BLOG
I started my journey of blogging in 2003 — mostly to capture what I called “transitioning life’s journey”.
In 2023 I took a 3 year break from blogging, but have decided to return to it. I hope you enjoy.
Explore by Topic
Search 20+ years of blog writing…
[VIDEO] Run (or move your body) to Lower Anxiety and Depression, and Improve Overall Mental Health
Moving my body has been one of the most important things I have done in my life to help with the reduction of my anxiety, depression, and just overall wellness in my mental health. There is a lot of good research on this topic, and running comes up quite a bit in the literature. I […]
Run (or move your body) to Lower Anxiety and Depression, and Improve Overall Mental Health
I don’t think it will come as any surprise to anyone if I tell you that running can help you with your anxiety and depression. Or better put, movement of the body helps your mental health. I can speak to this personally as runner who has been running my entire life for fun, and in […]
[VIDEO] The Best Breath Practice for Anxiety (and much more)
UPDATE: Apparently the best breath practice I have been advocating, is called the physiological sigh, not the psychological sign. I have no idea how I just noticed this. I guess I had some letters turned around in my brain, and it’s funny that no one has said anything different in all the emails, conversations, and […]
The Best Breath Practice for Anxiety (and much more)
UPDATE: Apparently the best breath practice I have been advocating, is called the physiological sigh, not the psychological sign. I have no idea how I just noticed this. I guess I had some letters turned around in my brain, and it’s funny that no one has said anything different in all the emails, conversations, and […]
Rhett Smith 139: Transforming Our Anxiety — Getting Comfortable with the Uncomfortable
Earlier this year I was really impacted by Michael Easter’s book The Comfort Crisis. And I think what stood out to me the most was really the idea that in order to grow, one must work on becoming more comfortable with the uncomfortable — and I liked how he connected it with the idea of […]
Video: Anxious Progression One Day at a Time
One of the ways that I have found to be helpful in working through anxiety, is what I refer to has anxious progression. In the fitness world it is often referred to as progressive overload. In terms of anxiety I like to think about the idea of taking things one is anxious about, and slowly […]
Rhett Smith137: Anxious Progression One Day at a Time
This podcast episode is a further exploration of the blog post, Anxious Progression One Day at a Time. In this episode I explore the concept of progressive overload in physical fitness, and how that same concept can be applied to working through anxiety — mainly, progressively adding anxiety to our lives that we have to […]
Anxious Progression One Day at a Time
The key to improving physical fitness lies in adhering to a concept called progressive overload. You work a specific muscle or function in a specific manner, progressively adding intensity and duration over time. Hard days are followed by easy days. The Practice of Groundedness: A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds — Not Crushes — […]
Video: Acknowledge, Identify and Reframe Your Anxiety and Depression
I know it has been a heavy year for many. Mental health issues have been increasingly on the rise, and anxiety and depression are leading the way. In this video I share about some of my own struggles and what has been helpful for me in navigating them. I hope you find it helpful. Link […]
Rhett Smith 136: Acknowledge, Identify and Reframe Your Depression and Anxiety
I recently wrote about this on my blog — because I’ve realized the last few months that I have been depressed and anxious for a while. Spurred on by the continual navigation of COVID, and how that has impacted things culturally, as well as some of the way things are currently done on a day […]
Anxiety & Depression: Acknowledge, Identify and Reframe
I think I have been struggling with depression for about the last 6 months. Actually, let me rephrase that. I think it has been longer, but I think I’ve only really acknowledged it here in the last few months. This isn’t my first bout with depression, but I’m one who tends to run higher with […]
Anxiety, Fear and Grief: Parent Equipping Panel
I have had the privilege over the last 6-8 weeks to participate in some parenting panels online via Zoom and other technologies. COVID-19 has raised a lot of concern for people and the topic of anxiety and grief seem to be the two most common topics that I have been asked to discuss. Check out […]
Rhett Smith 131: Encouragement in Your Anxiety
Part of being human is that we get anxious. And no human can opt out of experiencing anxiety. It visits all of us at varying times in our lives, and to varying degrees. But what if you can reframe anxiety in a way that you see it as a friend, rather than a foe. What […]
Encouragement in Your Anxiety
Part of being human is that we get anxious. And no human can opt out of experiencing anxiety. It visits all of us at varying times in our lives, and to varying degrees. But what if you can reframe anxiety in a way that you see it as a friend, rather than a foe. What […]
Rhett Smith 129: Addressing Leadership Drift During Times of Uncertainty
Todd Sandel (CEO and founder of The SouthCity Group) and I continue our conversation around leadership during this time of uncertainty due to COVID-19. In this episode we address leadership drift due to overworking and trying to prove ourselves worthy of adding value. Link to Episode 129
Being Honest About How We Feel and Connecting in New Ways (During COVID-19)
“I’m doing fine.” “I’m doing good.” Those have typically been our responses to the question posed by others: “How are you doing?” And they are typically what we are hearing during the stressful time of COVID-19. But now…more than any time in recent history, I think we have the opportunity to move beyond acting like […]
“How to Feel Safe in an Unsafe World”
Two of my most influential mentors, Terry and Sharon Hargrave, put together a helpful video this last week regarding relationships/families, and navigating COVID-19. I highly recommend it.
Ideas for Leaders in Times of Uncertainty and Stress
Leaders are under a lot of stress these days during the uncertainty of COVID-19. Stress in their own lives. Stress in trying to navigate how to manage and effectively lead those that are around them. Here are a few ideas that I think are helpful for leaders during times such as these (and ongoing). Link […]
Rhett Smith 125: Deeper Dive Into the Movement of Orientation, Disorientation, New Orientation
Yesterday I posted a short video on the movement from orientation to disorientation to new orientation. I first learned it by this name and paradigm by reading Walter Brueggemann’s work, The Message of the Psalms. The movement itself is as old as humanity, and it is a movement that we all go through in our […]
Moving from Orientation Through Disorientation to New Orientation
The hope is that we don’t go back to what was (pre-COVID-19), but that we move forward into something new. What that something new will look different for everyone. But in a season of disorientation, the hope is that one grows from the experience into something new — rather than return to former ways. What […]