As parents, we want what's best for our kids. Often we do what we can to make them happy. We don't want them to experience struggle, turmoil or disappointment, so we try hard to satisfy their wishes. While we may have the best of intentions, sometimes it goes too far. Overindulgence happens when we satisfy the child's wishes to an extreme extent. Kids who are overindulged may begin to think that the way they're growing up is how the world works. They start to expect that they can buy anything they want when they want it. Stress can cause parents to at times be more indulgent. For example, when [...]

In his short life, Xavier* experienced so much trauma. His parents battled substance use disorders, which caused him and his siblings to be neglected. Child Protective Services became involved, and Xavier lived in several foster homes before moving in with his adoptive family at age 5. As a result of his early childhood experiences, Xavier was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). His body and mind were in constant fight, flight, or freeze mode. He thought adults could not be trusted to meet his needs. He had difficulty sleeping and would hide food to make sure he wouldn’t go [...]

You know the old saying "laughter is contagious." Laughter, happiness, joy; a lot of things fall into the category of being easy to spread. Unfortunately, bad things are contagious, too. Colds, illnesses, and even a bad mood. Your stress, frustrations, and anxiety can spread to those around you. Protect them by protecting yourself. How Anxiety Affects Us When we are stressed or anxious, it’s difficult for our brains to absorb any facts, much less decipher fact from fiction, and we go into survival mode. Intellectual information doesn’t register because we are running away from danger. When our [...]

Uncertainty can make us feel stressed and vulnerable to the world. Our brain equates uncertainty and the unknown with danger, causing our stress reactions to kick in and anxiety levels to increase. It's important to remember that even though we can't control everything around us, we can control ourselves and our own thoughts. Author Stephen Covey refers to the things we do have control over as our "Circle of Influence." By focusing on the things we can influence in times of uncertainty, we can be solution-focused, make good choices, and practice good self-care. We also avoid a lot of [...]

After a long, harsh winter, we warmly welcome the summer months! This season provides us several opportunities to practice good mental health. Here are some tips to improve your mental health and make the most of the summer: Get outdoors Exposure to the sun is the most natural form of vitamin D. If we get too little of it, it can lead to symptoms of depression. Being outdoors decreases anxiety and increases the production of serotonin levels in our body, a neurotransmitter linked to the experience of pleasure. That means sunshine is good for our mental health! What are some activities you [...]

Ahh, bedtime. We won’t sugarcoat it – sometimes getting your kids ready for bed is a chore. However, creating a consistent routine is crucial for their development. You know that! Sleep helps them thrive, grow and avoid excessive daytime sleepiness. In addition to having a direct effect on happiness, research shows that sleep impacts alertness and tentation, cognitive performance, mood, learning and memory. It’s an essential building block for their mental and physical health. If you’re finding it impossible to help your kiddo sleep, you’re not alone. Research shows that a consistent bedtime [...]

Personal well-being isn’t just how physically fit you are, or how you feel right now. Achieving wellness involves making choices that positively affect you in many different areas of life, as physical and mental health interact with each other. Working toward wellness can help you to engage in positive interactions, ward off stress, and reduce the likelihood of becoming ill, according to the University of California Davis. There are actually 8 different dimensions of wellness. Think of it like a wheel. The wedges in your wellness wheel can be of different size and importance, but all of them [...]

Have you ever sat back and thought about where leaders come from? If you were asked what a leader is, you could probably rattle off some traits or characteristics that an individual may possess that would make them a leader. You likely have identified these leadership traits as something you wished you possessed so you could be a better leader. Maybe you’ve read books by John Maxwell, Patrick Lencioni, and Simon Sinek so you can grow as a leader. Leadership has become a billion dollar industry with books, videos, trainings and workshops offered all over the world. While these authors and [...]

At some point, we all "get by with a little help from our friends." And at other times, we're the one supporting a friend in need. Having a strong social support system improves our mental health outcomes and our resiliency, or the ability to bounce back from stressful events. "While 1 in 5 people will experience a diagnosable mental health condition in their lives, 5 out of 5 people will go through a challenging time that affects their mental health," says Mental Health America. "There are simple things that every person can say or do to help the people in their life who are struggling to get [...]

With an induction, long labor and post-delivery complications, the birth of Jessica’s first baby was nothing like she imagined. “It was honestly a traumatic experience for me,” Jessica* says. To make matters worse, Jessica developed postpartum anxiety, which made it difficult for her to enjoy life with her new baby. “I was convinced I was not cut out to be a mom and (my baby) would be better off if adopted,” she says. “I thought if I didn't have a baby anymore my life would be back to what it was before giving birth and my anxiety would magically be gone and life would be good again.” A nurse [...]