#parentingSLACKS • 2nd December 2022

Vol. 27: Imposter Syndrome & Self-Sabotage

"We know that Imposter Syndrome is a direct route to Self-Sabotage, but what causes us to doubt our worth so madly in the first place?

Perfectionism is the leading indicator of Imposter Syndrome; typically, people who experience one also experience the other."

#parentingSLACKS • 25th November 2022

Vol. 26: The Introvert's Guide to Friendship

"Friendship is one of the most critical relationships in our lives; buddy bonds provide an essential source of social support. In addition, a strong network of friends can help cushion stress, loneliness, anxiety, and other potential mental health problems.
Research shows that people with close friendships are more likely to experience positive emotions and live with greater satisfaction. So even one solid homie can do wonders for your mental health!"

#parentingSLACKS • 17th November 2022

Vol. 25: Mental Health & 7 Ways to Improve It

"We often try to do 5,000 things daily to keep our mental load balanced and our inner peace in check, but this can lead to adverse outcomes. Instead, we're more likely to see long-term, sustainable success by laying a solid foundation of actions and mindsets — cornerstones that offer daily support and provide a sturdy base to build upon over time."

#parentingSLACKS • 11th November 2022

Vol. 24: The Science of Sleep

“The foundation of the well-known scientific premise for sleep evolution builds from the idea that we were awake and evolved to sleep. But what if it's the other way around? Why do we assume that we evolved sleep rather than that sleep is the defacto state of all birthed life on planet earth, and it's from rest that wakefulness emerged and became?”

#parentingSLACKS • 4th November 2022

Vol. 23: Unpacking Ancestral Baggage

“I'm trying realllllly hard not to drive this blog straight into Woo Woo town. But I am a strange ranger. I'm into weird shit; not serial killer weird, more like nerd weird—cool your jets.

For years, I have written and spoken about generational trauma and how emotional wounds get passed down throughout our familial lineage.

But, after recently listening to an interview with Aubri Hathaway, a Family System's Constellation therapist, I was introduced to the idea of inherited hardships slightly differently than in my previous experience.”

#parentingSLACKS • 28th October 2022

Vol. 22: Is Acceptance the Anxiety Antidote?

“Very often, our suffering can be directly related to the degree to which we resist the truth. In other words, instead of getting hung up on how you ended up wherever you are, you can find peace in accepting the present and working from that point to create a better future.”

#parentingSLACKS • 21st October 2022

Vol. 21: Turning Hope Into Action (for the Children’s Sake)

“Although my boy has not yet reached the level of emotional intelligence nor fortuitous spiritual understanding for me to successfully explain to him the gears of the wheel of dharma, or the intricate laws of attraction and quantum physics; I can, however, share with him my firm belief that what you do in this life comes back to you, some way or another.”

#parentingSLACKS • 14th October 2022

Vol. 20: Guilt, Remorse & The Shame Spiral

“Suppose we don't address our issues with shame. In that case, we allow our emotions to fester—silently, secretly, begrudgingly—and eventually, we begin projecting and shaming others, which can get ugly quickly when we are the primary caregivers of small children.”

#parentingSLACKS • 7th October 2022

Vol. 19: Practicing the Principles of Unconditional Parenting

“When we treat our children as if our love is conditional, meaning they must perform in a precise way to receive it, we are abandoning our responsibility as parents to love our children no matter what.”

#parentingSLACKS • 30th September 2022

Vol. 18: How to Train Your Monkey Brain

“ Now, as our brains are the most complex structure in the known universe, let's keep it simple and describe your brain as if it has two characters living inside of it. One is sensible, positive, organized, and considerate—we'll call this your human mind. The other one we've been talking about, who lives in the primitive part of your brain, tends to be judgemental, negative, emotional, and selfish. Zen Buddhists, amongst others, call this part the monkey mind.”

#parentingSLACKS • 23rd September 2022

Vol 17: 5 Ways to Level Up as a Parent in Recovery

“We avoid death traps and jump headfirst into things on the promise of reward. Sometimes we stand tall; other times, we shrink under pressure. And, inevitably, the moment comes to level up, but only after facing a terrifying beast and kicking his sorry ass.”

#parentingSLACKS • 16th September 2022

Vol. 16: The Four Agreements

“In 1997, Don Miguel Ruiz published a book called The Four Agreements. Five years later, I discovered and read it for the first time—I was seventeen.
To say that I didn't follow the advice freely given to me in this short but powerful written work would be quite an understatement. After all, I spent nearly two decades following on a vicious spiral downward to rock bottom.”

#parentingSLACKS • 9th September 2022

Vol. 15: The Phenomenon of Craving

“For decades, people erroneously considered a craving a symptom of alcohol withdrawal. However, several studies show that alcoholism-related compulsion can appear after long-term abstinence, typically provoked by the first drink or situations associated with alcohol use. At its core, physical craving is a phenomenon in the brain that, when activated, creates an intense yearning to use the addictive substance or do the addictive behavior.”

#parentingSLACKS • 2nd September 2022

Vol. 14: Gratitude

“Implementing gratitude has helped tremendously with my mental ailments, such as anxiety. A few moments of self-reflection on something I am thankful for is enough to slice through my toxic thoughts. That's because gratitude activates the limbic nervous system in a way that regulates emotions and puts a damper on the worrisome chatter of the mind.”

#parentingSLACKS • 26th August 2022

Vol. 13: Healthy Humility

“For some, the topic of humility can conjure up images of restriction and bondage, but the invitation to humility is incredibly freeing.
It's one of those simple but not easy principles and, not surprisingly, has much to do with our stress and anxiety levels.”

#parentingSLACKS • 19th August 2022

Vol. 12: The Psychology of Procrastination

“Although we do many things habitually and non-consciously, without the ability to schedule, choose, and execute actions voluntarily, we would lack aspects of mental functioning that many consider central to what it means to be human.
But, more importantly, and in practical terms, we would often fail to get things done without volitional regulation; we would remain in a procrastination loop.”

#parentingSLACKS • 12th August 2022

Vol. 11: Nature, Nurture & Addiction

“The genetic code we are born with is essential, but it does not mean having problems is our destiny. And, of course, our environment plays an important role.

The controversy between nature and nurture is longstanding, and nobody seems to agree on which one causes a person to become an addict.”

#parentingSLACKS • 5th August 2022

Vol. 10: A Matter of Life & Death

“The Oxford Dictionary labels death as ‘the action or fact of dying’ and ‘the state of being dead’—which is probably about as literal as you can get!
It would seem that the concept of death is so universal that we're all just expected to know what it is.

#parentingSLACKS • 28th July 2022

Vol. 9: Triggers, Trauma & Unconditional Love

“In my personal life, I use these practices to create parenthood I don't have to escape from and childhood my son won't have to recover from.

Healing the wounds eliminates the triggers; that's the pathway to happiness and unconditional love.”

#parentingSLACKS • 22nd July 2022

Vol. 8: Emotional Sobriety

"Although coined by Bill W., co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, the term "emotional sobriety" applies to anyone with a sympathetic nervous system, regardless of whether you're afflicted with addiction. Emotional sobriety is a body/mind phenomenon. It encompasses the ability to experience and talk about feelings alongside learning to live life in balanced ways so that both the mind and the body can live in harmony. As we sober up emotionally, we expand our ability to tolerate what we're feeling, to live through fierce emotions without acting out or self-medicating."

#parentingSLACKS • 15th July 2022

Vol. 7: Letting Go of Ego

“Ego-based mind can dominate us; who we are as parents, friends, sons, daughters, and community members. It represents that part of ourselves that identifies with our personality, self-esteem, accomplishments, skill, and perceived weaknesses; everything that encompasses false self.”

#parentingSLACKS • 8th July 2022

Vol. 6: A Hundred Forms of Fear

“I am defiant, manipulative, and strong-willed. I possess a penchant for pushing the good out of my life on purpose so that I may climb upon my pity pot and enter into an inner dialogue between me, myself, and I—otherwise known as the shit-show committee. Collectively malcontented, the three of me plot my escape from reality, typically convening with a drinking spree in order.“

#parentingSLACKS • 1st July 2022

Vol. 5: Spirituality, Addiction & Fatherhood with Josh Brooks

An intimate interview with recovering addict, Purple Heart recipient, and father of four, Josh Brooks.

“I began the year in a mental, emotional, and spiritual prison. A delusional prison I had created out of numerous forms of fear, self-will, selfishness, self-pity, pride, and ego.”

#parentingSLACKS • 27th May 2022

Vol. 4: Hereditary Dysfunction

Today’s article is an interview with Jennifer Foote, a life coach, an empath, and an energetic healer who holds a Master of Science degree in Psychology and studied Behavioral Science at Harvard University.