not an option for you.  So, how do we handle burnout when it comes? How can we lessen the impact of burnout? How do I know that what I'm experiencing is burnout and not something else? First, let'