While the news is always a somewhat tricky thing to navigate, there are currently some particularly difficult stories. With regard to ongoing concerns, the emergence of new COVID-19 variants is creating uncomfortable unknowns. And, more acutely, the Ghislaine Maxwell and Duggar trials along with the escalating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan can serve as triggers for […]
Last year, we offered an article about the strangeness that surrounded the holidays due to the pandemic. And, while we are certainly still working through this public health crisis to a degree, our trips back home from school during the holidays this year may look a little bit more “normal” than they did last year. […]
With Thanksgiving on the way, it seemed an appropriate time to talk about gratitude. There are so many opportunities and social media campaigns around gratitude this time of year. But, practicing gratitude only in November won’t give you the results you need to think gratefully regularly. Gratitude must be “practiced” to become a habit. Why […]
Years ago, I had a friend who was facing a very difficult time. Her marriage was struggling, and she was also having some challenges at work. As we sat together, she would share a bit of what was bothering her, stop, apologize, say something like, “But other people have it so much worse than I […]
At the end of October, with all the spooky themes and Halloween fun, it seemed like a good time to talk about dreams, nightmares, and how sleep plays into our mental health. It is generally recommended that adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep a night. During the time we are asleep, our […]
During this “spooky” month of October, it seems appropriate to talk about fear. Specifically, how fear can affect decision-making and/or interactions with others. To begin, let’s chat a little about brain development. In utero, our brains develop from base to front, inside to outside. After the brain stem (which controls automatic functions like breathing, heart […]
World Mental Health Day was first established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1992 and is now observed on October 10th of each year. This year’s theme is “Mental Health Care for All: Let’s Make it a Reality.” As we continue to work through the global COVID-19 pandemic, it seems a fitting time to […]
I don’t know who determined that self-care awareness month would be September, but it was a great call. September is when we go back to school. September is when we are in transition between summer and school schedules. September is when we face whether we are adjusting well to the change in busyness, focus, and […]
The beginning of September marks Suicide Prevention Week, giving us a focused opportunity to learn and think compassionately about suicidal ideation (thoughts of suicide), suicide attempts, and those we have lost. In the spirit of compassion, I wanted to take a moment to highlight some numbers and then, move in for a close-up view of “humanity […]
We all start our academic semesters with great hope (and probably a few nerves). We plan on going to class, being great students, making friends, and accomplishing a few goals. But, what do you do when that doesn’t happen? What do you do when you are a few weeks, or even a few months, into […]