It’s often easy to support a close friend when they’re down, however we often struggle with providing the same kindness and support to ourselves.

It is difficult for most families to develop happy and healthy relationships, which is why it is even harder when attempting to blend two families. It can take years and a lot of work for stepfamilies to establish working and comfortable relationships. The hardest years and generally the first few, as there are unique challenges to the couple in getting to know each other, while also trying to nurture the children’s relationships with each other and the stepparents as well. Here are some tips on blending families:

Here are just a few signs that your friend may be taking advantage of you.

Therapists frequently suggest tracking your moods in order to understand which triggers or situations lead to certain emotions. If you are seeing a counselor or doctor for any mood symptoms, this can be a helpful tool to update them with in between appointments, make the appointments go smoother, and assist you in staying on topic. Having your moods tracked will help you communicate how you have been feeling if you struggle describing it. It also helps to look back at your mood journal to see how far you have come and what you are capable of accomplishing.

Validation is the recognition or affirmation that a person or their feelings or opinions are valid or worthwhile. It is a skill that is not commonly recognized, but is extremely important in forming healthy relationships. It is frequently heard within relationships that one or both of the individuals do not feel heard or understood. This can be the case for romantic relationships, family relationships, working relationships, and friendships.

A hope box is something you can create for when you need a reminder of why your life is so precious. This technique is often used in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to cultivate hope. It is simply a collection of various items that can show you that your life is meaningful and worth living.

It is no mystery that we live in a competitive society. This could be part of the reason why children as young as 2 emphasis winning and will even cheat. They desire to be successful, which is usually the driving force behind cheating. Here are some reasons why children cheat and how you can deal with it.

Good communication is essential towards any high quality relationship. Here are 15 quick and simple tips that you can use to help build your communication skills.

Bowlby found that attachments with the primary caregiver usually develop during the first 18 months of the child’s life. This includes instinctual habits, such as crying and clinging. Once children reach the toddler stage, they will form an internal working model, which means they already have frameworks and beliefs about their own self-worth and how much they can depend on others to meet their needs.

It is helpful to examine the situations in your life at home, school, work, and social environments, as well as your own attitudes and thoughts about yourself to figure out the potential sources of low self-esteem.