Have you ever heard someone say that they love running not just because of how it makes their body feel, but also their mind? Over 55 million people in the U.S. run or jog recreationally, and for good reason. Most of us know that running offers a host of physical benefits, including improved cardiovascular health… read more
The Power of Gardening to Improve Mental Health
The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic 20th century novel, tells the story of Mary Lennox, a girl relocated to England following the deaths of her parents. As she copes with her grief, she also faces ill health, loneliness and a slew of additional concerns that we now would recognize as major stressors. As you… read more
Nature As Self-Care
Nature’s Health Benefits It is widely accepted that time spent outdoors has both physical and psychological benefits. Yet, the average person spends nearly 87% of their time indoors and 7% of their time in vehicles. Put another way, most of us spend less than 5 hours per week in natural environments. This is a shame;… read more
5 Ways to Deal With Fear of the Unknown
You walk into work, coffee in hand and settle into your desk chair. As always, you log in to your email, scanning the inbox for any immediate calls to action. Your eye lands on a subject line that seems to blare at you: the company is being reorganized. You open it up to learn your… read more
The Power of Food to Affect Your Mood
Follow Your Gut: What You Eat Can Affect Your Mental Health Growing evidence suggests that eating well can improve your mental health, particularly your mood. For example, foods such as berries can boost memory and learning capacity, and certain teas can increase focus and reduce mental fatigue. Further, studies have shown associations between diet, suicide risk and… read more
How To Get a Stronger Relationship? Gratitude
It’s February, and for better or worse, this time of year has a lot of us thinking about love. Not just romantic love, but love for our friends, family members, and all the people who make us feel stronger just by being in our lives. Looking at these relationships, there are probably a few you’d… read more
The Power of Mind-Body Approaches In Trauma Recovery
What is integrative (mind-body) medicine? We used to think that our mental, emotional, and physical health were completely separate. If you wanted to treat one, you didn’t have to consult with the others. Yet as our knowledge has advanced, we’ve learned that this old myth is far from true. This has led to the rise… read more
Mental Health on TV: The Good, The Bad, and the Baffling
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. 13 Reasons Why. This Is Us. These are just a handful of the many television shows tackling mental health issues today. Discussions of mental health on our televisions represent a radical change; there was a time when mental health was so stigmatized that people avoided discussing it within their families, let alone engage… read more
What You Need To Know About Self-Care For Caregivers
When a loved one is diagnosed with a debilitating or terminal illness, it can be gut-wrenching and stressful. However, coping with the emotional and psychological impact of such devastating news is only a piece of the experience. The challenges associated with a loved one’s diagnosis grow in both intensity and complexity when we assume the… read more
No More Lost Opportunities: Conquering Social Anxiety
We’ve all been there—dreading or even intentionally avoiding social situations because we’re worried about rejection or embarrassing ourselves. Maybe we choose to skip out on a work happy hour because our supervisor will be there and we feel intimidated. Perhaps we turn down a party invitation because we won’t know any of the guests. These… read more
