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Love the One You’re With
When February 1st hits, we know Valentine’s Day will soon be upon us. Walk into any store and you will see flowers, boxed chocolate hearts, and “I love you” cards, reminding us that “love day” is coming. Valentine’s Day is the one day of the year that reminds you to love the one you’re with. Yet, this shouldn’t be the only day of the year that we acknowledge and show love to your partner. Love your partner. Being intentional about finding ways to show your partner they matter each day of the year can go a long way in making your relationship deeper and more meaningful. Unfortunately, as a relationship…
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Online Therapy for Depression
If you are feeling depressed, you may wonder if online therapy is right for you. There are many benefits of online therapy for depression. Finding help can often be the turning point to help you get from hopeless to hopeful. What is depression? We all go through various struggles, losses, or events in our life, leading us to feel down, sad, or overwhelmed. However, depression is more than just feeling down. Depression can change how you think, feel, and act in your day to day life. It causes feelings of hopelessness or despair that won’t go away, inferring with your ability to work, sleep, eat, engage with others, and enjoy…
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Journal Through a Pandemic
When you’re stuck at home during a pandemic, where does your time go? A recent statistic stated the average number of hours Americans are streaming videos through mediums such as Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube is approximately 8 hours a day. Think about that for a moment: 8 hours a day! Kind of shocking right? In fact, Netflix added 15.77 million more subscribers globally this quarter, many of them added after the onset of quarantine. During this time it’s important to spend time unwinding. If streaming the latest video series helps you do that, then that’s okay. However, if you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed, streaming shows can become…
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Strategies for Working From Home
If you have been working for home over the past several weeks and have had some difficulty “getting in the swing of things”, just know it takes time to adjust to a new reality or routine. Working from home can be a great way to maintain social distancing while also being able to work. However, working for home is not without its challenges. Here are some strategies for working from home that may help you during this transition. Take Time to Exercise In times of increased stress, it’s important to give your body opportunities to release tension. One way of doing this is by exercise. Just taking a walk outside…
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How to Challenge Anxious Thoughts
Do you ever experience anxious thoughts you can’t escape? You are not alone. Many times we can get wrapped up in our head with our thoughts spinning out of control. And, instead of trying to find a way out or forward, we often dig down deeper into a hole of no return. When you find yourself struggling with anxiety, go back to your ABCs and take a moment to reflect about your situation before you react. Attention Notice what your mind is saying. The first step to being able to figure out everything that’s going on is to just start by noticing what you are actually thinking. Write your thoughts…
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Mental Health Checklist During Times of Uncertainty
Now, more than ever, it’s important to do things that support your physical and mental health as well. During times of uncertainty, it’s hard to know what you should be doing to maintain your mental health. Here are 9 things to do during this time to take care of yourself to be able to fully show up for the people who need you. I got out of bed and took a deep breath in and out Especially during this time, it’s important to make sure you are getting adequate rest. Many will experience “sleepless” nights during times of uncertainty. But, try to identify what may be contributing to your trouble…
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5 Calming Strategies for Any Age
Learning to calm and relax your body and mind is something we can all benefit from. Sometimes dealing with heightened emotions can leave our bodies and minds on edge. However, finding ways to relax can help us learn ways to regain control of our emotions and refocus our thoughts to the present moment. When feeling stressed or overwhelmed, there are two things to focus on: relaxing the body and calming the mind. Here are 5 calming strategies I have found beneficial. Take deep breaths The whole of our being is connected to our breath. In fact, breathing is essential to life. It is also the first thing to speed up…
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How to Have a Better Panic Attack
One thing I most appreciate is when I get to help people change their relationship to their panic attacks. The reality is that we can’t always make them stop. Sometimes our best bet is to learn how to get through them better. I wrote this because I and so many people I love, know what it’s like to suffer from panic attacks. I wrote this hoping to help diminish both the suffering and taboo of panic attacks. This is how it starts for me. My breath gets tight, I can’t focus and I can’t think. Oh no, oh no, oh no! It’s a panic attack. It literally feels like I…
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5 Ways to Prioritize Your Mental Health
Our mental and emotional health affects everything we do. If we are not in a good place mentally or emotionally, then we can’t fully show up in life. That’s why it is important to prioritize your mental health. Many individuals live very busy lives. This can often cause many to live life reactively instead of proactively. This means when something happens causing the world to turn upside down, only then do we prioritize things like our health or wellbeing. However, I encourage you to be proactive in taking care of your mental health instead of reactive. Here are 5 ways to do just that. Prioritize sleep. Quality sleep is essential to…