Many Americans are now working from home as a result of the COVID pandemic. Of course, telecommuting isn’t new. But its quick rise as a result of the coronavirus has led many people to realize just how much easier it is to graze compared to when they’re in an office setting.
And while it’s easy to forage for sweets or other treats, it can be hard to stop. Overeating while working from home, has become a new issue. Fortunately, you can take proactive steps toward curbing this tendency.
Read MoreTheir social circle and activities often define a teen’s life. Teens are in the process of creating their adult identity and dreaming about their future. They typically thrive on time with their peers. Recognizing the pandemic’s impact on teens means understanding that teens likely did not welcome the idea of missing out on life and being stuck at home with family members.
With the abrupt loss of their social life and extracurricular activities, it’s easy to imagine how severe the pandemic has been for teenagers. It’s been hard for everyone, of course, but its effects on teens are unique. Here are some ideas about how to navigate the pandemic’s impact on teens.
Read MoreHow are you navigating the COVID-19 pandemic so far? Have you experienced the loss of loved ones, acquaintances, or colleagues? Did you expect to grieve in this way? If so, you already know the turmoil that this pandemic is bringing.
Or maybe you feel like you’re handling the COVID-19 pandemic pretty well. Grief and loss haven’t been a part of your experience so far. You’re surviving financially, enjoying more time with your kids, and liking the quieter pace of life. At least on the surface, that is.
No matter where you are right now, the reality is that everyone’s life has been and will be negatively impacted by the pandemic somehow. You may not be ready to admit it, but none of us will be able to avoid grief and loss. In simple terms, you can expect to grieve as a result of the pandemic.
Read MoreIf you’ve been undergoing a chronic illness treatment, you probably know you need a support system. While support systems look different for everybody, their underlying importance is the same.
You need people and systems in place to help you manage life with a chronic illness. After all, there are so many things that need to be managed. Getting to and from appointments, being an active participant in your treatment plan, medications, dealing with everyday responsibilities, adapting your lifestyle as needed, and more can leave you overwhelmed.
Support often includes several elements: practical, emotional, social, medical, and possibly spiritual.
Read MoreWe’re several months into the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. By now, most of us expected that our lives would have returned to pre-pandemic normalcy. No one wanted to think that cases would still be rising, and states would be returning to lockdown this far into it.
Changing medical advice and economic worries are adding to the uncertainty. With all of this going on, it’s quite easy to feel overwhelmed. You may even find yourself feeling depressed and anxious.
Nevertheless, it is possible to strengthen your resilience during a pandemic to help carry you through this trying time.
Read MoreAn infinite number of topics exist for people to disagree on.
There are the smaller ones, of course—where to have dinner, what show to watch, or which sports team is the best. Even these can cause hard feelings. And then there are significant issues, like politics, climate change, race relations, and how the pandemic is being managed.
Often, we hold our views very dearly. We’re passionate about our opinions, perspectives, and understanding. So how do we handle it when we encounter people who have opposing views?
Depending on your personality, you may thrive on debate and not experience any sense of embarrassment or anger when interacting with someone who sees differently than you do.
Many people, however, feel anxious just thinking about this situation. You may sense your pulse quickening, breath rate increasing, and muscles tensing when you imagine it.
There are things you can do, though, to help keep such conversations and interactions calm and maybe even productive.
Let’s face it: parenting during the current COVID-19 pandemic has brought many challenges with it.
Parents have needed to educate their children from home. Activities, celebrations, and outings have been canceled. One or both parents may be working from home, or childcare might be an issue if remote work is not an option.
These struggles are even harder if you’re a single parent. Life has changed for everyone; adults and kids alike are experiencing stress as a result. Unfortunately, increased stress levels bring tension and irritability to the home.
If you’re overwhelmed by these changes, consider some of the following ideas.
Read MoreDoes it seem like the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic have forced you into a standstill?
Like so many Americans right now, you may be feeling like your life has been put on a forced life pause, through no choice of your own. You’ve likely been at home, unable to participate in your long-familiar activities and routines.
You could be laid off or trying to work at home with distractions and cabin fever. Travel plans have been canceled, and kids’ camps and family reunions are postponed. Time with friends is a thing of the past. Along with millions of others, you’re waiting and wondering when you can get on with your life again.
Despite the frustration, there are some things you can do during this time of limbo.
Read MoreHave months of social distancing started to take their emotional toll on you? The chances are that it only took a week or two for you to find that you greatly missed your friends and social interactions and routines.
Social distancing has gone on longer than most of us likely expected it to. This experience brings challenges for even the most introverted personalities. Those who were already struggling with loneliness before the pandemic began may be feeling its effects even more so.
If you find yourself in this situation, take heart. You can take steps to feel better.
Read MoreWhen you first fall in love with someone, chances are you hope it’s going to last forever. Even if someone has gone through bad breakups in the past, deep down, they usually hope to find lasting love. Humans have an innate drive to connect. We need intimacy.
If you’re fortunate to be in a long-term, committed relationship, you likely know that you’re still going to struggle at times. Everyday life throws a lot at you. Keeping your relationship a priority can slide to the backburner when this happens. This response is even more accurate during tough times.
Thankfully, though, there are things you can do to ensure that your relationship will thrive.
Read MoreUnfortunately, it can seem challenging to sleep well during a crisis. That said, experiencing nightmares during a crisis is not uncommon, either. Any crisis can cause them, whether it be the ramifications of the current pandemic or other personal circumstances.
Read MoreIf you’ve been dating and trying to meet people, the chances are strong that the coronavirus pandemic has altered the way you approach it. This situation might cause you to wonder how a world crisis impacts romance altogether, and you’re not alone.
Social distancing makes in-person dating extremely difficult, if not impossible. Perhaps you thought you were hitting it off with someone online but hadn’t yet met in person. Now, that connection has fizzled. Or, you were in a relatively established relationship but still want to maintain physical distance.
Nevertheless, dating apps have seen an upsurge in usage since the pandemic started, so perhaps you’ve noticed more potential matches. The romantic landscape has undoubtedly shifted.
It might help you to know how the pandemic has changed dating thus far and that a world crisis impacts romance in plenty of ways.
Read MoreAll marriages experience struggles and conflicts. Unfortunately, these can build to the point that one or both parties start to contemplate divorce.
Of course, numerous factors can contribute to this situation. The wear and tear of daily stressors such as career, finances, and disagreements over parenting might contribute. Infidelity or porn addiction may play a role. Often, couples are tired of arguing but don’t know how to stop. Once one or both partners begin to think that divorce may be an option, they may benefit from discernment counseling.
Discernment counseling is an option that many couples haven’t heard of. It’s different from regular couples counseling. Discernment counseling is a step that couples take before they decide whether to enter into couples counseling, to move ahead with a divorce, or to put the divorce on the back burner for a set amount of time.
Discernment counseling is a brief process. Many therapists recommend one to five sessions. It typically helps couples by involving the following steps.
Read MoreFor most Americans, the coronavirus pandemic is something entirely new. While the elderly among us might remember other epidemics, the United States has largely been immune to the types of outbreaks other parts of the world have experienced.
Read MoreWhen you’re struggling with depression, even the thought of trying to get help can feel overwhelming. You’re already having a hard time with energy and coping with everyday tasks. Adding more appointments to your schedule can seem like too much. You may have sought treatment in the past but didn’t find the help you wanted.
Unfortunately, as with many illnesses, depression only gets worse if left untreated. In the vast majority of cases, it’s not going to get better on its own.
Read MoreDepression has many symptoms: fatigue, sadness, unrelenting sadness, withdrawal from friends and family, and sleep issues, to name a few. Add these all together, and it’s easy to see how depression can also create creative blocks and self-doubt in those who suffer from it.
You can also lose interest in things you formerly enjoyed when you’re depressed. Even if you want to keep creating, this unwanted loss of interest can also cause creative blocks. And creativity doesn’t just include visual, musical, and literary arts. All of us use creativity to navigate and enjoy our life and its challenges.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help overcome creative blocks and self-doubt.
Read MoreIf you struggle with ADHD, you know its chronic symptoms can interfere with all aspects of everyday life. ADHD itself can mean that completing or starting tasks is more difficult for you than for individuals without ADHD.
“But everyone procrastinates!” you may find yourself thinking. “Anyone would rather watch a movie or hang out with friends than bother with tax paperwork or housework!”
And if you don’t have ADHD, you may find the idea of explaining away procrastination due to its symptoms as just an excuse. It may seem like a convenient way to avoid getting things done.
Read MoreChances are you’ve spent time outdoors and noticed a positive feeling afterward. Maybe it was an afternoon at the lake, a long walk in a nature preserve, or even just an evening sitting outdoors in a shady, green yard.
Feeling better after time in nature is not just your imagination. Spending time outdoors is proven to provide vital mood-boosting and calming effects on the brain.
The way we live in the modern world is a very recent occurrence. For millennia, humans did not live the way most of us live now. Urban settings, with their noise, crowding, pollution, and lack of outdoor time and manual work, are not the brain’s natural habitat.
Read MoreWe tend to associate relationship counseling with those that are on the rocks. In reality, counseling is designed to provide strength and awareness—two things that relationships are often in need of.
Relationship counseling can help you and your partner, even if there are no problems in your relationship. Not only will it provide a clear means of communication, but it can help you and your partner better understand and plan for a future together.
Here’s how.
Read MoreWhen the sun goes to bed early, and the white snow turns grungy gray, your mood may follow suit. As a result, knowing how to let winter inspire you might seem like a massive feat.
As the season goes on (and on and on, depending on where you live), the winter doldrums can set in. Your spirit may feel as heavy as do the weight of bulky coats, boots, and scarves wrapped around your body. Maybe you’d like to hibernate to miss it all and wake up when the grass is green again.
The season can have positives, however. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of them. If you’re feeling dreary and uninspired about life in the winter, consider some of these ideas to reignite your inner glow.
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