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...

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...

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”...

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...

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…

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:

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...

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.

4 Simple and Quick Self-Care Strategies

When life gets very busy, you may feel like you can't take time to de-stress—there’s so much to do! However, ignoring your self-care routine can make you feel run down and burnt out. Instead, you should make time for simple strategies to improve your overall well-being, even if it just for a few minutes each day. Here are some quick and easy ways to practice self-care for when you are on-the-go...

Adding a Dose of Mindfulness to Your Life

Mindfulness is living in the moment and focusing on your current experience. Although it seems like a trend or buzzword, mindfulness is evidence-based and has been studied to reduce negative physical and mental symptoms as well as improve overall well-being. Here are some tips and tools for integrating mindfulness into your routine....

4 Sweet and Healthy End-of-Summer Snacks

Helpful tips, Mindful eating, Self-improvementEmily ZemanAugust 20, 2017snacks, healthy lifestyle, health, nutrition, recipes, sweet

How to Enjoy a “Brief Vacation”

Helpful tips, Relaxation, Self-improvementTessa Vining, LCSW, LCADCAugust 6, 2017summer, vacation, relaxation, DBT

3 Apps to Boost Your Mindfulness and Your Health

When your life is busy and there are too many things to do in one day, it can be difficult to find time for improving your mindfulness and your health. In this time of technology, there is a new way to supplement the support of your therapist or doctor: apps! Consider downloading these apps to help you achieve your health goals.

Eight Summer Songs to Cheer You Up

Summer is the time of year to get outdoors and enjoy some well-deserved downtime. Sometimes, the free time and changing family schedule can make you feel depressed. If you feel down or bored this summer, try listening to Buzzfeed’s playlist of uplifting songs from over the years. Here are some suggestions...

Four Life Skills Every Emerging Young Adult Needs to Know Now

Transitions can be difficult for adolescents and parents, so the transition to adulthood is definitely no exception! It’s important for your child to feel comfortable talking to you about some of his or her stressors, anxiety, fears and worries about the transition. Autonomy can be simultaneously liberating, scary and challenging.

Here are 4 Life Skills for your emerging young adult to practice and master in order to help make the transition smoother:

Five Steps toward Grieving a Loss

Grieving a loss is a process that we will all experience at some point in our lives. The most obvious form of grieving is for a dying or deceased loved one, including a pet. However, loss can occur in areas other than in death such as when receiving a health diagnosis, during the end of a union, or even when an experience doesn't measure up to your expectations. Here are five steps toward grieving any loss....

Four No-Cost Ways for Busy Moms to De-Stress

Do you ever feel like no matter how much you do during the day, it still isn't enough? Life can be stressful, especially when you have kids. Whether you are a mom to a colicky newborn, or a mom of three, it's easy to let stress build up and feel like you have little time to yourself.

Here are 4 easy ways for busy moms to de-stress - and it won't cost a thing!:

4 Easy Responses for When your Child says, "I'm Bored!"

Any parent that has a child who can speak has heard the familiar phrase, "i'm bored!" The first thing a parent might think is "I wish I had time to be bored!" and an easy response could be, "go play." Then you might get a dreaded retort such as, "there's nothing to play" or "I played everything already." This scenario is frustrating for sure. What is a parent to do when faced with these words?

Read on to learn four easy responses...

Three Action Steps to Help You Achieve Your Goals

We all have been overwhelmed from time to time by the amount of items on our "to-do" lists or by what we perceive as responsibilities that feel like mountains to climb. Often, we don't complete tasks or meet goals when we feel discouraged or defeated, or generally weary.

Read on for 3 action steps to help you achieve your goals...

3 Tips for Avoiding Burn Out

If you are not intentional about taking care of yourself, you may end up feeling burned out. Burnout can be defined as “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation, usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration” (Merriam Webster).

Some of the signs of burn out include: poor concentration, exhaustion, insomnia, irritability, fatigue, anxiety, depression, loss of appetite, and lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed. Read on for some helpful tips for avoiding burn out...

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