Contributor
Leandra Lehmann
Leandra Lehmann is a licensed Marriage and Family therapist and Art Therapist who believes creativity, mindfulness, physical health, community connection and self compassion are critical to promoting holistic healing. Her extensive community-based work with families and caregivers, and time as Head of People Ops in a start-up, informs her diverse interests which include trauma, social justice, women’s rights, stress management, self-care, and relationship building. She also draws from her experiences as a Third-Culture Kid from the Philippines and her passion for travel.
Recent Posts
Read this if you’ve been hard on yourself for how you’re coping with COVID-19
Coping with COVID-19 is a different journey for everyone. It's important to adjust your expectations to accommodate the unconscious ways in which this pandemic is impacting you. It's time to accept yourself for where you're at, and that where you're at can change week to week. Set small and achievable goals, and be learn to slow down and be more present with yourself. Right now, many of us may be fortunate to work safely from our homes, have comforts like T.V. and entertainment apps, and a diversity of foods to cook. Despite these relative comforts of our immediate environment, we are still being bombarded by change, loss, paradoxes, conflicts and uncertainty in our society and world- thank you COVID-19. Pervasive uncertainties exist over the future, when school will get back in session, when work will resume, what restaurants and businesses will close in our communities, whether we or people we know get the virus or not, who might get laid off from their jobs. We’re also experiencing the inner emotional conflict caused by experiencing so many multiple paradoxes: Mother nature is healing, and yet human beings are sick. We finally have time to spend with our families, and yet we’re encountering greater relational friction. We may have cherished time to reflect on our goals and yet the future is up on the air. We may feel gratitude and joy for the sanctuaries of our homes, and sadness and guilt for all the essential workers risking their lives. We can feel joy and sadness, and many different emotions at the same time, but this may feel hard and new to us- with these emotions more saliently or strongly felt. We also may be grieving who we used to be and our lives before. We may be grieving the energy and goals we had and we feel confusion by the changes we’re noticing in ourselves. Normal expectations just cannot apply, and it is enough to be doing the best we can. Here are 11 reminders to help you cope with self-compassion.
Accepting Our Messy Selves (Literally)
Your messy home tells a story about you— but it's not the one you think. Leandra shares why having a messy home is actually a sign that you have your shit together.
How to Conquer Self-Doubt During Interviews
Leandra's 13 tips for how you can conquer self-doubt, manage interview stress and doubt, and land the job you love. The key is not knowing everything, but believing in what you know now and your capabilities to know.
Embracing a Slower Mile
After Leandra injured her knee, she struggled to adjust to her new physical setbacks. Once she realized that it was her mindset that was holding her back, she was able to find the silver linings, get creative about her workouts, and find sustainable solutions.
How to Be Okay Without Knowing
Even as a therapist, Leandra struggles with the unknowns in her life. Here are her 10 tips for how to get comfortable with uncertainty and to prevent worry from spiraling into anxiety.
When Your Friends Say No
After a flood of friends had to say "no" to Leandra, she realized she needed to reflect on her discomfort. In this article she offers some advice on how to get comfortable with your friends' boundaries.
When Your Family Objectifies You
Almost every one of us has had a family member comment about the way we look. Leandra shares insights on how to take action against those who are objectifying you while protecting your family dynamics, and while keeping their good intentions at heart.
Learning to Put Yourself First
After leaving a high-stress job that had Leandra making work calls at 10 pm, staying at the office late, missing lunch breaks, and feeling pushed into a role she didn't want to be doing, she finally rediscovered how to say "no."
How to Let Your Inner Perfectionist Take a Break
Leandra's 5 tips for how to let your inner perfectionist take a break— without losing your ambition.