
Change is inevitable, it is something that will always come at some point in your life. However, change can bring up varying emotions and thoughts. There may be feelings of anger, shock, sadness, excitement, fear, overwhelmed, grief, relief, and/or even acceptance. The range of emotion is a natural part of the change process, even if it may be a positive change. However, it is important to make sure that these emotions do not take control of the situation. The following are some useful tips on how to more easily cope with change.
Part of some people’s mental health challenges, especially if they struggle with anxiety and/or depression, is an experience referred to sometimes as “overthinking”. Many people struggle with long strings of thoughts about one or many topics that end up effecting their daily lives. Overthinking can make you late for appointments, generate unreasonable anxieties against your own goals, or put a halt in your basic motivation which is sometimes casually referred to as “analysis paralysis”. These habits can chronically effect someone’s quality of life, but they are still just habits. As habits, they can be broken, and new habits built up in their place.
Walking can be a great way to boost your physical and emotional well-being. It is a great exercise that can easily be done anywhere. Walking increases your blood flow and circulation between your brain and your body, this positively impacts your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis which is responsible for the response of your central nervous system and stress responses (Brennan, 2021). Basically, what this means is that the body functioning while walking helps to alleviate stress, increase your overall mood, and even help you to sleep better. Walking obviously has its benefits in more ways than one, so how do you go about incorporating this into your routine? The following are tips and tricks on how to begin your walking journey.

We may have all heard the term “problem-solving” but I wonder how many people actually know the steps in the process. If you ask someone how to solve a problem, they may say something like “just find what works” or “figure out the problem before trying to solve it” and just like how the average person could change the brakes on their car, an experienced mechanic will know all the basics just as well as they would know all the subtleties and best practices that would take the process from just working to working optimally. I am sure that many people reading this could say that they have solved countless problems in their lives, but to have a step-by-step guide on an effective method of doing so may yet be useful.

What is anxiety? Emotionally, anxiety is a state of inner turmoil often marked by intense worry, fear, orunease. It can show up as racing thoughts, dread about the future, or a constant feelingthat something bad might happen—even if there’s no obvious reason. Physically, anxiety activates the body’s stress response. It can manifest physically in arapid […]

Strange title, right? Everybody knows how to breathe! However, there may be more to breathing than we may realize. Everybody has gone through moments of nervousness and worry, be it when taking a test, thinking about the next sports game, or even choosing a gift for someone you care about. When feeling anxious or generally […]

When we think of having a healthy diet, we naturally think of how this will impact our body. What we often overlook is how our diet impacts our mental health. Research continues to support this idea that our very diet can leave us more susceptible to negative moods and even our overall mental health (Firth […]

Take a minute to pause and evaluate your own social media usage. Do you find yourself becoming upset if you do not receive a specific amount of likes or comments? Have you ever altered a photo to fit a certain image? Or, have you been more consumed with getting the perfect post than being able to enjoy the moment? If you find yourself answering yes or taking too much time to think of an answer, you may need to reevaluate your social media usage. The following are some tips to utilize for social media without it becoming harmful.

Summer is quickly approaching which can bring up mixed emotions for students. There is the excitement for warm weather, field trips, prom, and the end of the school year. But this also means the stress of final exams, end-of-the-year projects, and the anticipation of finding out grades and GPA for the year. Sometimes, the stress can be unmanageable, and overwhelming, and make it difficult to even feel excited about the good times that come with the end of the year. As a parent, it is important to be mindful of the stress that your child may be experiencing during this time of year in providing support and not placing excessive pressure on academic performance.

What is anxiety? Emotionally, anxiety is a state of inner turmoil often marked by intense worry, fear, orunease. It can show up as racing thoughts, dread about the future, or a constant feelingthat something bad might happen—even if there’s no obvious reason. Physically, anxiety activates the body’s stress response. It can manifest physically in arapid […]

Strange title, right? Everybody knows how to breathe! However, there may be more to breathing than we may realize. Everybody has gone through moments of nervousness and worry, be it when taking a test, thinking about the next sports game, or even choosing a gift for someone you care about. When feeling anxious or generally […]

When we think of having a healthy diet, we naturally think of how this will impact our body. What we often overlook is how our diet impacts our mental health. Research continues to support this idea that our very diet can leave us more susceptible to negative moods and even our overall mental health (Firth […]

It is never an easy process to acknowledge that we may be struggling. Oftentimes in our struggles, we may seek quick relief. Substances are a popular choice for finding this quick relief. Unfortunately, some may fall victim to the dark side of substances and face addiction. When we think of addiction in general, substances are […]

Summer is quickly approaching which can bring up mixed emotions for students. There is the excitement for warm weather, field trips, prom, and the end of the school year. But this also means the stress of final exams, end-of-the-year projects, and the anticipation of finding out grades and GPA for the year. Sometimes, the stress can be unmanageable, and overwhelming, and make it difficult to even feel excited about the good times that come with the end of the year. As a parent, it is important to be mindful of the stress that your child may be experiencing during this time of year in providing support and not placing excessive pressure on academic performance.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) involves using your Thoughts to help manage your Emotions which in turn affect the way you either impulsively react or appropriately respond to a crisis or any situation. This is considered a CBT triangle- Thoughts, Feelings, and Actions. Depression may be described as feelings of “emptiness”, “hopelessness”, or “sadness”. There are many different experiences of depression as there is uniqueness in people. Be aware of the following symptoms of Depression. Depression can show up as bodily and physical symptoms ( aches and pains that don’t respond to traditional medical treatments); exhaustion; overeating or having 5 percent weight loss without intending to do so; excessive sleeping or unable to sleep enough; feeling more fidgety. Psychological symptoms include feelings of hopelessness and emptiness, maybe even anxiety. Suicidal ideations are not unusual. Social symptoms involve loss of interest in usual activities and avoiding others.

Experiencing and working through difficulties with mental health is not a linear process, rather it is common to experience both ups and downs. Despite the hard work that can be done to control mental health symptoms, there is always a chance that symptoms can reoccur in the future, this is something that is considered a mental health relapse. Having a mental health relapse can feel discouraging, but fear not, this is common and something that you can prepare for.