Author: Lori Deschene

  • BetterHelp: The World’s Largest Online Therapy Platform

    BetterHelp: The World’s Largest Online Therapy Platform

    **Though this is a sponsored post, you can trust I only recommend products and services I personally love!

    If you’re like most people, you’re probably starting to consider the goals and dreams you’d like to pursue in the New Year.

    Maybe you’re visualizing the person you want to be, reflecting on what you hope to accomplish, and strategizing about everything you need to do (and stop doing) to finally feel happy with your life.

    Most of us spend our lives chasing happiness, checking accomplishments and milestones off a life to-do list, as if each pen stroke brings us one step closer to bliss. Except that’s not how it works.

    And that’s why most of us never find that elusive happiness we’re all seeking: We focus on all the things we think we need to acquire or achieve instead of looking within and figuring out what’s really holding us back. The unresolved traumas, the core wounds, the limiting beliefs—all the mental and emotional hurdles that keep us down and stuck.

    It’s easier to focus on externals, but addressing the internal doesn’t have to be so hard if we get the right help and support.

    For me, it all started with therapy. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be here today if not for the healing and insight I gained through years of inner work on a therapist’s couch. I’d probably still be bulimic, depressed, and driven by self-loathing, if I was even here at all.

    Fortunately, a lot has changed since then, and you don’t even need to leave your house to overcome your demons, break through your patterns, and free yourself from bad habits.

    If you’d like to make 2022 the year you finally get out of your own way, I highly recommend BetterHelp, the world’s largest online therapy platform.

    What Is BetterHelp?

    BetterHelp can assess your needs and match you with your own licensed professional therapist in under forty-eight hours. This isn’t a crisis line. It’s not self-help. It’s professional therapy, done securely online.

    The service is available worldwide, which means you may be able to find a therapist who deals with issues local professionals aren’t trained to address,

    It’s more affordable than traditional therapy, and financial aid is available for those who need it.

    How Does BetterHelp Work?

    After you’re matched with a therapist, you’ll be able to schedule weekly video or phone sessions, and you can also log into your account any time to send a message to your therapist.

    You can count on timely and thoughtful feedback whenever you reach out. But if ever you feel your therapist isn’t a good match, no worries—BetterHelp makes it easy and free to change therapists.

    Why Choose BetterHelp?

    Though I haven’t personally utilized BetterHelp, I feel confident introducing this service to you because I know how many people it’s helped. You can visit their site and you’ll find new testimonials added daily. Some recent ones include:

    I have been talking to Kamara to help me with my anxiety and depression over certain life events, since June of this year 2021. I find Kamara very attentive, intuitive, empathetic, and understanding. She is enabling me to think about my challenges in a way that is constructive and helpful in my healing journey. She gently encourages self-examination in a safe, caring way and allows self-expression without interruption, offering encouragement when needed. I would wholeheartedly recommend Kamara Marsh as a dedicated, knowledgeable, and effective therapist.

    Melanie is extremely patient, and kind. She listens and empathizes with your concerns and gets you to confront your fears and worries whilst supporting you. She gives you the tools and the cues to work through your anxieties, and works with you to develop a deeper understanding into yourself. I have only had a few sessions with Melanie, but I am going to continue with her as I have faith in her practice.

    Many people think therapists offer advice and solutions to help them achieve their goals and overcome their problems. They imagine the right therapist will have all the answers to fix what isn’t working in their life. But that’s not what therapy is.

    A qualified therapist helps you dig deeper and see clearer so you can better understand yourself and find your own answers. When you find your own answers, little can stop you, because you will have discovered not what’s right, but what’s right for you personally. And you’ll gain the skills needed to do it again and again, as you navigate life’s inevitable setbacks and challenges.

    If you’re ready to take charge of your mental health and make meaningful change in your life, visit BetterHelp to get matched with a professional therapist—and as a Tiny Buddha reader, you’ll get 20% off your first month.

    I hope you get the help you need to start creating your own roadmap to happiness!

  • Book Giveaway, HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act at a Time

    Book Giveaway, HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act at a Time

    The other day, while scrolling through my Facebook feed, I came across the kind of uplifting story that makes my exhausted-mom-bleeding-heart melt.

    It was from a mother who’d decided to fly alone with her two-year-old and five-year-old, only to find herself overwhelmed by two screaming, overtired children.

    I can imagine the stress and anxiety she felt, given that I often feel that way just sitting in my living room with my poor-sleeping baby and high-energy toddler—which is why I almost shed a tear when I read about the other moms who stepped up to offer help.

    One fellow mama let the solo mom cut her in the security line, another helped carry all her bags, and a third woman held one of her children for a long stretch on the flight and carried him all the way to baggage claim, where she left with a hug and a “Merry Christmas!”

    Right when she needed it, this mother found herself the proverbial village it takes to raise a child—through the air and back again. (See what I did there?!)

    Whether it was the spirit of the holiday season or just basic human decency, these women made a tremendous difference through their selfless acts of kindness.

    I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough stories like these—tiny reminders that the world is full of good people who care and want to help.

    It’s easy to feel discouraged sometimes, whether you’re covered in spit-up at 3am or collapsed under the weight of all your responsibilities after one too many days burning the candle at both ends.

    In moments like these, when we’re feeling drained and depleted, we need to remember that there are kind, loving people all around us who are willing and eager to lend a hand, if only we speak up.

    For me, and for many, that person is Brad Aronson. Not only did he amass a beautiful collection of kindness stories in his bestselling book HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act at a Time, he walked his talk just recently by offering me his time and support after I reached out for advice.

    True to form, he’s also offered ten free copies of HumanKind to Tiny Buddha readers, and I couldn’t be more excited to get his inspiring book into even more hands.

    There’s a reason Forbes referred to it as “the most uplifting and life-affirming book in years.”

    HumanKind shines a spotlight on the best of humanity and includes countless practical suggestions and ideas to help us bring out the best in ourselves.

    What strikes me most about HumanKindaside from the fact that all author royalties go to Big Brothers Big Sisters—is that the people profiled are just like you and me. They’re everyday people with struggles of their own who one day decided they wanted to do something good—then did.

    Whether you’re looking for confirmation that the world is a caring place or inspiration to make a difference in your own sphere of influence, HumanKind has you covered.

    It will feed your spirit, fuel your motivation to give back, and fill your heart with hope.

    To enter to win a free, signed copy of HumanKind,  comment below, sharing why you or someone you love would appreciate this book. Then email the link to your comment to kind@bradaronson.com so Brad has your email address to contact you if you win.

    You can enter until midnight PST on Sunday, December 12th. Brad will contact the winners directly the following week.

    Happy Thursday, friends!

  • Tiny Buddha’s 2022 Day-to-Day Calendar & Planner, Available Now!

    Tiny Buddha’s 2022 Day-to-Day Calendar & Planner, Available Now!

    Hi friends! First things first, happy December. I hope you’re all enjoying the holiday season so far!

    I’m excited to share that I’ve launched my first ever day-to-day desk calendar, along with an eco-friendly planner, for 2022.

    The colorful daily calendar pages feature quotations (all from the Tiny Buddha blog) on happiness, love, relationships, change, meaning, mindfulness, simplicity, self-care, letting go, and more.

    With an easel backer for desk and tabletop display, the calendar will hopefully keep you encouraged, uplifted, and motivated all through 2022!

    As I write this, Amazon only has three calendars left in stock, with more on the way, but it’s available on other sites as well, including Barnes & Noble.

    As for the planner, it also features quotes from the blog, on colorful patterned pages, and it’s made entirely of recycled materials. The lay-flat sewn (exposed) binding is a unique feature—it uses cloth thread and is free of glue, plastic, and metal. And because it lays flat, it’s friendly for lefties!

    You can grab a planner for yourself or someone you love on Amazon here.

    I hope you enjoy the calendar and planner as much as I enjoyed creating them!