Tips for talking to children during challenging times.

In general, stress and anxiety, along with changes in physical exercise and our daily schedule, affect sleep the most.

How to cope with having differing opinions than your family, friends, or loved ones during the coronavirus pandemic. Something I find most interesting about our current situation is that many of same issues we faced before the pandemic have arisen again, and in some cases, heightened. At first, I must admit, I was deluded to think that we would all join in harmony under this one "common enemy." I don’t want to seem too skeptical that this may still be underway—I do believe a

Suggestions for dealing with being stuck at home and adapting to a new way of life. We’ve all been hearing about this idea of “cabin fever” circulating to help us describe how we all may be feeling by being trapped inside for much longer than we are typically comfortable. Although technically cabin fever is not a psychological disorder categorized in the DSM-5, this does not mean it doesn’t exist. Based on my preliminary searches, there has been very little empirical research

Thoughts on why we must stay spiritually close while physically distant Well here we are. For those in California, we are now several weeks into shelter in place. To be honest, it has been difficult for me to write, or really focus on anything in particular. Many of our anxieties do not have simple answers, or answers that we know at the moment. And of course, my job is not always to give answers, but in a time like this, I know that’s what people are craving most. In the mid

Quick and easy stress reducing and grounding exercises I have always been interested in the effects of stress on the body. I will certainly write another post on the health impacts of stress, but for now, and given the situation at hand, I wanted to focus on how to reduce acute stress, quickly and effectively. These strategies will not only improve your mental state but will also make sure your immune system is in tiptop shape. Several things are happening that may be causing

A guide to mindfulness meditation for beginners (or those with a beginner’s mind). Meditation—a practice that has received so much attention in recent years, and I’m so glad that it has. But unfortunately, what I also hear very frequently is people claiming they are “bad” at meditating. This is just not possible! This article will help to de-mystify meditating but if you take one thing away, it is that meditation is challenging, but does become easier and more possible with p

7 self-care acts that are good for your mental health Self-care is a huge buzz-word in our culture today and a lot of things can be considered acts of “wellness.” I am not here to judge works best for you, but I want to give a few suggestions to make sure your “self-care” routine is actually improving your emotional well-being. What is not self-care? I’d like to start off with discussing what may not be acts of self-care. One way I like to frame self-care is to think of it as

8 things to explore and consider before starting your next serious relationship. We are continuing on with relationship month and I wanted to tackle a question I hear about a lot—how do I know if I’m ready for a relationship? I often find people can be worried or anxious about this after getting out a “toxic” relationship, especially in situations where they have may be harboring regret for choosing that particular partner and/or for staying too long in the relationship. In t

Help with navigating an often difficult holiday for people not in a relationship. For those of you who are single, Valentine’s Day can be a reminder of what you feel like you are missing in your life. It seems the holidays were just yesterday and here comes another day dedicated to people in relationships. You might wonder why we need another day to celebrate couples (though I’m not hating on couples!) when every day we are seeing and hearing messages about how wonderful it i

The importance of finding yourself after losing someone you love. For February, I’m kicking off the start of an overarching monthly theme—every article within that month I will address the theme in some way, shape, or form. For those you who received my newsletter (thanks for signing up!), you will know that this month’s “theme” is romantic relationships, which felt like the natural choice. Do not worry; this is such a huge topic that I will likely discuss this more throughou

Exploring the expected and not so expected benefits of travel. I was excited to see this question not only because I think it’s an important topic but also because this question gave me the opportunity to remember all the places and people I have got to know through travel. Since I was not raised in a family that traveled, exploring the world was something I had to push myself to do. At first, it was quite frightening to encounter so much novelty previously unknown to me in s

Health isn't just about the physical. Learn more about how exercising your body and can also help your mind. I have always noticed the connection between the mind and body. I grew up with a lot of anxiety and as a child, I really didn’t know how to manage what I was feeling. However, what I did notice was every time I got back from working out with my trainer or softball practice, I felt a whole lot better. Such a simple connection, but so vitally important. To this day, one

Help with finding patience and compassion for ourselves as we work towards our goals. January brings a sense of rebirth and excitement for what is to come. But it can also be a reminder of what changes we want to make, especially if we lost sight of those goals in the past couple months. As we close the chapter of 2019, I like to take a moment to reflect on the journey that was this past year. During my yearly reflections, I often notice the situations that seemed so insurmou