Hey friend!   2026 is here. A new year can bring welcoming energy for a fresh start. Sometimes we unknowingly pressure ourselves to reinvent ourselves or get better, which actually dampens our energy and replaces it with anxiety. I felt myself relax when I heard Sam Yo, Buddhist monk turned Peloton instructor, offer this:   In the monastery, there wasn't reinvention. There was just returning again and again to what was already there. Growth doesn't start with becoming someone

I wake up bored, concerned about how I'm going to spend the day, how to make it different from yesterday. How to expend enough energy so...

Dear Jim/Dad/Papa, I’m remembering today how you came into my life when I was 5. So funny that you’d been my father’s cardiology...

The rave reviews speak for themselves: See this movie! Like all things Pixar, the two Inside Out movies equally entertain and educate...

Toby Keith and Tracey O'Connell, MD getting through hard times together

Written by Tracey O'Connell, MD, Certified Expressive Writing Facilitator Expressive writing is more than journaling What makes you an ideal candidate for expressive writing? Maybe you have something you're thinking about or worrying about way too much. Perhaps you've deliberately tried to not think about this series of events or event. But you're dreaming about it at night, or it's affecting your life in an unhealthy way. It's interfering with your ability to calm down. Mayb

By Tracey O'Connell, MD, Educator & Coach When people don't agree, there's either tension or a difficult conversation. Sometimes we think...

If you’re wondering “when will I love myself,” you’ll definitely benefit from listening to episode #258 of the We Can Do Hard Things...

People talk about desires, wants, and values. ⁣Where do needs fit in?⁣ How do you know what your needs are?⁣ ⁣ As an unhappy physician, I...

Feeling lost? It’s been a weird few weeks for many I know. ⁣ ⁣ While on vacation, I found myself connecting with people I never expected...

Happy July, from my garden to you!⁣ ⁣Where are you finding beauty and joy in your life these days? Are you seeking them?⁣ ⁣What motivates...

Hey! A few weeks back I posted this graphic on social media stating “my top two values are integrity and freedom.”⁣ ⁣Fast forward two...

As a recovering hyper-achiever, pleaser, and perfectionist, it was a BIG DEAL to learn how to do things less intensely in my life. ⁣I...

Does this possibility scare you? Maybe you’re sad because you’ve spent years trying to find the “right” person to “complete” you. Maybe...

I’m obsessed with my dog, Mocha. He’s injured now, and it’s really taken a toll on me. ⁣ ⁣ My baby’s always had luxating knee caps but...

Ever noticed that just when you think you’ve got everything figured out, something changes and you feel like you’re back to square one?⁣...

If you haven’t already read Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo, I highly recommend it. ⁣ ⁣Knowing how much I love the...

We don’t want to be honest about our imperfections because no one taught us the skills to cope with feeling bad about ourselves. In her...

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/awareness-deep-emotional-struggles-healthcare-we-need-tracey If you're a healthcare provider and you aren't struggling with your mental health, I'd love for you to contact me personally to let me know how you're coping so well. I've struggled personally with my mental health over the years and know life would've been so much easier, with so much less heartache, anguish, and physical pain, if there'd been more openness in the medical community b

I'd found my journal from 10 years prior & it scared the shit out of me:⁣ It seemed I’d been frozen in time as my inner thoughts & fears were on repeat, not changing one bit since they were first recorded. ⁣ ⁣I’ve written about this before but it bears repeating. It was much more enlightening telling my own self I needed to come up with a new plan than anyone else telling me to. ⁣ ⁣I’d been struggling with anxiety & depression for more than 10 years, all the while on meds &