Blog
10 Summer Activities to Help Improve and Support Your Mental Health
The warmth, relaxation and flexibility that the summer months bring can be exciting for vacations and sunshine, but for some, summer months can have the potential to trigger feelings of being overwhelmed and losing control and structure. Expectations of being carefree can put a lot of pressure on those who may be struggling mentally.
Problem-Solving Skills for Kids
For some kids, problem solving comes naturally as they develop and parents give it little thought. However, for other kids, it is something they need to be taught. Almost all kids benefit from being taught such skills but kids diagnosed with ADHD and other developmental disorders especially benefit.
It’s Time to Stop Saying “I’m So OCD”
Social Media is a very common platform for self expression. This can be wonderful, but can also create some complicated views and experiences. A trend in social media is talking about mental health. Influencers on platforms like TikTok and Instagram will often talk about their own mental health diagnoses, what got them there, and what behaviors and challenges they have faced…Talking about these illnesses is extremely important. However, what is also happening is that people are misusing these terms.
5 to 9 Pressure: How to Reduce Stress While Off the Clock
The idea of making the most of your time can cause a lot of stress, anxiety, and even depression. Social media only serves to worsen this, as any social media feed is bound to be full of people “living their best life”. In reality, these posts are only the highlights, and do not show someone lounging in bed in their sweats after work, or eating over the sink so as not to dirty another plate. These posts do not depict the nights when someone might want to make plans, but might not have someone to call. Or the nights when someone has to attend an after school recital for their child, take their child to an appointment, or sit at the table trying to do homework with a frustrated child.
Health Benefits of Animals
For those of us who are animal lovers, there is nothing better than coming home to a pet who is happy to see you no matter what your day was like. The warmth, affection, and love pets give to us can feel soothing, and draw out our own feelings of care and mutual connection. Emotional support animals (ESAs) are pets who provide these feelings in a way that improves mental health for their human companions who have a diagnosed mental health condition. Emotional support animals can impact our emotions by alleviating worry, providing comfort, and mitigating feelings of loneliness.
The Impact of Eating Disorders on Athletic Performance
Athletes often experience temporary results from disordered behaviors like restrictive dieting and over-training/exercising. Although it can be difficult for an athlete to step away from their sport, pursuing treatment increases their likelihood of safely returning—and can be lifesaving. Coaches, parents, teammates, and providers have a critical role in ensuring athletes are prioritized over the sport. Understanding the risks athletes face is key to providing preventative support.
Protecting Yourself From Second-Hand Anxiety
Do you feel anxious when your child or teen is anxious? Can you feel your own anxiety rising as your child retells an anxious event from their day? In all likelihood, the answer is yes. This phenomenon is called second-hand anxiety. Second-hand anxiety simply means feeling anxious because someone else is anxious. This happens because our brains are equipped with mirror neurons. These neurons’ purpose is to imitate other’s movements and feelings. They help us learn just by watching someone complete a task. They also allow us to feel what other people are feeling. Studies have shown that observing someone expressing anger increases cortisol in the blood by 26%.
I’m Tired - Help!
Tired is a word that can mean so many things. We use this word to mean in need of sleep, finished exercising, or even annoyed with a situation (i.e. “I’m tired of this”). You can be multiple kinds of tired at once, and they often overlap. We can be emotionally, spiritually, or physically tired. When someone says that they are tired, the advice is usually to rest. However, rest can look different depending on what kind of tiredness you are experiencing. If you are resting for a kind of tiredness that you are not feeling, the feeling will not go away. Seems pretty straightforward!
What is Stimming? Understanding Self-Regulation in Autism & ADHD
If you are neurodivergent, you may have experienced or noticed repetitive behaviors known as "stimming." What is stimming, and why is it essential for neurodivergent individuals? Discover how it helps with self-regulation, emotional expression, and advocacy for autism & ADHD. Stimming—short for self-stimulatory behavior—refers to repetitive movements, sounds, or interactions with objects that stimulate the senses.
The Worst Advice Given by Parents
Most parents strive to be great at parenting. We want “the best” for our kids so they grow up to be successful. However, research has shown that successful kids don’t come from what has classically been doled out as parenting advice. Healthy eating habits, self-control, social skills, and compassion for others are trademarks of a “successful” child.