Anxiety can creep into your life from the moment you wake up until it’s time to go to bed at night. Even mild anxiety can disrupt your daily activities and make it hard to get through the day. If you want more control over ongoing anxiety, then implementing a daily morning routine is a great option to consider. Following a consistent morning routine sets a pattern for the day, creating a solid foundation that carries into the afternoon and evening. The goal is to develop a sense of confidence and peace in yourself, helping the rest of the day feel more manageable. Try implementing a morning routine to see how much your anxiety levels come down. Setting Yourself Up for Success with a Morning Routine As with any other new habit you want to form, it takes practice to dial in the right strategy for your new morning routine. Even with the best intentions, it’s hard to stay consistent if you don’t design the proper structure for your new habit. Consider these factors when you are starting your new morning practice: Choose the Right Amount of Time: If it isn’t realistic for you to set aside an hour in the…
It’s challenging to face the reality that you or a loved one is dealing with the realities of addiction. Not only do these compulsive behaviors cause changes for the individual, but these issues cause cascading issues in every aspect of your life. Addictive behaviors change your brain and take a toll on other major organs in the body. As brain patterns and overall health are affected, addiction can cause various types of damage: mentally, physically, relationally, and professionally. As the addiction advances, you find it difficult to enjoy the things you previously loved. Eventually, these unhealthy patterns make it nearly impossible for a person to live a normal life. Either they are coping with strategies to hide their addiction, or the behaviors completely overtake the person’s ability to keep up with day-to-day responsibilities. Types of Addiction While many people think about just alcohol and drug addiction, addictive behaviors can span beyond these core issues. For example, in the mental health industry, addictions typically fall into these two categories: Chemical Addictions: The ongoing use of any substance that affects the chemical balances in the body. Common examples of chemical addictions include alcohol, prescription drugs, illegal drugs, marijuana, and tobacco. Behavioral Addictions:…
Are you someone who quickly flies off the handle when you are cut off in traffic or encounter a rude person at the grocery store? If you feel like your blood is starting to boil when your child is misbehaving, then it might be helpful to implement anger management strategies. It’s normal and healthy for everyone to experience anger. But when these emotions are difficult to control, they can affect your relationships and personal well-being. The good news is that you can learn to manage your anger more effectively. First, recognize the signs when something is triggering you. Then be proactive in your efforts and practice these anger management tips: Take a Breath Before Speaking When something makes you feel angry or frustrated, it’s common to respond swiftly and firmly. In the heat of the moment, you might say or do things that you will later regret. Instead of letting yourself speak freely, take a breath so you can collect your thoughts before speaking. Not only does this give you time to evaluate your response, but it also provides other people to do the same. Consider Your Tone of Voice While You’re Managing Your Anger Just because you are discussing…
Healthy relationships start by setting boundaries in your relationships. Whether you are interacting with coworkers or communicating in a love relationship, you need to establish basic guidelines for yourself. Even if you aren’t consciously setting personal boundaries, you probably know how it feels when someone else crosses your boundary. For example, the time you stayed late at work because of pressure from your boss. Or when you missed a social event that you were planning to attend because a neighbor was asking for last-minute childcare. When other people cross your personal limits, it often results in feelings that you are let down, disappointed, or hurt. If you don’t understand how boundaries work, it can be hard to understand where these emotions originate. What are Boundaries? Boundaries are rules or limits that we create, showing other people how to behave toward us. These guidelines are often unspoken ways we interact with others based on a mix of opinions, attitudes, beliefs, and past experiences. On the other hand, we can proactively set healthy boundaries when someone surpasses appropriate behaviors. This process isn’t about controlling what other people are doing. Instead, boundaries manage how we respond when someone oversteps. Your response is the…
Is talk therapy an effective way to treat depression? While sitting down with a therapist doesn’t provide instantaneous results, many people feel empowered to learn skills and tools to manage their depression. Like other mental health and medical treatments, the goal is to alleviate immediate symptoms and create effective results in the long run. How Severe is Your Depression? When you are pursuing support to treat depression, the therapist needs to evaluate the severity of your symptoms. If you are in the mild or moderate stages of depression, talk therapy might help you start feeling better. On the other hand, people with more severe forms of depression often need multiple treatment solutions to feel better. In these situations, a combination of medication and talk therapy can be effective in treating depression. The most important thing to remember is that every person is unique. Your therapist will assist with an accurate diagnosis and a personalized treatment plan. This approach is always adjustable depending on your changing needs over time. 9 Benefits of Talk Therapy for Depression Here are a few reasons why talk therapy is a popular solution to treat depression: Long-Lasting Results: Industry professionals find that talk therapy offers both…
Anxiety Can Make Most Social Interactions Overwhelming Unfortunately, many stigmas surround most, if not all, mental health disorders. Whether people don’t understand the effect mental illness can have on someone or do not believe in them, far too many people cannot comprehend what someone else is going through, making it hard for them to understand why people do the things they do. That is often the case for people with anxiety. Anxiety is one such condition that can be debilitating and affect one’s daily life. These feelings often lead individuals to isolate themselves to better cope with their symptoms. In many cases, social situations are triggers for people with anxiety. Unfortunately, there are things that people with anxiety do that come off as “rude” to those that don’t know or understand this disorder. Those living with anxiety have developed coping mechanisms that may come off as rude but are only a result of their anxiety disorder. For those with no knowledge of these mental health disorders, it’s hard for them to recognize signs or symptoms of anxiety and are quick to write off those with this disorder. Today we will look at a few things people with anxiety do that…
Mindfulness Can Help Improve Your Mental Health Millions of people live with anxiety, depression, and a host of other mental health conditions that affect their day-to-day lives. People are always looking for a way to manage their mental health effectively. One such practice many people find helpful is mindfulness. But what really is mindfulness? This concept has been around for thousands of years but only gained popularity in western cultures in the 1970s. It draws from ancient Hindu and Buddhist philosophy and traditions. Many psychologists are enamored with it, making it one of the most widely researched areas in modern psychology. It has proven time and time again to be an effective way to help those manage their mental health. Even the team at Lifeworks Counseling Center recognizes the many mental health benefits mindfulness presents. Lifeworks Counseling Center understands the importance of prioritizing your mental health. As last year has shown us, life can throw many things at us that impact our mental health negatively. Practices such as mindfulness can help you manage your mental well-being. If you are looking for counseling or would like to learn more about mindfulness, contact Lifeworks today. History of Mindfulness Mindfulness is deeply rooted…
Start the New Year by Prioritizing Your Mental Health 2020 has been a challenging year for almost everyone. The emotional and mental well-being of countless people took significant hits throughout this year. From the global pandemic to civil unrest, 2020 was full of moments that were draining for so many people. In times of self-isolation, it can be hard to prioritize and care for your own mental health. As 2020 comes to a close, many of the same issues and obstacles you currently face will not magically go away. However, the beginning of a new year is synonymous with change and rebirth. Many people take this time as an opportunity to make significant lifestyle changes to put their health first. That also includes your mental health. Even if you don’t make New Year’s resolutions, it’s often difficult not to examine your life as a new year begins. As we approach 2021, it is time to prioritize your mental health and put your overall well-being first. Lifeworks Counseling Center encourages everyone to care for their mental health, regardless of the time of year. For many, the start of a new year is the perfect time to do so. However, if you…
The Holidays Can Weigh on Your Mental Health As the year comes to an end, the holiday season is officially here! It is one of the busiest and most popular times of the year. From Thanksgiving to Christmas, the holidays are a time to get together with friends and family to celebrate everything you’re most thankful for in life. However, the busyness and stress of the holidays impact your mental health in ways you might not have thought about before. The holidays involve gatherings with friends and family, gift-giving, cooking and baking, traveling long distances, and so much more. While this time is enjoyable for many, all of the stress from the holidays can make mental health struggles like depression and anxiety much worse. The Holiday Blues are a real issue that affects countless people from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. A host of factors play into how holidays impact your mental health over this period. When you understand how the holidays affect you, you can take the right steps to prioritize your mental health during the holidays. While the holidays are a time for love, joy, and thankfulness, they can be quite stressful for many people. Rates of depression,…
Suicide Impacts All of Those Who Love That Person Suicide has been an issue that has plagued our society for centuries. While some cultures have condoned suicide in certain situations (for example, ancient Greece gave people convicted of crimes a chance to take their lives), most societies have condemned the act. Many countries even established criminal law to decrease the rate of suicide, but the effects were minimal. Suicide does not just impact the individual committing the act. It affects all of those around the person, from friends and family members to even coworkers. Often, these people are left with inconsolable grief. The trauma and loss they experience can be hard to overcome. These deaths are unlike any other. They are self-inflicted, a choice made by the individual. Pair this with the stigma of suicide and mental illness, and it can be hard to come to terms with what happened. Those who have survived this act need all of the support they can get, which is why International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day was established in 1999. International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day (also known as Survivor Day) occurs every year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving because the holidays are…
