Dr. Diana Hill
Learn evidenced-backed, contemplative ideas and practices to help you develop your psychological flexibility. If you want to put your efforts into what you care most about, this twice-monthly Wise Effort newsletter is for you. Join the Wise Effort newsletter community!
Are You Craving a Little More Space?
Dear Reader, I once worked with a couple (who had young kids) who asked me if they could stay in my office for the hour after our session. So…we’d meet, and then I’d leave, giving them room to be with each other, without anything really “to do." We’re craving space more and more these days—but not just any kind of space. We need the kind of space where we’re held by another or where we hold ourselves with utmost care. Like when I tell my family, “Mom needs a little space,” and then I climb...
Wise Effort Tips for the Big Thanksgiving Push
Dear Reader, When you are a therapist, the week before Thanksgiving is a big push. There’s something about gathering with people we love that can stir up all our “stuff.” Here are some typical comments from my couch this week: I’m going to lose it if I am trapped in the kitchen with my mother-in-law/brother/the person who voted for X. I miss my dad. There’s no way I can wrap up work in time. What if I start drinking again? I’ve yet to meet someone who says the holiday season is 100% comfort...
Are You Chasing Chickens?
Dear Reader, If you stopped by my house last week, you would have probably seen me with a broom, my husband with a hockey stick, and my two boys with arms wide open chasing chickens. You see, we moved the chicken coop closer to the bee hives as part of a creek conservation project, and well, the six ladies (as we like to call them) just didn’t want to move with it. Can you relate? Maybe you are both the chaser and the chicken. The chaser is the part of you who wants to change or knows you...
Is Your Genius Your Problem?
Dear Reader, "Your genius is your problem," I told my mom when she found herself stuck in her all-too-familiar pattern of running around helping everyone else out while exhausting herself. My mom's genius? She's insanely good at helping people (she even answers my calls when she's in therapy). It lights her up and makes her feel like she matters. But the thing is, she can get so swept up in rescuing others that she neglects herself. You may relate—running yourself into the ground doing what...
Get creative, move your body and make some banana water
Dear Reader, “I’m making banana water,” my friend Giulia Preziuso told me when I called her this morning after hearing a heatwave was heading to New York, where she lives. “Banana water?” “I have a plant that’s looking a little droopy. It’s easy: you put a banana peel in hot water for a few hours, let it cool, and the water will give your houseplants an extra boost. I learned it from my mom.” Can you use a little banana water right now, too? It builds resilience, but I hesitate to use that...
Turn Your Energy Around
Dear Reader, Lately, I have been thinking about energy: yours, mine, and ours. Most of us are caught in an outdated paradigm regarding energy. We overextend ourselves beyond what’s sustainable and lean on limited supplies of energy—our anxious drive, that extra cup of coffee, our addiction of choice. Meanwhile, we neglect readily available and regenerative energy sources—the cheery guy at Trader Joe's asking about your day, your pet bidding for attention, or your body’s whisper to get...
Are you tired of the daily grind?
Dear Reader, Every morning, my husband grinds his coffee by hand. While grinding away, he chats with my 11-year-old son, who is packing his lunch. He turns on the light to wake up our teenager, walks to the garden to check on the chickens, and gives me a morning kiss. Grind, grind, grind! This is a different type of morning grind than most of us experience, and I know you are thinking, “Who has enough time to hand grind their coffee?” Shout out to my husband, who roasts it every Sunday, too...
Worried self-compassion makes you lose your edge? Read this!
Dear Reader, I’m a late adopter of a lot of things. It took me years to get an iPhone, a lot of convincing to wear AirPods (which I still call "ear pods" despite my son’s cringe), and it took me even longer to drink the “self-compassion” Kool-Aid. (I guess I drank it because I wrote a book on how to practice Self-Compassion Daily!) Why such reluctance? I believed three things about self-compassion that you may believe too: Self-compassion is selfish You’ll lose your edge It’s hokey But these...
Am I going to get through this?
Dear Reader, "I am not sure I can make it through this," is what I wrote in my journal at the beginning of this month. It's a line I hear a lot from clients as well. Can I do this? Am I going to be ok? Will I make it through? How do we hold our own when the world and our lives feel a bit shaky? I see only one good answer to these questions: whether you ask it of yourself or another person asks it of you, it's to offer compassion. I am here for you. I’ve got your back. Self-compassion is the...
Four Ways To Help You Build a Better 2024
Put your energy where it matters most. Dear Reader, My son has a habit of telling me, “It’s not that deep, Mom.” When setting goals for the New Year, I’d have to agree. It’s not that deep. What is “deep”? The inner resources needed to sustain those goals. On the podcast this week, you’ll learn four practices to develop the inner resources you need to make 2024 better. 1. Stress Better: Stress is part of living a values-driven life. These science-backed mindsets will reduce the wear and tear...
Learn evidenced-backed, contemplative ideas and practices to help you develop your psychological flexibility. If you want to put your efforts into what you care most about, this twice-monthly Wise Effort newsletter is for you. Join the Wise Effort newsletter community!