Have you ever replayed a train of thought in your head over and over again? No matter what you do, you can’t seem to think about anything else. Rumination is the act or habit of obsessing over negative events or interactions in the past, and it is a stress-magnifier that can have negative effects on a person's mind or body. Rumination can prolong or intensify depression or anxiety, and it can impair your ability to think or process emotions. Ruminating thoughts can interfere with moving forward to more positive thoughts or attitudes. It’s a toxic mindset that encourages pessimism and [...]

You’re moving along, getting work done, feeling productive, and then you have to stop for a meeting. Normally this wouldn’t bother you, but you’re not sure why you were invited to this meeting, or even what the purpose of the meeting is. So you break your concentration and hope you can get back into the flow afterward. While in the meeting, you get frustrated because there is no clear direction, people are talking over each other and, worst of all, the meeting produces nothing but more questions and increased frustration. You go back to your task and realize the motivation and drive you had [...]

It seems like we as a society are more divided than ever, with arguments over politics, which football team is better, or whether pineapple belongs on pizza creating conflict. Conflict can be good – it can help to develop me as a person or an organization – but only when we are willing to listen and have an open dialogue. Sadly, this does not seem to be the culture of our society. We are so focused on being right or winning the argument that we are not willing to entertain an idea that is contradictory to ours. Conflict arises when we are not living according to our values, or when our values [...]

What is my purpose? Why am I in the position I am? Is there more for me out there in the world? Where are these thoughts and questions coming from? With nearly 60,000 thoughts swirling around in our head each day, over half of which are negative or pessimistic and 90% repeating themselves day to day, it’s no wonder we may question ourselves. self-reflection \self-ri-flek-shen\ n : serious thought about one’s character, actions, and motives or that of careful consideration of one’s behavior and beliefs; also known as introspection The original idea of introspection was developed by Wilhelm [...]

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 [...]