Blog | Dr. Amy Johnson

Why I Don’t Feel Proud for Ending my Habit?

I am unbelievably grateful that I am no longer caught up in my former binge eating habit. But when someone asked me last week if I was proud of myself for leaving it behind, the question caught me off guard. I don’t feel proud at all. Pride isn’t the right word.Pride puts me in the picture

That Thing your Mom Always Said about You? It wasn’t Actually about You.

I recently spoke with a woman who was holding herself back because she was afraid that if she was too successful, she would make others uncomfortable. It was the old “Who do you think you are?” mentality—who did she think she was to do big things in life?Those weren’t her thoughts or her questions. They

Problems Don’t Have Roots

Problems don’t have roots. They aren’t deep-seated.Just the opposite is true, actually. Any and all problems you might have are—relatively speaking–quite shallow. They are right there on the surface, created by (and existing completely within) the current moment in which you experience them.When the thought that brought those problems to the surface fades—as all thoughts do—the

An End to Anxiety: A Four Week Course for a More Relaxed Life

Starting in April, anxiety coach Kelli Walker and I will be teaching a 4 week course to help you understand and transcend anxiety.Kelli and I have both been there in a big way. Panic disorder, agoraphobia, compulsions…you name it. We both went through periods of being afraid to leave the house, living in chronic anxiety. And we’re both comfortably on

Clearing the Internal Slate: Feelings Aren’t Permanent

One of my favorite experiments to suggest is for people to watch their internal slate clear. So Mary notices herself nervous about her job interview. In the thick of her nerves, they are all she can feel. Then, she notices at some point mid-interview…or maybe it’s after the interview…that she feels different. Calmer. A bit later

How you are Different From, and also Exactly like, Everyone Else

Human beings are all the same. We are also extremely different.See, all humans have the same basic nature. We’re working from one universal operating system, just like 1000 people who have a brand new iphone. Before pictures, apps, and downloads start happening, those 1000 phones are the same. Fresh out of the box, humans are largely

The Mental Calming Effect of Commitment

Meet Dave. When Dave was dating his girlfriend Debbie, he had a lot of complaints about her.Dave said Debbie was negative. She never saw possibilities, only problems. She expected too much of him.Dave said Debbie was hard to live with at times. And yet, something kept Dave hanging on.In time, Dave asked Debbie to marry him.

The Brain is Fascinating, but Don’t Stop There

The human brain is a pretty incredible organ, as far as organs go. It is a remarkable, complex piece of machinery.And, it is a physical thing we can touch, observe and understand. Although we now know that it can change throughout life, it is still somewhat fixed, already formed, and bound by certain physical-world limitations.It’s

Why? Is a Natural Question, but not Always a Helpful One

Everyone wants to know why. Why do I keep doing that? Why don’t I get it yet? Why do I feel this way?Why is a natural question. We’re curious…so we wonder why. Even more than that, we believe we need to know why so that we can solve our problems. Our problems look formidable and solid,

Waiting to See what you Might Do

There is an idea I’ve been playing with lately—especially in the midst of visionaries, New Years’ resolution-ers, and game-planners. It’s the idea of waiting to see what you might do. Waiting to see what you might do is in contrast to deciding what to do. It’s the opposite of mentally making a choice, or coming down