Reducing Stress
Managing Mondays
Monday. Just the word can strike feelings of dread and anxiety. Monday means the beginning of the work or school week. It also the end of the weekend, the time we designate to relax, spend time with family or friends, get things done like cook or clean, go on trips, or just do nothing. Managing…
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The Benefit of Plants
Nature has a way of bringing peace and calmness in our lives and can be beneficial to our mental health. You might be thinking, it’s too cold here in the Midwest to spend an extended period -of -time in nature. The great news is that even having plants in your home and/or at work can…
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Mindfulness: How it’s Not Meditation
What is Mindfulness? What is mindfulness and how can it help? Mindfulness is a concept that is oftentimes misunderstood and confused with meditation. Meditation is mindfulness, but not all mindfulness is meditation. The idea of mindfulness has existed almost as long as humanity itself. It is a concept widely accepted in many cultures around the…
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Distraction- An Excellent Coping Skill
“I didn’t pay attention because I was distracted, ” “Distracted Driving” “That person is a distraction”. All of these examples make distraction look pretty negative. When we think of the word distraction, we think that we are being pulled away from responsibilities in a way that is unkind, harmful, or even, in the case of…
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Managing New Job Stress
Starting a new job can be exciting, but also may cause some stress and anxiety. This is natural. It can be difficult transitioning from a familiar place and co-workers you may have bonded with. You may be uncertain of whether you will click with your new co-workers or perform to your supervisor’s expectations. Navigating these…
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The Power of Grit
Why is GRIT important? Angela Duckworth, a psychologist and researcher who studies grit, defines it as passion and perseverance for long-term and meaningful goals. Grit is your stick-to-itness. It is your ability to persist when things get tough because that thing matters to you. It’s about finding something you are passionate about and staying with…
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Music As A Coping Skill
(10/14/22) Music can span cultures, time periods, and generations. With countless genres to listen to, there is something out there for everyone to enjoy. There are also so many ways to enjoy music, whether it is through listening to a song, playing an instrument, talking to someone about it, going to a concert or dancing…
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Understanding Negative Emotions
(9/30/22) As therapists, we encourage positive self-talk We encourage doing things that make you happy, and becoming your most authentic self. While all of these things are wonderful, we also need to address the other side of things; Negative emotions happen even when we are doing well in our mental health journey. When we are…
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Invisible Disabilities
(9/6/22) Do you ever feel as though your life experience is not very well understood by others? Do you have a medical, physical, or mental condition that is not obvious to the outside world? We all are familiar with the handicapped parking signs in front of many places that we frequent, such as grocery stores…
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Is there a new normal yet?
(6/15/22) At the beginning of the pandemic life as we knew it abruptly changed, with little time to mentally prepare for those changes. Anytime there is change, it creates a new opportunity to define what “normal,” is for us. Many believe grief is only related to a person we care about who has passed away,…
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