If you are like most people, you are doing your best to stay calm during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are days or hours when you feel calm. You may be embracing the positives of “social distancing” or enjoying working from home. At other times, it can be difficult to manage the stress and anxiety. Concerns […]
5 Ways to Effectively Manage Anxiety
If you suffer from anxiety, you know that awful feeling when heart races, you start to sweat, and you feel like you just want to run. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common form of mental illness in the United States, affecting roughly 40 million adults. While […]
Five Minutes to Better Mental Health: Gratitude and the Brain
Five Minutes to Better Mental Health: Gratitude and the Brain Gratitude is derived from the Latin word ‘gratia’, meaning gratefulness or thankfulness. When we express gratitude and receive the same, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for well-being and contentment. The practice of gratitude encourages your brain to seek out more […]
How to Set Healthy Boundaries
Relationships can only be healthy when both people have the space to be themselves and maintain their personal integrity. Sadly, many people find themselves in relationships, romantic and otherwise, with people who do not respect boundaries and feel entitled to have their needs met regardless of the other person’s. These people most likely grew up […]
3 Ways to Minimize Seasonal Depression
Seasonal depression, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD for short, is a form of depression that typically impacts people during the winter months, when exposure to sunlight and temperature changes naturally occur. Research indicates that about six percent of the American population, primarily those people living in northern states, suffers from SAD. It is […]
Is Social Media Bad for Your Mental Health?
Have you been feeling a bit low lately, but you can’t quite put your finger on why? It may have something to do with your social media habits. According to a recent study, social media use can increase depression and loneliness. For years people have suspected that social media use might have an ability to […]
Pets Are Better Than Medication
“Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them, and filling an emptiness we didn’t ever know we had.” – Thom Jones For many of us, our home is just a house unless there is something with four legs and a tail sharing the space with us. Our pets are not only cuddly […]
Coping with Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a major depressive disorder that occurs during the same season each year. Also known as the “winter blues,” SAD typically comes on in the fall and winter, when the light is diminished. SAD is believed to affect nearly 10 million Americans and is four times more common in women […]
How to Deal with Loneliness Around Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s day is just around the corner. For many people that means celebrating with their spouse or partner and showing them extra love and attention. But for others, Valentine’s Day is a sad reminder that they are single, in an unhappy relationship, or perhaps grieving the recent loss of their significant other. If you are […]
Post-Baby Disconnect? 3 Ways to Stay More Connected After Having a Baby
No matter how many times they were warned, few new parents are prepared for the life-changing event of the birth of their first child. No more sleeping in on Saturday, then heading to your favorite restaurant for brunch with friends. These leisurely activities are replaced with sleepless nights and endless diaper changes. It’s no surprise […]