There is bad news and good-- no, actually, fantastic news.

I'll give you the bad news: first, If you missed it somehow still, life can be bumpy. Like a mid 2000s Chevy Express, no shocks bumpy. The fundamental issue is that we live our lives wanting things to go a certain way (my way!) and try to avoid anything not going our way (that goshdarn pothole-filled highway).

Way, way back, this made sense. Survival instinct and avoiding danger were imperative for our distant ancestors.

But today, our same reflexes that used to warn of imminent danger now actually lead to toxic stress. As a student, it would be dandy if you get all A's, win lots of competitions, are constantly adored by your teachers, peers, and family, and win at life. But life isn't like that. Eventually, we all make mistakes, are hurt, and get hurt. Life will only sometimes go 'our way.' Inevitably, from time to time, the proverbial sh$t will hit the fan. At such moments, we can get wrapped up in stories of guilt, blame, should've, would've, and feel like not enough. Queue stress.

The fantastic news: Life is full of craziness. But rather than playing wack-a-mole blindfolded and getting exhausted in attempting to bat away your troubles, and those poor moles, you can learn how to take off the blindfold and invite those tired moles to come have a snack with you. Mindfulness trains you to change how you relate to those situations and, importantly, to yourself when life serves up sour lemons. We can get out of the catastrophizing vortex of the stories we are telling ourselves (this test is the end of me! I'm doomed!). So you’re not going to be able to change the roads you’re driving on (life), or the vehicle (body) you’re in, but oh yes, we can add suspensions and get an excellent mechanic to work magic. Potholes are there, but you can feel them much less. And it all starts with breathing in, knowing you're breathing in, and breathing out, and knowing you're breathing out. More how-to next time.