While we are in many ways still bound to our primal instincts, we’ve evolved as human beings. In times of conflict, we can communicate our complex thoughts and emotions. I believe we owe it to our ancestors to address conflict by communicating. How to Address Conflict It starts with defining the problem. A common mistake is to identify a person as the conflict rather seeing the choices, behaviors, circumstances, or the interactions as the cause of conflict. It’s easy to blame others. Blame distracts from our behaviors and removes our responsibility to make changes. However, habitual deflection [...]

The average person will spend 90,000 hours at work over their lifetime. That is equivalent to 11,250 8-hour workdays. It’s safe to say that your job and workplace can have a considerable impact on your mental health and quality of life. If employees are experiencing a lot of stress at work, they're bound to be unhappy. In a 2021 Work Health Survey conducted by Mental Health America (MHA), they set out to provide an opportunity to better understand four different mental health challenges that employees face in the workplace. Mental Health Challenges Employees Face 1. Financial Insecurity With [...]

We all face trauma, adversity, and other stresses throughout our lives. When people think of trauma, they often think of things like abuse, terrorism, or catastrophic events (big ‘T’ trauma). Trauma can also be caused by events that may be less obvious but can still overwhelm your capacity to cope, like frequent arguing at home or losing your job (little ‘t’ trauma). Trauma of any kind can be hard on your mental health but working on becoming more resilient can help you feel more at ease. Mental Health America offers these tips for healing as part of its Tools 2 Thrive initiative: Process your [...]

In challenging times, you may ­find that you have little patience with other people or get upset over minor things. Anger and frustration are complicated emotions that often stem from other feelings, like disappointment, fear, and stress. Taking some extra steps to decrease your overall tension can prevent your feelings (and the reactions that they cause) from spiraling out of control. Try these 8 tips for coping, provided by Mental Health America: Pause before reacting When you feel yourself getting mad, take a moment to notice what you’re thinking, then take a few deep breaths or count to 10 [...]

September is Recovery Month! Recovery Month is the perfect time to recognize what recovering from substance use really means. Take a closer look at the effects of addiction and celebrate those who have started on the pathway to long-term sobriety. The Village’s First Step Recovery program provides a caring environment for adults struggling with substance use disorders. Slogan Contest This month, First Step is celebrating Recovery Month in a number of ways. One of those ways was a slogan contest. The First Step team set up a wall in their office where clients could write their ideas for a [...]

We often hear people say, “If you need help, just reach out.” But how can we possibly ask for help when we feel we’re at our worst? Reaching out is a skill we are expected to know, but is often not modeled for us. When you’re in a negative mental space, you might have thoughts of loneliness, insignificance or shame. You may think you’re not feeling “low” enough to ask for help. You might even prepare yourself to ask for help, but then later talk yourself out of it for fear of being judged. You need to know that you are not alone. The truth is that there are many people who love you and want to [...]

Parenting is serious business, and it can be overwhelming at times. It can also be a whole lot of fun if you find ways to sneak some play into your day. You don’t have to shirk grown-up responsibilities or make a fool of yourself (not that there’s anything wrong with that) to become a more playful parent. Here are some easy-peasy ways to have more fun with your kids. Why not try one today? You can clean out the fridge tomorrow. The Village offers parents support and advice through parenting classes as well as counseling services. Call 1-800-627-8220 or contact us online to learn more. Answer [...]

Smart phones have made our lives easier in so many ways, you may feel like you can't live without your device. Odds are, you're reading this article on a phone right now! Technology is a part of everyday – every hour – life! So, knowing that, how do we take care of ourselves and make sure we aren’t overly dependent, or addicted, to our phones? As with any problematic behavior, the main questions to ask yourself – or your children – are these: Is your phone interfering with your ability to sleep, study, work, or socialize? Does it seem like a battle to turn off electronics at the end of the day [...]

We’ve all heard the old adages “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” and “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” but can what we eat influence our emotional and mental well-being? There is a growing trend looking at the role diet plays in mental health. While a balanced diet and good nutritional habits aren’t meant to replace treatment, they can be helpful additions to the treatment recommendations of a mental health professional. A big trend in nutrition and food is the clean-eating movement. Studies have shown that eating more “clean” foods and less processed foods not only has [...]

“We are all a little different and that is OK. In fact, it’s good, if we strive to understand each other, accept each other, and respect each other. If we do that, our diversity can make us stronger as a community.” Recently we’ve been writing about the importance of examining our unconscious bias and digging deeper to understand how these biases can permeate the workplace, affecting our recruitment, retention, promotion and decision-making process. While on this journey of becoming aware of our unconscious bias, it’s key to be able to challenge our assumptions, personally and professionally [...]