How to Employ These 6 Powerful Stress Busters During Remodeling

During a remodel, your home goes from being your safe haven to a building site.

Although you’re probably really looking forward to the finished project, the process might feel rather intrusive.

From drywall dust to budgeting concerns and everything in between, keeping your cool might prove to be difficult during remodeling. Even more than squeezing every last penny out of your budget, you might be searching for stress busters to maintain your calm.

Here are a few tips to help you get through the remodeling process and keep your nerves from fraying.

Read More
Marital Revival: 7 Ways to Spring Clean Your Relationship

If you’re like most people, you’re more than ready to feel a warm breeze and sunshine on your skin.

Needless to say, winter has a way of getting people down in the dumps.

The long, dark days don’t just affect your mood. They can negatively impact your relationship as well.

In fact, long, dark days in any season can affect your relationship. The reality is that seasons aren’t really to blame. The long, dark day culprit is actually distance—an emotional gap.

No matter how this gap is created, it can dim the spark in your relationship, leaving you in need of a marital revival.

So, in the spirit of all things spring, here are some tips on how to spring clean your own relationship.

Read More
He Said/She Said: 10 Things Nobody Tells You About Becoming a Stepparent

 you’re like most people, then you’ve probably never planned on becoming a stepparent.

But, life happens.

And when life happens, sometimes becoming a stepparent happens, too.

The thing about parenting someone else’s kids is that no one can tell you exactly what to expect. The range of experiences run the gamut when it comes to caring for stepchildren.

It could be the greatest experience of your life or it could completely crush your self-worth. And further still, it could do both—all in about two hours worth of time.

To help you wrap your mind around the endeavor of becoming a stepparent, here are 10 things some may neglect to tell you, but that you must absolutely know.

Read More
The Age of Social Media: Searching for Personal Connections in a Disconnected World

Is it possible for a platform to do exactly the opposite of what it’s marketed to do?

It sure feels that way sometimes.

Maybe you’ve experienced this for yourself. Perhaps you tried to reach out on social media and were disappointed by the outcome. Afterward, you began to second guess this whole idea of making personal connections on social media.

The experience may have left you jaded and wondering if you’re even using the platform correctly.

The truth is that making a genuine connection via social media isn’t impossible, but it can be a challenge.

Here’s why.

Read More
PTSD and Its Unique Challenges for Military Families

Imagine feeling extreme distress when…

…you’re suddenly confronted with a combat scene as you’re watching a show.

…you find yourself in a crowd at a grocery store, an amusement park, or a party with friends and family.

…you hear the sound of firecrackers going off during a holiday celebration.

…you’re in unfamiliar surroundings with a lack of open areas.

Imagine the hypervigilance, the panic, your shallow breath, and beads of sweat forming on your forehead. You turn everywhere, check everything and everyone… until you see an obscure figure in the crowd or on the roof of a building.

Imagine yourself diving to the ground, trying to find cover… only to suddenly realize, you’re not in combat anymore. Nobody is shooting at you. Nobody is threatening your life.

The war is over! But only on the outside.

Inside, you carry deep scars that never seem to heal.

That is what it feels like to be a combat veteran suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). That is the legacy of an increasing number of soldiers.

But they are not the only ones that suffer. Their dependents (military families) are impacted as well.

Read More
TraumaPathways To Wellness
Celebrate With the One You Love – 5 Romantic Valentine’s Day Ideas

It’s easy to take the one you love for granted.

In fact, many couples forego celebrating Valentine’s Day altogether.

But if you’re ready to spice things up a bit, try opening up to the idea of romance this season.

Although Valentine’s Day is often pegged as a holiday filled to the brim with obligatory expressions of love, go against the flow. You might not even need to try something new. Simply approach it in a new way.

The key is to couple authenticity and creativity when it comes to celebrating the one you love.

Here are five ideas to get you started.

Read More
CouplesPathways To Wellness
The Art and Science of Love: 7 Benefits of Gottman’s Renowned Couples Workshop

When it comes to understanding the art and science of love, we all have the opportunity to be students.

However, Drs. John and Julie Gottman are undoubtedly two of the best students/researchers/teachers on the planet when it comes to this topic.

It’s a fact that every couple will leave a Gottman Couples Workshop with their own unique takeaway. Though, the Gottmans have a few “favorites”… nuggets of wisdom that everyone tends to talk about.

Here are some of those “favorites” that will benefit any relationship.

Read More
CouplesPathways To Wellness
The Impact of Divorce on Your Children: Different Ages Are Affected in Distinct Ways

Divorce isn’t a “one size fits all” life event, especially for any children involved.

Because every person handles stress in a different way, the impact of divorce is both unique and long-lasting for adults and children alike.

It’s a common misconception that children under the age of five don’t feel the impact of divorce. This notion couldn’t be further from the truth. From infancy clear into young adulthood, divorce can cause a great upheaval in children’s lives.

Yet, while it disturbs them all, the turmoil affect varying ages in distinct ways.

What are the differences? Let’s consider four general age groups.

Read More
FamilyPathways To Wellness
Out With the Old, In With the New – When Is It Really Considered a Rebound?

Revenge and having a rebound often walk hand in hand.

Ending the journey of a relationship can be very difficult, to say the least. So, some of us resort to other means of soothing the pain—like jumping into a temporary relationship for a reprieve.

But is it just temporary or could it be more?

And how do you really know if your new relationship is simply moving on or if it’s just a rebound?

Here’s how.

Read More
CouplesPathways To Wellness
Feel Like Your World Is Closing in on You? – 5 Powerful Tips to Stop an Anxiety Attack

The pounding in your chest, shallow breathing, racing heartbeat—it all happens so quickly.

Before you know it, you’re facing a full-blown anxiety attack.

But, what if you could stop an anxiety attack before it ever happened?

The good news is that there are proven methods to actually stop an anxiety attack in its tracks.

One of the biggest keys to managing anxiety is understanding what it actually does to your body. Understanding this is like gaining an inside peek at your enemies battle plans.

Here are five helpful ways to use that insight to combat anxiety.

Read More
AnxietyPathways To Wellness
Creating a Family Legacy: How Shared Values Deepen Family Bonds

Without even knowing it, parents pass on a family legacy to their children—good or bad.

It’s part of the human heritage and part of belonging to a family.

One fundamental aspect of creating a family legacy is that it has a unique way of drawing the family unit together. Not only does it strengthen the bonds between each family member, but it also gives children a foundation on which to build their own lives. And in turn, create a legacy for their own family.

How exactly is this accomplished?

Through shared values.

Read More
FamilyPathways To Wellness
Creating Peace: 3 Conflict Regulating and Stress Management Strategies

In every relationship, whether personal or professional, two main goals should exist:

  1. Manage the conflict
  2. Maintain the connection

Granted, both are easier said than done, but you can accomplish them successfully with the right stress management strategies.

After all, stress is often the culprit when it comes to creating problems. So, when you understand how to manage the stress in your life, you tend to experience more peace and less conflict.

Stress management isn’t complicated. Rather, it has a lot to do with where you focus.

So, how do you implement stress management strategies in your own life?

Read More
AnxietyPathways To Wellness
Are You Planning a Wedding or a Marriage?

Planning a wedding can take a lot of your time and energy.

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle of bustle of it all and forget that you’re also preparing for a marriage.

Aside from the flowers and guests, you and your fiancé are getting ready to spend the rest of your lives figuring marriage out together. While “forever” is indeed a very long time to figure out this whole marriage thing, wouldn’t it be nice if the two of you had a jumpstart? Lucky for you there is such a thing — premarital counseling. 

Read More
How Parents and Children Can Effectively Deal with Bullies

Have you had to deal with bullies at some point in your life?

While most of us have experienced some type of bullying, it’s definitely not a pain we would want our own children to endure.

The reality is that bullying has become a widespread problem. It affects both genders and children of all ages. While there are many positive anti-bullying programs currently at work, how to deal with bullies begins at home.

Read More