For many people, the holiday season can bring a mix of emotions.
In fact, feeling depressed or anxious is not uncommon in the least bit. It can get tricky to keep levels of anxiety low in the midst of the seasonal hustle and bustle.
Experiencing your own unique hodgepodge of emotions may have caught you off-guard. Or perhaps you’ve been dreading the holiday stress since May.
No matter what your situation, consider these practical tips to keep levels of anxiety low.
Read MoreBullying has a stigma attached to it.
And bullying prevention often carries the same negative reputation.
After all, what parent wants their child to bully other children? Likely, no one reading this post.
Yet, it’s so easy for parents to look the other way when behavioral signs point in the direction of bullying conduct from their own child.
Furthermore, children prone to bullying at school often exhibit well-mannered and good behavior at home. This can make bullying prevention a bit more tricky.
So, how do you raise a child rather than a bully?
Consider these practical parenting tips.
Read MoreIf you’re like most parents, you’ve learned in real time that this parenting gig is no easy job.
Basically, it’s tough. And that’s putting it gently.
On top of raising one or a brood of positive contributors to society, there’s the matter of maintaining your own dreams and goals. Then, of course, you also have to comply with many unspoken societal standards and sort through the mounds of so-called parenting instructional manuals.
Oh… and have I mentioned that it’s a tough job?
So, how do you manage it?
Is effective parenting even doable? Or is it an impossible feat where survival is the only option?
Take heart in knowing that effective parenting is possible. You can raise a great kid or an entire brood of them.
But for your parenting endeavor to be ultra successful, you’ll need a hefty mixture of respectful communication and clear boundaries.
Here’s why.
Read MoreAlthough living together pre-marriage hasn’t always been trendy or even accepted, it’s old news nowadays.
Many people consider cohabiting as the level of commitment right before marriage. Others tend to view it as a substitute for marriage.
Also, there is the unforgettable but often overlooked gray zone of romance. This is the zone where cohabitation issues arise and living together takes on a new meaning.
When it comes to sharing a living space, it’s unsurprising that partners often confuse convenience with love. After all, cohabiting offers a sense of security that few people want to leave behind.
But what does this do to the idea of love? And how does this gray zone promote cohabitation issues?
Here’s the scoop on this common mix-up.
In chronic illness treatment, caring for your physical ailment is likely at the forefront of your mind.
Often, that may cause you to leave your overall wellness somewhere towards the back, falling behind a hefty list of prescriptions and your daily to-do list.
It’s only natural to focus directly on your chronic illness treatment. In fact, you need to.
Keep in mind, though, that you are more than a physical being. Made up of emotions and thoughts, your body and mind reflect each other more than you may know.
For this reason, it’s vital to surround yourself with a stable support system.
Read MoreWhen you’re afraid of relationships, there’s usually a good reason. Perhaps you were hurt, scared of being tied down, or are simply tired of trying so hard without your efforts being reciprocated.
These are all valid reasons to be skittish about romance. After all, love is a big deal. And so are your emotions, for that matter.
Most people will tell you that you just need to dive in, facing your fears. They say it will all work out.
Except… that it won’t.
You may even unknowingly sabotage your own relationship.
So, before diving in head first, consider these tips for overcoming your own insecurity.
Read MoreDivorce is one of the most impacting decisions you will ever make. It will affect you for the rest of your life.
Yet, sometimes it’s the right way to go.
Knowing when it’s time to call it quits doesn’t come easily. Usually, making a life-altering decision like divorce requires time to identify your true desires and weigh your options.
Some people spend a vast amount of time deliberating, unable to pull the trigger on either staying married or getting divorced. This feeling of limbo can become very uncomfortable, exacerbating the problem.
If this situation sounds all too familiar, perhaps it’s time you consider discernment counseling.
Different from other forms of therapy, this type of counseling focuses on couples who are seriously considering divorce. It can help you figure out what you really want.
Read MoreWhile it may be your deepest calling, caring for aging parents is no small task.
From trying to understand confusing healthcare plans to meeting with an attorney to solidify a will, the elderly don’t have it easy. And, in helping them, you don’t have it easy either.
But even in the midst of declining health, financial worries, and the overall anxiety that often befalls humans during the golden years, you and your parents can find peace.
Let’s face it, getting old is hard work. Hard work that none of us can avoid.
Nevertheless, here are six valuable tips on how to maintain your calm as your parents age and require more of your help.
Read MoreNo one truly knows what it’s like to grow old until it happens to them.
And when it does, it can be tough to handle.
Having a faithful companion by their side during the golden years could be the difference between living healthy and living distressed. These are likely the things you think about in caring for your aging friend or family member.
Be comforted in knowing that many scientific studies point to the benefits of pets for seniors.
Here are a few of those benefits.
Read MoreIf someone advised you to exercise for anxiety relief, would you take it as a candy-coated hint to workout?
After all, getting into shape is the new cool trend.
Here’s the thing about using exercise for anxiety relief—there’s actually a science to it.
Maybe getting into shape should be on your to-do list. It should be on mine, too. But not just to make friends with the scale. More than anything, it helps to relieve anxiety symptoms like shakiness, muscle tension, and shortness of breath, to name a few.
Exercise can even help you to react differently to anxiety. Here’s how it works.
Read MoreAt times, it may seem that your gut-brain connection is limited to pestering you with cravings.
Or perhaps you only sense a link between the two when it’s nearly mealtime.
Unsurprisingly, most people don’t realize the impacting relationship the gut and brain have on each other. In terms of depression, for example, various environmental factors like diet, stress, and smoking can influence it.
To understand how you can improve your depression, it’s important to first wrap your head around your gut-brain connection.
Here’s the scoop.
Read MoreFor some, looking into the mirror is an unpleasant experience.
Perhaps an inadequate reflection stares back at you when you look in your mirror at home.
Struggling with body image issues has a way of getting you down. Not only can you feel your self-esteem plummet but all those tiny imperfections you see often become insurmountable.
Despite appearing externally healthy to others, you may feel like a huge spotlight is shining on things you’d love to change about yourself. In fact, at times, you are likely overwhelmed with the feeling of never being enough.
When body image issues overwhelm you, here are a few tips on how taking care of yourself will keep your self-esteem from taking a nose dive.
Read MoreJumping headfirst into an unknown body of water seems a little extreme, right?
And you’re right. It is extreme.
Even more so, it’s unhealthy. You have no idea what to expect when you hit the water. Something surprising might be in there turning the calm-looking water into an unexpected challenge.
Looking for anxiety relief, many people dive in headfirst when it comes to taking anti-anxiety medication. But, sadly, like the diving scenario, that approach is extreme and unhealthy.
It’s important to cover your bases before opting for medication!
Here are 10 questions to start you out on the right foot.
Read MoreEmotional abuse occurs when one person belittles, ignores, rejects, isolates, or scares another with the aim to devalue their thoughts, feelings, desires, appearance, preferences, or needs.
The ultimate goal? To gain control over them.
What drives emotional abuse and why?
Read MoreFor those who suffer from them, panic attacks can be a scary and debilitating experience.
They may strike at any moment, making it very difficult to have a semblance of a normal life.
If this sounds like you, it’s important you learn more, understanding panic attacks and what to do about them.
Read MoreDuring 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 MoreIf 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 Moreyou’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 MoreIs 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 MoreImagine 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
