Recognizing the Warning Signs of an Eating Disorder

Today marks the first day of 2018 NEDAwareness Week (National Eating Disorders). Eating disorders are serious, potentially life-threatening illnesses and so it is essential to understand the recognize the true warning signs and symptoms. Our culture values and applauds a particular body type and it is cherished and celebrated on social media as well. It is imperative that you recognize the difference between a healthy and appropriate approach to food and weight and a compulsive and unhealthy one. Here are some signs and symptoms of an eating disorder...

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Understanding Why You Eat What You Eat

Food is all around you. You eat for enjoyment, when you are hungry, when you are bored, celebrating, sad; and the list goes on. Sometimes it is difficult to know WHY you are being pulled toward a particular food in a particular moment and end up eating “just because." Identifying the kind of hunger you are experiencing is an effective way to gauge your emotional versus physical hunger. Many times it can feel the same. Here are the 7 types of hunger, and some tips on how to stop an emotional eating episode before it starts...

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How to Tell When Your Mind is Playing Tricks on You

Did you ever have a thought that you absolutely believed to be true and it turned out that you blew it out of proportion, misinterpreted it, ignored the facts or simply got it wrong??

Probably, because this is super common!!  Sometimes, your mind might convince you of things that simply aren’t true. This is called cognitive distortion. If you have ever heard an underweight person claim they are "obese" or a person with a 4.0 GPA state that they have to "try harder," then you understand cognitive distortions. These statements are not based in reality but, rather, in ideas or thoughts or beliefs that are not facts. The mind is very powerful and, often times, it lies to you! Here are five common cognitive distortion “traps”...

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    How To Practice Mindfulness With Your Kids

    Do you ever wish there was an easy way to help your child feel “centered”? Do you practice many activities to “ground” yourself, but don’t know how to adapt them into kid-friendly activities? There are surprisingly many ways to make mindfulness easy and fun for children! Here are a few different ways you can practice mindfulness with your child...

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    Three Tips to Calm Your Mental Clutter

    Did you know that the average person has between 50,000-70,000 thoughts per day? Imagine if we each believed every thought we had. We would swing from one thought to the next every two seconds, and attempt to determine our states of being and potential action steps over 50,000 times a day. Sounds crazy, right? There’s a reason why Buddha called this “monkey mind”! Buddhists believe that if we tame the “drunken monkeys” or racing thoughts in our mind, we will achieve more inner peace. Here are 3 simple ways to calm your overactive (monkey) mind:

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    IMPROVE the Moment

    Life can be unpredictable. Things may be going well, and then out of nowhere, life throws you a curve ball. Or a series of curve balls. How do you keep your cool during these surprises? Everyone tends to act more impulsively, putting our emotions before our logic, when we are met with overwhelming circumstances. A dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) strategy called IMPROVE the Moment can help you manage difficult emotions during stressful situations and regulate your emotions in the present moment. Here's how it works...

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    How to Make Healthy Decisions This Year

    Often times, we may make impulsive decisions. We feel good about the positive choices we make, while we may regret other responses when looking back on them later. Did you know that we all have built-in tools for identifying, understanding, and using our emotions to improve our lives? You can stop repeating negative patterns and start making healthy decisions. Here are some tips to guide you this year…

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    Using PLEASE Master Skills to Maintain Emotional Control

    When people neglect their self care, they may become more emotionally vulnerable—meaning that more often, they get overwhelmed by negative emotions, engage in negative coping skills, and lash out at others impulsively. PLEASE Mastery is a practical skill that helps reduce emotional vulnerability. It enables people to better regulate their emotions and make positive choices. If you work on leading a balanced lifestyle, you are more likely to maintain emotional control during times of stress! This is how PLEASE Mastery Skills work:

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    3 Mental Health Boosters for 2018

    At the end of each year, many people like to reflect on accomplishments and potential improvements for next year. They take note of what they've succeeded at and what they can improve upon moving forward. Whether you call them goals or intentions, here are 3 tips that can benefit your mental health for the start of a new year...

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    4 Tips to Prevent Holiday Stress

    The holiday season can be merry for many people, but it can also be very stressful. All of the plans to make, gifts to give, and growing to-do list items can make life seem overwhelming! Or maybe this season reminds you of unpleasant memories from the past. Here are some helpful tips to reduce your holiday stress...

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    How to Overcome Emotional Eating in the New Year

    Eating is an essential part of our day. We can develop complex relationships with food because food plays such an integral role in our health and livelihood. Many people struggle with overeating or possibly emotional eating; they may eat mindlessly, or feel that they must finish their plate. Here are some tips to better understand emotional eating habits, and how to make some healthy, and hopefully lasting changes for 2018.

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    Group is more than just a social hour!

    GROUP IS MORE THAN JUST A SOCIAL HOUR.

    So much more!  Here are three reasons why group IS EFFECTIVE and how it HELPS....

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    Reduce your Teen’s Stress in the New Year

    According to a survey by the University of Phoenix, high schoolers spend an average of 3.5 hours on homework each night. Add in time for extracurricular activities, part time jobs, and a social life, and your teen likely has a jam-packed schedule. Excessive stress can lead to sleep deprivation, headaches, feeling anxious, and procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities altogether. Here are some helpful tips to reduce your teen’s stress in the upcoming year...

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    What to Expect during your First Therapy Session

    It can be scary and overwhelming to figure out how to start seeing a therapist and book your first therapy session. Seeing a therapist should be an experience that brings you comfort; it should give you a safe space to disclose your thoughts and emotions. Once you find a therapist of your choice, you may be offered a consultation call to ensure it’s the right fit for you. Here’s an idea of what to expect during your first therapy session.

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    Tips to Transition your Student Home for Thanksgiving Break

    Thanksgiving break often marks the first time that college students return home since the beginning of the fall semester; this can often be an anxiety-provoking and emotional experience for parents. Often, conflicts may occur when expectations collide and there is minimal communication about plans for the long weekend. Here are some tips to help make the Thanksgiving break a stress-free and enjoyable experience for everyone...

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    How to Eat Mindfully this Thanksgiving

    The holidays are just around the corner! They’re the time for great food, good times with family, celebration, and perhaps some stress as well. One thing that many people struggle with during this time of year is eating mindfully on Thanksgiving. With the abundance of delicious food at your family gather, it can be easy to overindulge and overeat. Here are some tips to help you keep yourself in check and be more mindful during this year's holiday meal...

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    Fighting the Winter Blues

    As the clock rolls back and as it gets darker earlier, many people begin to feel “down” and gloomy. It’s so easy to give in to the coldness and darkness of winter. But don’t lose hope! There are ways to fight your depressive symptoms in the wintertime. Whether you have seasonal affective disorder, or you just feel blue during the winter months, you should take a look at these simple suggestions...

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    4 Tips for Monitoring your Teen’s Online Life

    Today, teens are constantly on their phones.  They text friends, post to Snapchat, like each other’s Instagram posts, and scroll through their Facebook feeds.  It’s like their phones are attached to them—they simply cannot disconnect!  It’s hard for parents to keep up with their app profiles and online activity when there are so many apps that they use to connect to their peers and friends.  Parents want to make sure their teens are safe online, but it’s difficult to stay updated with the latest online trends.  Here are some tips to help you monitor your teen’s digital life.

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    How to Know When it’s Time to Worry about your Teen

    As a parent of a teenager, it can be extremely difficult to differentiate between typical teen behavior and atypical, problematic behavior. Teenage behavior can be challenging to deal with, but when does it become extreme? You may not know what is just a phase and what you should really be concerned about. Don’t panic—instead, use these simple techniques to figure it out...

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    Three Simple Tips to Help your Child Overcome Bullying

    October is National Bullying Awareness Month. According to Merriam-Webster, bullying is defined as abuse or mistreatment of someone vulnerable by someone stronger and more powerful. Unfortunately, bullying occurs far too often—according to the National Center for Educational Statistics, 20.8% of students reported being bullied, but 64% of children are bullied and do not report it. Bullying can make a child or teen feel isolated, shamed, anxious, or depressed. If you are worried that your child is struggling against bullies, read more about some simple tips for you to help...

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