Relationships are emotional roller coasters. They make us feel anxious, frustrated, and upset. What causes us to feel certain ways during times of conflict or quiet moments? One factor is your attachment style. There are three attachment styles, according to attachment theory: anxious, avoidant, and secure. Which attachment style resonates most with you, and what can it tell you about your feelings in your relationships? Dive in…
Read MoreDo you find it tough to stay focused, or to get your kids to stay focused? It’s hard for us all to maintain our attention, especially when there are plenty of distractions around us. Our phones are going off with notifications, our kids are vying for our attention, and our worries are pulling us from the present moment. How can we stay on task when there are so many things fighting for our attention? The key is to concentrate on just one thing: the task at hand that’s right in front of you. Mindfulness techniques can help you do just that! Mindfulness is all about being present in the moment. If you can be present, you can focus more easily. Here are some tips to help you avoid distractions and actually get things done…
Read MoreThink back to the last time you were disappointed. Maybe it was when you didn’t do as well as you expected on a test, when your friend cancelled on you, or when things didn’t turn out as planned. Disappointment is a difficult feeling to grapple with. It’s not pleasant, but it’s certainly helpful if you can learn to recognize what it’s telling you. Disappointment can lead to difficult, yet important thoughts like “Am I not good enough?” “Why me?” and “How can this turn out better next time?” Not to mention, disappointment is inevitable; it will appear from time to time, whether we like it or not. Therefore, learning to cope with disappointment is a necessary skill to handle life’s ups and downs. Here are some tips to help you manage disappointment as it arises…
Read MoreFor many people, feelings of anxiety can be overwhelming. It’s one thing if you feel anxious from time to time—but how do you tell the difference between feeling anxious and dealing with an anxiety disorder? Symptoms of anxiety can interfere with your life if you experience them on a regular basis, or they can make you feel uncomfortable even in doses. By recognizing when you’re experiencing anxiety, you can determine its impact on your day-to-day routine. Here are a few questions to ask yourself or a loved one. While it’s not a foolproof “anxiety screener,” it can help you identify your anxiety and better understand when it may be time to seek help…
Read MoreWith the new year comes new goals. We have the intention of being healthier, cultivating stronger relationships, and pursuing our interests in the year ahead, amongst others. It’s important to be ambitious as you pursue and accomplish your goals. But sometimes, you can overwhelm yourself with too many goals or drain yourself trying to meet goals that are unrealistic. The stress and anxiety can make it even more challenging to see things through, and it may lead you to abandon your goals altogether. So, how can you achieve realistic goal setting for 2023? Here are some pointers…
Read MoreThe end of the year is a time of reflection. It’s a time to look back on how we’ve changed, learned, and grown. We like to think about what we’ve accomplished this year and what we can improve upon in the year to come. We all have areas of our lives that we would like to enhance, whether it be our health, our relationships, our careers, or how we spend our time. By being self-aware and checking in with ourselves, we can make a plan to be an even better version of ourselves in the year ahead. It’s helpful to focus on the one or two areas of your life that you most want to improve instead of taking on everything at once. Here are some helpful prompting questions to get you started…
Read MoreThanksgiving is the perfect reminder to be thankful. It’s an opportunity to reconnect with loved ones, shared memories and a warm meal together, and think about all of the little things we’re grateful for. But the holiday season shouldn’t be the only time we do this! Year-round gratitude can help boost your mood, your energy, your overall health, and so much more. So as we head into a long winter ahead, consider making gratitude a daily practice. We’ll show you easy ways to incorporate gratitude into your life. It’s not as hard as you’d think!
Read MoreHave you ever felt stuck in a therapy session? Have you felt like you weren’t getting what you need or wanted? This is NORMAL and this is okay. If it happens once in a blue moon, it may not be a problem. But if it’s occurring more and more often, then it’s important to address it head-on. What can you do to figure out what’s going on and what you can do to get what you need from therapy? We’ll walk you through it…
Read MoreIn moments of fear and panic, you may not know what to do. Your mind is racing, your heart is beating rapidly, and you may start to sweat in response to the intense emotions. You may not realize it, but you have a tool handy at all times to reduce these powerful—and at times, overwhelming—emotions. You don’t need to pack it with you, because it automatically goes wherever you go. What is this tool, this key to soothing fear and panic? It’s your breath. Your breath is your lifeline. It sustains you without you even thinking about it, and it can help you in times of crisis too. Your breath can help regulate your body physically, mentally, and emotionally. All you have to do is be mindful of it. Here’s how it works…
Read MoreDo you ever find yourself jumping to a worst-case scenario or the worst possible conclusion? Do you ever feel like you are a failure if you received a low letter grade on one test, or received a little negative feedback at work? Maybe you and your partner got into a fight, and you immediately think that they are going to break-up with you? It’s more common that you think for people to experience these distortions in thought, or what’s referred to as a cognitive distortion. Cognitive distortions often lead to stronger emotional reactions than we’d like. Luckily, we have the power to control these cognitive distortions and in turn, minimize our emotional reactions. How can we do this? Let’s dive in…
Read MoreMeditation is a centuries-old practice that has recently made its way into the mainstream. An increasing number of people are practicing meditation at home and in groups. There are countless apps and videos claiming to undo your stress and unwind your mind. But how effective is meditation and how can you utilize this tool to help with daily stress and anxiety? Let’s dive in…
When you’re battling a mental health issue such as depression or bipolar disorder, it can be hard to maintain proper hygiene. Depression may make it difficult for people to get out of bed and face the day, let alone shower and brush their teeth. On the opposite end, anxiety and OCD can cause people to obsess over hygiene on a daily basis. But what role does hygiene really play with our mental health? How important is it to set up physical hygiene check ups with ourselves? And how can we strike a healthy balance with hygiene in our lives? Let’s explore…
Read MoreWhether you’re currently struggling with a mental health issue, or you just want to build upon your skills, everyone’s looking for ways to improve their mental health. You might think of joining a yoga class, signing up for a meditation group, or participating in another activity that brings you peace. However, you may not always have the time to do these activities consistently. This is where apps can be super helpful. Within the palm of your hand, you can have a variety of tools to boost your mental health, whether you have an hour on a weekend or 5 minutes at the end of a busy work day. Here are some apps that can help you on your mental health journey…
Read MoreIf you struggle with anxiety or if you have ever felt overwhelmed, you may know some tricks to calm yourself down. A common tactic is to hold your hand over your chest and apply pressure, which reminds yourself to stay grounded and acts as a soothing gesture. If you’d like to amplify this calming affect, try using a weighted blanket! Weighted blankets can be very helpful to people who struggle with anxiety, panic attacks, sensory overload, and more because they are a form of pressure therapy. Applying pressure to your body, like when you hold your hand on your chest, contributes towards feelings of calm. Here’s some additional information on weighted blankets and their benefits…
Read MoreDo you find yourself glancing at the clock and wishing you could finally fall asleep? Do you lay in bed ruminating over the day’s events or worrying about that meeting tomorrow? Are you spending too much time on social media when you should be sleeping? If the answer to any of the above is yes, then you may not be getting enough sleep. Sleep is essential for both our physical and mental health. It aids in immunity and our ability to cope with stress. So what can we do to improve our quality of sleep? Here are some tips to improve your sleep hygiene…
Read MoreDo you ever feel like your relationships aren’t going well for you? Do you find that you give in more often than not? Do you tend to have a passive role in your relationships? No matter what kind of relationship you’re struggling with, don’t worry! It can be challenging to ask for what you want or to find the courage to say “no” when you’re uncomfortable. If you’re looking for a way to improve your assertiveness, try using the DEARMAN skill! It’s an interpersonal effectiveness DBT skill, which means that it’s designed to help you communicate better with others. It teaches you how to calmly and effectively ask and receive. Let’s learn about how it works…
Read MoreAnxiety can creep in at the most inconvenient times—like when you’re in class, when you’re out with friends or when you’re out and about in any public space. Anxiety can barge into your mind, seize the direction of your thoughts, and transport you far away from the present in an anxious tailspin. This disruption of your thoughts can pull you away from enjoying the present moment or even being able to concentrate on the task at hand. If you find yourself struggling with anxious thoughts, try practicing these grounding techniques to bring your attention back to the present…
Read MoreEvery moment of every day, you’ll find a number of things fighting for your attention at once. Whether it’s your phone going off with another notification, your children asking for you, or your co-worker sending you a question via email, it’s understandably tough to stay on task. With so many distractions, your attention is often split between multiple things at once. When your attention is divided, you’re not as focused in the moment. How can you focus on what’s right in front of you, avoid distractions, and actually get things done? Try using mindfulness to cultivate your attention and enhance your experiences. Let’s explore how to go about this…
Read MoreDealing with anxiety can be an overwhelming experience. Symptoms of anxiety can interfere with your life if you experience them on a regular basis, or they can make you feel uncomfortable even in doses. Luckily, recognizing when you’re experiencing anxiety and identifying when to ask for help can make a huge difference in your mental health. Consider these four ways to identify when it may be time to seek out help…
Read MoreMay is Mental Health Awareness month and raising awareness starts with you. Did you know that asking for therapy is one of the best things you can do for yourself or a family member? You might even call it a superpower! Think about it: you wouldn’t hesitate to treat a physical illness like a broken bone. Mental health is no different! Therapy is an opportunity to explore who you are while taking control of your own mental health and wellness. Here are some key reasons why asking for therapy can be so worthwhile...
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