Erin Olivo - Mindfulness Meditation

How To Tell If You’re Stressed or Depressed

2021-08-27T04:13:36+00:00By Erin Olivo|Stress Less, Wise Mind Living, Depression|

Feeling stressed out? You’re not alone. Seventy-two percent of adults surveyed by the American Psychological Association reported feeling stressed out at least some of the time during the past month.

Regardless of what you’re stressing about, stress can quickly turn into a problem when it builds and starts to cause wear and tear on your body—and your overall mental state. In fact, if left unmanaged stress can actually lead to depression.

Chronic stress leads to physical changes in your brain and body, changes in the way you’re thinking, and ultimately to changes in the way you’re behaving.

Stressed out people […]

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4 Ways to Help Relieve Anxiety and Stress During the Holidays

2021-08-27T04:13:36+00:00By Erin Olivo|Wise Mind Living, Anxiety Relief, Gratitude|

I love the excitement of the holidays, but I know it’s also a time when many people are dealing with more stress and anxiety than usual.

If you’re feeling frazzled, I’m here to help with some easy-to-incorporate tips that will help relieve anxiety, stress and the blues.

A mindfulness practice is one of the best ways to relieve anxiety and stress, but you might find it hard to fit into your schedule right now—exactly when you need it most. I recently wrote a post for The Guardian with two simple mindful meditation exercises that you can […]

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Are You A Believer?

2021-08-27T04:13:36+00:00By Erin Olivo|Wise Mind Living, Anxiety Relief|

Guess what? Two years ago today I wrote the first post for my Wise Mind Living blog.

I just re-read the post and wanted to share it with you here because it’s a good reminder about how to reduce your stress and anxiety by living in balance between your emotions and logic.

I’ve really enjoyed writing these posts for you and getting your feedback has been wonderful. As I begin this third year, I’d love to know what topics resonated with you and what topics you’d like to read more about.

Check out the rest of the blog […]

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How to Heal Yourself From Traumatic Life Experiences

2021-08-27T04:13:36+00:00By Erin Olivo|Wise Mind Living, Anxiety Relief, Depression|

I’ll never forget my experience on the morning of September 11th fourteen years ago.

I was just a few blocks away from the World Trade Center and watched the towers fall with a mixture of disbelief and sheer panic.

Since then, I have worked with many patients whose lives were devastatingly changed forever on that day.

But all of our lives were changed in some way, and putting traumatic life experiences like 9/11 behind you and beginning the healing process can be challenging.

If you’re struggling with this, check out my Psychology Today blog post on How to Put Painful Experiences Behind […]

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Robin Williams and the Stigma of Depression

2021-08-27T04:13:36+00:00By Erin Olivo|Wise Mind Living, Depression|

It’s been one year since Robin Williams died by suicide, and it’s a sad reminder that depression is indiscriminate.

Although it’s the most common mental health disorder in the US, depression is treatable. However, we still need to tackle the negative stigma of depression because 80% of people suffering with depression don’t seek treatment.

This breaks my heart, because depression is at the root of most suicide attempts, and as a psychologist I know that it’s highly treatable—even in its most severe forms.

I think the main reason why people don’t seek treatment is because there are so many myths about […]

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5 Signs You Should See A Therapist

2021-08-27T04:13:36+00:00By Erin Olivo|Feel Better About Yourself, Wise Mind Living, Managing Emotions, Anxiety Relief, Depression|

One of the most common questions people ask me when they find out I’m a psychologist is, “How do you know when it’s time to see a therapist?”

We all experience periods of feeling sad, stressed out, anxious or depressed, but these are usually short lived. If you’re experiencing any of the signs below, it’s probably time to seek professional help.

Your mood or emotions are extreme and getting in the way of living the life you want to be living.

A tell tale sign that you might need a mental health diagnosis is when your mood is […]

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6 Quick Ways To Be More Mindful Today

2021-08-27T04:13:37+00:00By Erin Olivo|Live Mindfully, Wise Mind Living, Meditation|

Practicing mindfulness is easier than you think. But it can be daunting to be more mindful if you’re not sure where or how to begin.

That’s why I suggest you start by incorporating little moments of mindfulness throughout your day. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use events that recur throughout your day as reminders to take a moment to pause and breathe.

For just a few minutes, shift your awareness away from the autopilot of life and try to truly be present in the moment. That’s mindfulness in everyday life!

Below are six examples of […]

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3 Timeless Life Lessons From My Dad

2021-08-27T04:13:37+00:00By Erin Olivo|Wise Mind Living, Parenting|

As Father’s Day approaches, I’ve been thinking about my dad and the many timeless life lessons he’s taught me.

He even showed me how to live in Wise Mind before that term entered the lexicon.

Now when I teach people about Wise Mind Living, I ask them to think of someone (real or imaginary) who embodies what it means to live in Wise Mind.

It’s a helpful way to make this complex concept more concrete and it gives you a role model to use as an inspiration when you’re practicing Wise Mind Living strategies. (You can read more about […]

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How to Take Charge of Your Emotions to Reduce Stress

2021-08-27T04:13:37+00:00By Erin Olivo|Stress Less, Wise Mind Living, Managing Emotions|

Are you tired of being stressed out all the time?

Do you want to change but aren’t sure what to do?

Well, you’re not alone and I’m here to help!

If you want to know how to reduce stress you need to figure out what you’re feeling. This means identifying the specific emotion that’s causing your stress—because unless you know what you’re feeling, you can’t change.

As I often say on the Wise Mind Living blog, your stress can always be boiled down to one of the big eight emotions. There are only eight emotion families to choose from […]

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The Best Advice I Ever Got From My Mom

2021-08-27T04:13:37+00:00By Erin Olivo|Wise Mind Living, Parenting|

This post was inspired by one of the most incredible women I know: my mom.

There’s a reason why the saying “mother knows best” never goes out of style—it’s true!

Mom’s can’t help but give you advice – it’s in their DNA. And like your mom, my mom has given me countless pieces of advice throughout my life. Some I took, and some I wish I took.

But there are two things she told me as a teenager that I still take to heart.

When I was in high school, at the height of being self-conscious and awkward, I was diagnosed with […]

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