"But that's not the way it's supposed to be!" is a common thing we say when our expectations fall short. It happens to all of us. Some members of myPHteam have found the practice of "allowing and letting be" in the midst of a trying to be a way to minimize anxiety or heaviness.

Mindfulness experts suggest a few ways that we can notice -- not push away -- how we feel during difficult moments. There are physical responses we can notice (heaviness in the shoulders, tightness in the chest), and we should also take note of our emotional responses to disappointment (blame, self-doubt, exasperation). These can be opportunities to realign our expectations and extend grace to ourselves.

Here are recent conversations from myPHteam:

• "When I'm feeling down I listen to my song and it helps give me the extra push to do something to get out of the slump. Meaning time to fight back and take back my life as much as I can."
• "My first step was to manage depression. Then I had to get control of my weight & think positive. Now I’m reinventing myself (the old life I can no longer do physically) = work in progress!"
• As a survivor of PH I will never forget my journey and every one of you will always be my PHamily. I will fight to help find a cure. One day there will be a cure. Don’t give up! Stay strong even on your worst days! There is a bigger plan for all of you! We got this!!

Share how you respond when things fall short of your expectations in the comments below or directly on myPHteam.com.