Consent Preferences

Stress

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How Diet Impacts Anxiety (& Stress)

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How Diet Impacts Anxiety (& Stress)

With juggling many responsibilities including work, family, friends, and other responsibilities, it is easy to feel fatigued and overwhelmed. We know practicing self-care is important however at times can be difficult when having so much to do. One of the ways to cope with stress and anxiety is through our diet, via healthy eating. When stressed or anxious we are often consuming a lot of quick, unhealthy foods that only make us feel worse. We often feel these foods make us feel better, however stress-eating has been shown to be an ineffective coping strategy that can actually cause us to feel more anxious, moody and fatigued.

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The Power of Connection: Social Supports as a Tool to Improved Mental Health

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The Power of Connection: Social Supports as a Tool to Improved Mental Health

Part of our ability to problem-solve and identify coping strategies in the moment, is the ability to analyze feelings in the moment and rethink negative thoughts. However, this isn’t as easy as it sounds. When experiencing negative thoughts and emotions, we often need the help from others, our support network, to cope. Have stable people in our support networks is crucial for our overall mental health.

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Mindfulness & Stress Reduction (At Work)

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Mindfulness & Stress Reduction (At Work)

Caring for your mental health is as important as caring for your physical health however emotional well-being is often overlooked in the workplace. It’s a challenge to manage work-related stress while also taking care of oneself. Mindfulness is one way to prioritize our mental health while reducing work-related stress.

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Goal-Setting and Goal-Adjustment: Making Use of the Four R’s to Establish Goals

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Goal-Setting and Goal-Adjustment: Making Use of the Four R’s to Establish Goals

We are always changing, and our lives are always evolving. Whether on a small or large scale we are constantly facing various stressors, challenges, different viewpoints and other situations that enact change. Some change occurs because we choose it, or we have some control over it, other times this change is out of our control. How does change impact our goals if we are ever-changing? Settings goals often serves as a motivator, it contributes to our emotional and physical health and allows us to find a sense of purpose. However, we often struggle to keep consistent with the goals we set. It’s so hard to predict what the future holds for each of us, and how our plans might need to shift or can be impacted by potential challenges in the future. While this feels like a lot to take on and consider, one solution to this concern is: goal adjustment..

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Trauma & Resilience In Present Times: Trauma and Racism Within Social Media

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Trauma & Resilience In Present Times: Trauma and Racism Within Social Media

With so much content across social media around the pandemic and ongoing protests as well as outcries amongst systemic racism and police brutality, it’s important to understand the impact this has on one another and how this may exacerbate ongoing trauma responses.

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Mental Health Resources for Black Individuals During This Time

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Mental Health Resources for Black Individuals During This Time

It is crucial during this time to create healthy boundaries and engage in self-care. This looks different for all whether this be dancing, crafts, cooking, gardening, spiritual or religious practices, and many others. Limiting social media and news activity may be helpful in engaging in self-care, as well as breathing exercises and other mindful techniques to reduce anxiety and process difficult feelings. Self-care is crucial during this time, here are a few resources from the NAMI list of health resources for the black community.

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Social Media & Chronic Trauma: The Impact of Police Brutality and Social Media Imagery on Mental Health

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Social Media & Chronic Trauma: The Impact of Police Brutality and Social Media Imagery on Mental Health

As protestors continue to take to the streets across the country, highlighting ongoing systemic racism, social media is amplifying these messages. Videos and photos depicting police violence toward protestors such as shooting them with rubber bullets, driving cruisers into crowds, and throwing tear gas at protestors can be viewed daily, across social media platforms. According to research, while this imagery shines light on racism and aims to bolster efforts in fighting it, the explosion of content can also cause and reinforce trauma, especially for black people. Trauma and the possibility of symptoms of PTSD can occur due to the accumulation of experiences of racism and discrimination.


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Understanding Mental Health and Racial Trauma

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Understanding Mental Health and Racial Trauma

It is reported that 20% of Black Americans are more likely to report symptoms of psychological distress than their white counterparts (MHA, 2020). Black teenagers are also more likely to attempt suicide than their white counterparts, and Black Americans are more likely to be victims of serious violent crimes than white Americans - thus leading to symptoms fulfilling criteria for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (MHA, 2020). Racialized trauma plays a large role in these astounding numbers and the ongoing cycle of violence so many experience.


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Racial Inequality & Brain Development

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Racial Inequality & Brain Development

Ongoing media coverage and public outcry among many upsetting incidents across our country have sparked rage, anger, sadness, and action across not only our country, but the world. Conversations around race relations and biases within ourselves and the justice system, against individuals of color have been building and growing. From George Floyd to Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown and other lesser known cases such as the beating of homeless grandmother Marlene Pinnock, psychology is an important topic within the discussion on racial inequality and racial biases in America.

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Skills for Managing Anxiety: Diaphragmatic Breathing

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Skills for Managing Anxiety: Diaphragmatic Breathing

One of the best ways to reduce anxiety is using a tool all of us have in our tool belts of skills all of the time: breathing. However, while breathing is something we all do, every day, there are certain types of breathing that help reduce anxiety and the more you practice them, the easier it is to use in difficult moments. Diaphragmatic breathing is one technique that can be beneficial for reducing anxiety.

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Frozen in Fear: Understanding the “Freeze” Response within Anxiety

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Frozen in Fear: Understanding the “Freeze” Response within Anxiety

Everyone has heard of the concept of “fight or flight” before. We know that when we perceive a threat exists (whether real or imagined) our sympathetic nervous system awakens. We’ve all had those moments where we experience a surge of adrenaline and our heart beats fast, our breathing quickens, muscles tense, etc. In this moment, our brains are evaluating whether the danger is real or not and whether you will stand up to it (fight) or run away (flight). However, there is a third option to the fight or flight response that we don’t talk about as often and this is “freeze”. We will explore this response, the benefits of this, as well as ways to reduce the impact this has on our bodies and minds.

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Self-Care During Social Distancing

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Self-Care During Social Distancing

As the pandemic continues and the way we typically work and play has changed drastically, we are spending more time at home, away from our friends and family. With limited social connection and disruption of routines, there will be an adjustment period for all. Prioritizing your self care during this time is crucial for your mental health and will help reduce stress and anxiety, boost your mood, and support your overall health and wellness.

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Supporting Mental Health for Healthcare Workers

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Supporting Mental Health for Healthcare Workers

Studies report that healthcare workers are and will continue to experience psychological distress along with symptoms of anxiety and depression, managing the many stressors they face on the frontlines and how this impacts their daily lives. How can we support healthcare workers? Here are a few strategies to care for you or a loved one’s mental health at this time, especially if you are working on the frontlines.

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5 Positive Ways to Utilize Technology During COVID

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5 Positive Ways to Utilize Technology During COVID

It’s easy to get sucked into a Netflix marathon or an eight-hour video game run. However, we know that sometimes too much screen time can have a negative impact on mental health so we are constantly told to to watch our screen usage. The problem is that during the COVID-19 pandemic, when we are told to remain socially distant from others, we are often using technology and having more screen time than is typical, in order to remain connected with others, which is positive. So how can we utilize technology in positive and healthy ways as we remain socially distant?

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The Importance of Managing Emotions

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The Importance of Managing Emotions

Thinking about expressing emotions to others can bring up feelings of uncertainty and fear. Many of our behaviors, both conscious and unconscious are learned early in life. Thus, if emotions associated with these behaviors were not validated growing up, it can feel overwhelming to try and share them as adults. Additionally, witnessing behaviors and behavioral patterns from important figures in our lives conditions us to develop beliefs about our emotions. For many of us we may have grown up in homes where no one discussed their feelings or in a home where certain feelings were linked to being “bad” or “good”. This can lead to difficulties in understanding how to regulate your emotional experiences. No matter what you may or may not have learned, it’s important to understand your feelings and emotions, including how they manifest in your body. Here are a few things that are important to keep in mind when we think of emotions.

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Understanding Trauma Triggers

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Understanding Trauma Triggers

Trauma-triggers often come up in both research and the popular media. The phrase “triggered” can often make others uncomfortable or dredge up negative emotions as it may make others feel they are seen as weak or too sensitive. The common misconception of the use of this phrase negatively impacts those who suffer from Post-traumatic stress and other trauma-related disorders. It’s important to understand the term and the implications this has for those recovering from traumatic events in order to support and validate their experiences.

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Being Grateful While Experiencing Other Feelings: It's Okay to Feel

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Being Grateful While Experiencing Other Feelings: It's Okay to Feel

Research reports that when you practice gratitude you can in fact reduce depression and anxiety by keeping positive thoughts in mind. We all can remember being told to be grateful from early on in our childhood whether it was for receiving a gift or praise of some kind. Unfortunately, these types of statements, though well-intended, often limit emotional space. We start to believe it is not okay to feel angry, sad, or disappointed when there is so much we should be grateful for. We all have developed internal beliefs, over time, that can become harmful if we do not tackle them. So how do you reframe your thoughts about gratitude, you need to identify how they developed in the first place.

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Self-Soothing vs. Self-Care: Strategies for Reducing Stress

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Self-Soothing vs. Self-Care: Strategies for Reducing Stress

Stress can occur any day, throughout the day. We all want to be our best selves regularly whether this is in work or our personal lives. Self-care practices can help us ensure we are on our A-game however there are times where we may not be able to get those practices in. There are times where we have so much stress that our bodies and minds shift to survival mode. In these times it is important to have self-soothing, survival skills to get through stressful events, distressing periods, and move forward.

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COVID-19 Related Resources for Managing Stress

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COVID-19 Related Resources for Managing Stress

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created sudden changes and uncertainty for all of us. Our routines have been disrupted in ways that none of us could have imagined even a few short weeks ago. ModernTherapy is committed to supporting your mental health whether that be through our counselors or through various community supports. We’ve compiled a list of resources with various self-care and support topics ranging from anxiety resources to mindfulness techniques.

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Physical Distancing vs. Social Distancing: Remain Socially Connected While Physically Apart

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Physical Distancing vs. Social Distancing: Remain Socially Connected While Physically Apart

Social distancing has become crucial in order to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. However, this can feel lonely and isolating, especially if you typically are on your own whether in your work life or personal life. For many, connecting via social media has become the new norm. Whether being on your own is something you are used to or not, the differences at present are valid and can take a toll on anyone.