Azimuth Psychological

Building on the success of our Pause & Pivot values workshop this past fall, Azimuth is excited to offer Anchored - 5-week values workshop series for extraordinary women. We will be going deep, getting accountable, giving each other genuine support, and making meaningful change.

📩 Email: [email protected] to sign up and for any questions

Gifting the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life (including yours)

https://azimuthpsych.com/gift-of-therapy

Calling all women in high pressure careers. Azimuth’s first executive retreat coming to you this fall. No boring mental health cliches, just novel and effective strategies to build resilience, insight, and power. Sign up for presale notification.

Starting the week by supporting Samaritans, Inc. through our Clinicians Care program. Thank you Ayelet Katzelnik, PsyD for being a part of our clinical community and program, and for suggesting we give to an organization that saves the lives of so many. Learn more about this valuable resource at:

https://samaritanshope.org

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Samaritans - Preventing Su***de, Providing Hope Samaritans provides lifesaving su***de prevention services throughout Greater Boston and MetroWest Massachusetts. Our services are free, confidential, and nonjudgmental.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx-3aM6u8fP/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igshid=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Wellness Wednesday ✨ Our Team is enjoying fresh cold-pressed juices brought in by our new caring colleague

Wellness Wednesday ✨ Team enjoying fresh cold-pressed juices #lovewhereyouwork #dreamteam #wecareforeachother #caregiversupport #selfcarematters #wellnesswednesday

🛑 Stop self-sabotaging by saying “I’m too old [for]…”

👋🏼 As therapists, we hear all too often clients use the self-sabotaging language of "I'm too old for..." which often leads to negative consequences on personal and professional levels. You may have heard that as you age, you become less capable of learning new things, or participating in activities that can nourish your well-being. This (incorrect!) narrative risks preventing you from achieving your goals and developing your growth potential.

Instead, research on this global phenomenon conducted by Romaioli and Contarello (2019)* suggests several counter-narratives to help break away from these troubling beliefs so that you can remain positive and resourceful despite - or even thanks to - your advancing age. 🌟 Here are two of our favorites:

💪🏼View aging as an opportunity; for enrichment, renewal, serenity, and the discovery of other abilities. Adopting this counter-narrative undermines the very premise on which the "too old for..." construct is founded, and extinguishes the fear of aging or being "too old" for something.

💪🏼Focus on willpower - of making the effort to meet life’s challenges with determination. This focus on willpower is associated with personal values such as self-fulfillment and inner strength, and facilitates developing a strong identity; an identity that enables individuals to cope successfully with the adversities of daily life.

So, let's take off those “old-colored glasses” and replace them with some “rose-colored glasses” for aging - the kind that will foster a positive and resourceful attitude to help you create, and say yes, to yourself.

Take away points:
1. Don't let the " I’m too old for..." narrative hold you back from achieving your goals.
2. Counter-narratives such as an alternative representation of aging, and focusing on willpower, may help combat this form of self-sabotage.
3. Remember, age is just a number and it has little to do with your actual potential. 💫

💡*Romaioli D, Contarello A. "I'm too Old for …" looking into a self-Sabotage rhetoric and its counter-narratives in an Italian setting. J Aging Stud. 2019 Mar;48:25-32

Our Team has been digging into our latest book club read by Sharon Salzberg and having some great conversations.

This picture was shared today and reminds us of the very meaningful work we do with our clients; and that while happiness is within our grasp, we don't have to go it alone ✨

Series: out-of-the-box strategy of the week: “AND”

The idea that things have to be either/or is insidious in our day-to-day.

We feel pressure and discomfort when we have to make decisions, whether they be about actions or emotions.

We search for this strict dichotomy, because integrating two things that are in conflict feels uncomfortable and hard. We don’t have a lot of practice doing it.

But the sooner you can add “AND” into your statements and decision making, the more realistic and possible things become.

One reason why individuals don’t feel connected to their companies is because they don’t feel seen.

This may relate to not hearing positive feedback about one’s work - but even more commonly, the fact that so much of a person is unknown to those around them.

There is a fine line between professionalism and invisibility, and good companies know how to do both. It’s possible to keep it professional while also showing interest and helping employees with other parts of their lives.

If I’m stressed about a home situation, I’m distracted and feel negatively about my abilities at work. But if I’m able to appropriately share this situation with a trusted colleague and receive empathy and advice, I can to focus and perform closer to my peak.

💡 As a bonus: I would also feel more connected to the company, who shows they actually care about me as a person, not just as a hamster running in their wheel.

It does not take a huge effort to ask a follow up question about someone’s weekend or ask how they are if they seem off to you!

⭐ Attention to these small details are a great way to show employees and colleagues they matter.

Reinventing Yourself: Transitioning between high-stress careers

Transitioning into a new work environment is exhausting. You’re constantly “on” - hypervigilant to new details, processes, and cultural expectations. You want to make a good impression.

Here are two ways to male your transition easier while still making sure your work and behavior are on point.

💡 Be Friendly. While obvious, this one is usually overlooked. Often, we are so focused on gathering information that we forget how we’re presenting ourselves. Being a friendly person will allow you to actively meet more people AND leave a good first impression. You’ll be able to integrate into the workplace easier and faster!

💡 Don’t expect perfection. You’re going to call that guy by the wrong name and forget to format documents the right way. Everyone expects this. If you don’t, you’ll become obsessive over the details of what you could have done better, and miss what’s happening right now, furthering your mistakes and distracting you from what really matters: learning.

If you’re over 35, you’ve probably spent the majority of your life trying NOT to listen to your body.

The mental health awareness push came after you were an adult and had already formed habits. Instead, “get over it” was the constant message.

You were told to push through in athletics, run harder and take more Ibuprofen. You were told you were acting like a baby if you were struggling with big emotions. You were told to ignore your hunger cues and try not to eat. Ignore, ignore, ignore.

As you’ve gotten older, the world has realized…we actually need to be doing the opposite.

You have spent a large part of your adult life learning how to experience deep emotions and cope with them, intuitive eating and self-acceptance, when it’s time to take a break. Trying to undo a lifetime of unhelpful habits to be well.

Enter: intuition. When you’re able to access your intuition, you make good choices for yourself, even if they’re uncomfortable. The path to success, whatever that means, becomes clearer - even if more difficult to travel on. You become centered and grounded.

Our clients often ask, “how do I know if I should quit my job?” We’re here to help them find themselves - and find their intuition - because the truth is, they already know the answer.

Out-of-the-box strategy of the week: Don’t Respond

At work, we are often faced with tough, emotionally surprising situations.

We are put on the spot and caught off guard, we start to feel feelings, so we react.

But reacting is never as successful as planned conversation. Whenever possible, defer the conversation.

“I see what you’re saying and that’s a great point, let me think about it and get back to you.”

This will give you the opportunity to calm down and think clearly about how to respond. And not just how to respond - but to respond in the way that the recipient will HEAR. A little extra time will lead to the best outcome for you.