I gave the advice “Fake it til you make it,” before. I did it happily, borderline smugly even. Usually, I follow it up with a classic career story of mine, which I will now tell to you (Lucky you; Please imagine me smoking a pipe in a mahogany office). Many moons ago, on the first […]
Finding Balance
10 Things My Anxious Dog Does That I Wish Were Socially Acceptable for Me to Do
While I’m always working to help June become more secure in herself, sometimes I think she’s got the right idea. Here are 10 things my anxious dog does that I wish were socially acceptable for me to do: 1. Back away slowly from a person I know well, but don’t trust. 2. Stare, unblinkingly, at […]
Anxiety Survival Guide: Long Trip on a Bus, Train, or Plane
If you’re already prone to panic attacks, knowing you are about to be confined to a small space for a set number of hours will set off some wicked circular logic: I am going to be on a plane for seven hours. What if I have a panic attack on the plane? Will I yell? […]
List of Things That Are Still Here, After the Basement Clean-Out
Two 42-gallon trash bags went to the Purple Heart Donation Center. One more to the dumpster. This, after a grueling basement declutter session, in which I applied June’s Tennis Ball Test any time I felt myself gripping an unwanted item to my chest, heading down a rabbit hole of what-ifs. Here’s what I was left with: Neon pink […]
How to Fail at Surfing
Today I drove to a New Jersey beach at a ludicrously early hour, ensuring there wouldn’t be many other surfers. I can’t steer. Yet. I stood on my first wave less than 18 months ago. That was in warm, sunny Costa Rica, at Witch’s Rock Surf Camp. You must drop everything and go there, actually. Find […]
Panic Hack: Powerful Objects Can Calm Dogs and People (Really)
As I’ve been writing more about anxiety and panic—for dogs and humans—I’ve been talking about it and thinking about it more, too. Something has emerged from all those conversations and ponderings: a million little tactics we come up with to cope. Ask anyone about this, whether they have a dog who’s scared of the vacuum […]
