hey. i know i don’t know you, but can i ask you something? are you sad? anxious? caught up in overthinking all the time? constantly feeling like you aren’t good enough? struggling with self-doubt and self-criticism and also just the bare minimum task of making it through the day and dealing with everything life throws at you (which, of course, seems easy for everyone else but not for you)?

do you feel overwhelmed by all the pain in the world (including your own) and even sometimes feel like it’s not worth it to be alive (especially with the way things are going in the world right now)? does it feel like you’re barely able to keep your head above water much of the time, let alone do anything to try to help make life even just a tiny bit more beautiful for yourself or anyone else?

does it break your heart that you think and feel so many of the above things so much of the time that you have virtually zero mental or emotional capacity left to just stop and look at the fucking moon — or read a poem, or have a really good late-night conversation with a friend — let alone be moved or changed by it (one of the things that makes life feel worth living, for you)?

do you wish more than anything that you could just get your mental health in good enough shape to let you be able to do all of those things (the moon, the poem, the conversation), even when life is really hard? like don’t you wish that, at least for a little while, even when you’re really struggling, you could get caught up in the beauty and wonder and magic of the world, instead of just caught up in those thoughts and feelings that sometimes make you feel like you don’t even want to be in it?

—

if any of this resonates with you, first of all i’m so sorry — i’ve spent most of my life feeling that way (and sometimes still do), so i know firsthand how truly hard it is. no one should have to go through that, not even you.

second, if these things do resonate with you, i’m really glad you’re here — because i can help you (in fact, it’s what i believe i am on this planet to do).

—

hi — i’m miles (they/them), aka the life sucks coach — a mental health coach and educator and spiritual care-giver here to help you learn how to cope better with life and all of its painful experiences, so you can make more room in it for beauty, magic, joy, connection, and wonder (the stuff of the soul/spirit that, in my opinion, makes life feel worth living).

through my classes and workshops, one on one support, my youtube channel, resource library, and more, i help people like you (and me!) learn and put into practice the skills, tools, and knowledge necessary to be able to live a life filled with as much of the good stuff as possible — the moon, the poem, the conversation! — even when life really sucks.

because if we don’t have that, what is the fucking point?

—

some of the skills, knowledge, and tools i teach to help you do this:

– self-compassion (even if you don’t like yourself)

– emotional awareness and regulation (what do i feel and what can i do to feel it less intensely?)

– recognizing and changing negative thought patterns (while recognizing and appreciating that they are trying to help you)

– learning to trust yourself (and something beyond yourself) to get through difficult or painful situations

– distress tolerance (how to stay present with pain)

– mindfulness (without the bullshit that often comes with it)

…and a handful more (don’t worry, there aren’t so many that it will overwhelm you and keep you from getting started — i’ve been there and i would never do that to you!).

while i teach on these topics through my free offerings (like my newsletter, articles on this website, and youtube channel), i share the full list of topics, dive into why i chose them and exactly how they help, plus teach you a quick and straightforward way to start putting some of them into practice right away to get some relief if you’re having a hard time mentally, emotionally, or spiritually, in the course i’m currently developing (name TBD!).

—

some of the things we’ll cover in this introductory course are:

– what we mean when we talk about psychological or emotional pain/distress, and how it’s similar to and different from physical pain

– the very important role pain plays in our survival and why we shouldn’t try to make it go away completely (including the difference between making room for the good vs toxic positivity)

– the difference between pain and our experience or perception of pain, and what that means for our mental and emotional well-being

– how and why painful and distressing experiences lead to things like anxiety, overthinking, perfectionism, self-criticism, and more, take front and center in our minds, and can easily take over our entire lives — and what to do about it

– my unique model for understanding the relationship between pain, the perception of pain, and beauty/magic/joy, and how they fit into our lives — and how to change the amount of space they each take up so we can make more room for beauty, joy, magic, connection, and wonder without diminishing or dismissing our pain

– steps you can take today to start practicing this “pain-management” skill, giving you some immediate relief from mental and emotional distress as soon as you try it

– and more.

i rely heavily on art, music, poetry, television shows, and more as vehicles for teaching and understanding, and hope to make the learning experience itself something full of beauty and joy.

—

i’m working very hard to finish this course for you as soon as possible; you’ll be able to sign up for it here as soon as it’s ready (hopefully no later than late fall 2024!).

in the meantime, please make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get updates.

i am very excited about this course and hope you are too.

(helpful articles on these topics to tide you over while you wait for the course are also coming soon!)

—

of course, i would never assume you feel like you know me well enough to trust that i can help you just from reading this single webpage, so how about this:

to learn more about me (and hopefully start building some more confidence in me) before you jump right into signing up for the course/updates, head to my about page.

then, follow me on instagram, youtube, and/or sign up for my newsletter to keep getting to know me.

finally, (or, if you want to just go ahead and assume i’m someone you can trust and get right to the good stuff), come back and sign up for the course when it’s open! 🙂

—

and hey, before you go, make sure to sign up for my newsletter either way — it’s full of so much helpful stuff for both mind AND spirit/soul. because i live with a chronic illness/mood disorder, it’s on a somewhat irregular schedule in terms of how often i send it out; but when it does show up in your inbox, i promise it will be one of the best things you’ll read that day (people have told me it’s one of the things they look forward to receiving the most).

i hope we’ll get to know each other and work together soon —

till then, take care of yourself.

miles