I spent my weekend with my monkeys!! Yes, I have monkeys! I love them! They are fun, easy to talk to, understanding, and loving. They lift me up and encourage me when times are tough. In the good, they rejoice with me. No one can make me laugh like my monkeys! Might I add that they are beautiful?!?!
So before you think I have officially gone off the deep end, let me explain.
I had the privilege to spend the weekend at The Women Of Faith Conference downtown. It was nothing less than amazing!!! I was blessed by hearing speakers tell about how they took their pain and made beauty out of their ashes. It was awesome!
On Friday, we listened to Henry Cloud, the author of the book that we highly recommend, “Boundaries”. He was fabulous, funny, and informative. He spoke about what factors into us obtaining what we “Imagine”. What helps us get there? One factor he focused on was being connected to others.
Without going into too much detail, he talked about a study done with monkeys. They were given various stressful situations. The monkeys that were with other monkeys released 1/2 the amount of stress hormones into their body! That proves that they handle stress better when they are not alone! This goes for us, too. Those suffering with depression, anxiety, stress, or major challenges will handle it better if they are not alone.
I completely agree with this and see it played out in my own life and in the lives of my clients. We all need that one person or a group of people who cheer us on and are on our side. They love us no matter how ugly we get or how funny we are.
I am so grateful for my monkeys! I hope you have monkeys, too. If you don’t, go get you some! And if you have one, thank your monkey today!!
Have a great week! Thanks for reading.
Written by Natalie Chandler
Natalie Chandler, MA, LMHC is a therapist at Imagine Hope Counseling Group. Natalie enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, and couples counseling. We also specialize in family counseling, child, and adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, and Zionsville.