Izolda Trakhtenberg, Storyteller

Playwright, Author, Director, Podcaster

about

Writer, speaker, singer, educator

Category: anxiety

  • If not this door, another door … How to listen to that universal voice

    Whew! the universe just keeps nudging us in the right direction, doesn’t it? Sometimes, it’s driving and hitting all the right lights. Sometimes, it’s having events that you didn’t really want to do get canceled at the last minute therefore freeing you up to go do what you really want and ought to be doing…

  • Want More Time? Turn to Focus, Schedules, and Dedication

    I have been thinking a lot of about time in the last few days. I have embarked upon a new meditation practice. I’m starting small and dedicating only ten minutes a day (five in the morning and five in the evening). The time allotment might seem too short for some, but it has a purpose.…

  • Moving Beyond Terror. First Step: Breathe

    Anyone who has ever worked with me, in any teaching capacity, knows my first act when teaching is to get everyone to stop and breathe. Whether I am working with fourth graders or NASA scientists, I always say the following: “Before we start, I’m going to ask you all to stand on up …” and…

  • We Are With You – On supportive creative communities

    Yesterday, I facilitated my “Present Out Loud” workshop at Balticon (the Maryland Regional Science Fiction/Fantasy convention). The workshop is on how to present/read your work at bookstore events, interviews, audio narrations, and workshops. We worked on breath technique, voicing, characterization, and how to differentiate your narrator from your characters and their dialogue. But mostly, we…

  • Productivity Tuesday: Feel Free to Forgive Yourself

    Sometimes, despite our best efforts to be productive and to complete projects on time, we get overwhelmed. Too many deadlines loom. Too many to-do items beckon. Too much has to be done right this instant.I just had this happen yesterday. I returned from a weekend away to a mountain of projects that ballooned into emergencies…

  • They all say to stop and breathe, but how exactly do we do it?

    Oh my goodness there are a ton of posts on mindfulness, meditation, and anxiety reduction. Almost all of them have some form of, “stop, be still, and breathe to calm yourself.” It’s great advice. And it works. The trouble is, how do you stop, be still, and breathe when you might be scared, anxious, nervous,…

  • It's time to clean house!

    Today’s cards: Nine of Rods, Eight of Cups, Two of Swords. Even though I am about to go hike a few miles with the dog, really today is about what I need to do on the inside. It’s time to Go Within. Oh and it’s not just about your internal monologue and kicking its butt…

  • Ah, the mystery! (or what jumped out of your anxiety closet this morning?)

    Today’s cards: King of Cups, King of Swords, Four of Cups. Ah, the mystery! Today’s big question is, what aren’t you seeing that’s right in front of your face? To me, the Four of Cups is about not seeing/sensing the obvious. It’s right there plain as day but for some reason, it remains elusive. So,…