How to Support a Loved One With Depression

depression support loved one

Published on: January 20, 2020

When you love a person, you want to be able to help them. When that person has depression, it can be hard to know exactly what to do or say that will make things better. It can leave you feeling discouraged and helpless.  But, it doesn’t have to be that way. Educating yourself on what depression is and how it manifests itself, and learning ways to show support can help.  Educate Yourself Depression is an internal battle. It is a disease that can come and go. There are times when it is in full gear and other times when symptoms… Continue Reading This Article

Tips to Help You Stop Sweating the Small Stuff

spilled drink tips stop sweating small stuff

Published on: January 6, 2020

We have all heard the phrase before, “don’t cry over spilled milk.” But, just because we have heard it doesn’t mean we are doing it. We spend a lot of time worrying about the small things in our lives, the things that really aren’t worth the time and energy they take up. Does it really matter if you are five minutes late for dinner? Did that traffic jam this afternoon destroy your mood for the rest of the day? Are you having a bad hair day?  We know these things are not really important in the grand scheme of life,… Continue Reading This Article

Why It Is Ok To Say “No” This Holiday Season

saying no this holiday

Published on: December 18, 2019

I saw a social media post the other day that said, “It’s almost time to switch from my everyday anxiety to my fancy Christmas anxiety.” This time of the year evokes a lot of different emotions, and if you are already an anxiety-prone person it can make things that much more difficult. But, no matter who you are, I think we can all agree that the holidays are stressful. To make things less stressful this year, consider saying “no.”  Embrace the fact that you are in charge of your own life. Set boundaries with your friends and family. YOU are… Continue Reading This Article

Surviving the Holidays Post-Divorce

holidays post-divorce

Published on: December 3, 2019

You have just gone through an emotional rollercoaster as you and your partner finalized your divorce. Now, it is the holidays, the season of togetherness. What are you supposed to do? Your family no longer looks the way it used to. If you have kids they are likely struggling with a lot of different emotions as well. Survival is at the top of your to-do list.  Before we get into how you can get through the holidays in one piece, let’s start with giving yourself some grace. You might be feeling pretty crappy right now, and if you aren’t —… Continue Reading This Article

How Practicing Gratitude Can Help You Be Happier

grateful gratitude happiness joy

Published on: November 20, 2019

We know of Thanksgiving as the holiday of shoveling mounds of turkey, stuffing, and pie into our mouths but it is also about being thankful. Gratitude is a practice that can do wonders for your mood, your outlook on life and your overall happiness when embraced year-round. There is always something in your life to be thankful for, you just have to identify it.  Shifting Your Focus To Joy So much of the time we focus on the bad things going on. We fall into the realm of feeling like a victim even if the bad only took up a small… Continue Reading This Article

What Your Teen Needs Most

teen support

Published on: November 4, 2019

The adolescent years are difficult to navigate both for children and their parents. Hormone levels are running rampant, brains are changing, and your once precious child is now slamming doors, taking extreme risks, and crying uncontrollably at the dinner table.  A Tricky Time For All We have always known that the teenage years were tricky. It is a time when parents tend to let go a bit, let their teen figure things out, but also attempt to set boundaries and teach valuable life skills. New research from a variety of multiyear studies offers more information and understanding of the adolescent… Continue Reading This Article

Warding Off the Winter Blues

winter mood

Published on: October 22, 2019

Fall has officially arrived meaning winter is not too far behind, and you are beginning to get worried. Winter and you don’t get along. The cold, dreary, dark weather is a major blow to your mood. Getting out of bed is difficult. You just want to stay cuddled under that warm blanket. Leaving the house is the last thing you want to do, for good reason, who wants to deal with the cold air or the layers and layers of clothing? Keeping the Winter Blues Away Unfortunately, we live in an area where winter can come on with a vengeance… Continue Reading This Article

What is your teen’s smartphone doing to their mental health?

teen mental health smartphone

Published on: October 1, 2019

Smartphones weren’t a thing when I was a teenager. They didn’t exist yet. But, through the teen years I still dealt with the typical stuff—figuring out who I was compared to my friends, adjusting to hormones and body changes, and the dramas of my friends/boyfriends.  When I wanted to call my friends, I would use the house phone (where everyone could hear what I was saying). Social media wasn’t even created. When we left school, we actually left. The day’s drama, while still on our minds for a short while, was left at our lockers.  Nowadays almost every teen you… Continue Reading This Article

How can you help? Tips for parents of kids with depression/anxiety

kids with anxiety

Published on: September 16, 2019

Anxiety disorders affect one in eight children, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. As a parent of a child who is struggling with anxiety or depression, it can be difficult to know how to help your child. You may feel defeated or like you are doing a bad job of parenting, when in fact anxiety and depression are NOT a result of bad parenting. You may also struggle with maintaining calm or patience with your child as you might not understand why they are reacting in a certain way. First of all, as the parent, you need… Continue Reading This Article

You are an “empty nester”, so now what?

empty nest

Published on: September 3, 2019

This is it. You have just watched as your last child goes off to college. You have come home to a place that was once filled with the noises of your children and is now almost too quiet for comfort. You may be struggling with a vast array of emotions from excitement for your son or daughter to anxiety over their wellbeing, fear about their preparedness and safety, and sadness that yet another stage of life has passed. Transitioning is Hard Being an empty nester is hard. There is nothing that prepares you for the emotional rollercoaster of watching your… Continue Reading This Article