How do we bring together our body, brain, and emotions in a healthy way? Personally, I always want more time and energy for my real priorities.
Obviously, stress and anxiety can sneak up on us all. Throw in an unexpected crisis, like a sick family member, and the cliff of depression looms large. How do we restore balance in our lives?
Her own challenges following a childhood trauma prompted Erin to develop the acronym, L.I.V.E. to describe the way balance ripples out to spark wholeness and well-being.
Mental Health in Families
We all want balance, well-being, and wholeness in our own hearts and in our families.
“We’re all gonna be at risk for mental health issues at some point,” she explains. Whether you’re living with hormonal teenagers, just gave birth, or caring for aging parents, she’s got a good point.
In this episode, Erin goes into detail about why the brain-gut connection impacts our mental health. Depression, anxiety, even severe mental illness can all be tied to the way our brain and our gut interact. Find Erin’s story and many more podcasts on Fireside Talk Radio.
She likes to tell how her husband married her with no prior background in mental health. Even then, Erin was already learning to manage the bipolar disease triggered by childhood trauma. (Erin’ tenderly shares her personal story of finding balance in spite of bipolar here.)
“Sleep is number one,” she says, adding, “if you’re sleeping too much that can also be a problem.”
Sleep and a Mini-Breakdown
However, planning a wedding cost her sleep, prompting a mini-breakdown while they were engaged. Fortunately, he sought excellent advice from a wise marriage counselor. Her husband is a marriage counselor now himself.
“I gotta add that in. He’s a licensed professional counselor,” she laughs, “It’s kinda fun. Yeah, that happened. He went to get his counseling degree and license. All that after we got married. But at first, he had no idea!”
Read More from Erin, including The Exercise of Stillness, The Brain-Gut Connection, The Struggles For Balance, and The Comfort of Together. Don't miss her L.I.V.E. acronym for beating stress!
And PLEASE listen to the podcast, too, because Erin is so knowledgable. Plus, fun and fascinating!
The Mind-Body Connection
The mind-body connection is strong, according to Erin. Is your boss a bully? Is your child acting out? Does your spouse fail to listen to you? All can produce stress and anxiety.
Find more on creating healthy relationships through good communication.)
“It’s gonna catch up with you. Your body is going to express discomfort from that in some way,” she says.
For over 40 easy strategies for better conversations, check out The Well: the Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations.)God Rejoices Over You
Erin quotes Zephaniah for comfort as we all seek balance, seeking “Nutrition for Mind, Body, and Soul,” as she calls it.
The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
~Zephaniah 3:17
Yep, God delights in us, wherever we are, no matter what we’ve gone through. We all struggle to believe we are fully loved by Him. Yet it’s true. For those living with mental health challenges in their families, Erin is clear.
“He delights in you and He loves exactly who you are, how you are right now in this moment,” she concludes.
You are delightful to me, too! I am grateful for YOU!! Keep reading for prayers, questions, and more fun stuff!
:)
cathy
P.S. YOU are Invited to Join the FUN!
Our latest book, coming soon! Packed with good stuff. Preorder now.Our Book Launch Team is such a source of encouragement and support, not to mention PRAYER. The Well: The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations is taking off! Stories already get back to us of lives changed ONE conversation at a time!! Go God!
Woohoo! We are only weeks away from the release of our second book: Marriage Conversations: From Coexisting to Cherished releases really SOON! Yay! Please help us by joining our BOOK LAUNCH TEAM.
When you sign up, you’ll get a fun freebie. Once in a while, I’ll also send you treats, exclusive offers, personal prayer requests, and behind-the-scenes stories. I promise not to fill up your inbox, though! So much fun stuff!! So little work, but lots of prayer. THANK YOU!!!
Hands Full? Brooke will be in Texas. Yay!
As if the Marriage Conversations news wasn’t wonderful enough, I have more to share with YOU!
Author and friend Brooke Frick is coming to Texas, and YES, my house! I can hardly wait to spend a few days with this amazing mommy to five adorable hands-full kids. Don’t miss this chance to snag Brooke for your Sunday school class, church, or book club! Contact her here.
They are spending a year in their RV, so we know she’s awesome, and really down-to-earth!
We LOVE to hear from YOU!
What stressful challenges are you facing? How do you set aside quiet for stillness in your soul? What topics would you like to hear on Fireside Talk Radio in the coming months?
Cathy Krafve, Speaker, Blogger, Podcaster, and author of The Well: The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations and Marriage Conversation: From Coexisting to Cherished. We welcome your stories, ideas, and questions at CathyKrafve.com. Truth with a Texas Twang.
