Stress is inevitably a part of our lives. It’s a natural human response to address challenges or changes in life. Stress doesn’t have to be a negative. We can use stress as a motivator to complete our to-do list; it lets us know what is important to us, boosts our performance, and even helps increase our ability to remember and store memories. However, it can also negatively impact our daily functioning if left untreated.

Yoga is a powerful tool for stress relief. As the holiday season rapidly approaches, stress often follows.

If your stomach is already in knots thinking of facing family members at Thanksgiving, or if your heart is racing imagining all the Christmas gifts you “have” to buy, take a pause.

Ongoing research continues to study the links between physical and mental health, as we know they are deeply interconnected. For example, chronic stress and anxiety can lead to disruptive physical symptoms such as insomnia, fatigue, IBS and body pains.

I first learned what Mindfulness was when I decided to attend a Mindfulness Meditation group in college for extra credit. Looking back, I can’t believe I made it that far without knowing what it means to be emotionally and physically present! I spent a lot of time in my head worrying about what happened or what would happen next. When really, I needed to slow down and exist in that moment.

What is art therapy? I’ve been asking and answering this question for many years! And art-making in a therapy setting can mean different things to different people. I like to think I’ve perfected my go-to answer when meeting someone new and getting the dreaded yet well-meaning question, “So, what do you do for work?”

What do therapists mean when they talk about your “inner child”?

From my perspective, the inner child is the young, vulnerable part of you that carries scrapes and scars from growing up. I also see the inner child as the part of you that brings a capacity for tender emotions like joy, hope, curiosity, excitement, and awe.

Relationships, friendships, wedding planning- all of these things can cause chronic stress that can end in burnout. Societal constraints keep us trapped in this never-ending cycle of stress. We now understand that stress is a chronic condition and that burnout results from said stress becoming way too much.

Grief- what a ride. It’s not a ride that anyone asks to be on, but it’s something we will all experience in our lives to some degree. If you’re lucky, it won’t be until you are old and gray.

My first experience with gut wrenching, life changing grief came 10 years ago (how has it been 10 years?!) when my dad passed away. It’s not something anyone can prepare you for. But, it does remind you how much you have loved. There is no grief without love.

With the explosion of social media platforms, it seems that people are more prone to self-diagnosing these issues. So if you find yourself questioning, ‘Wait…do I have ADHD?’ Well, maybe! And you’re not alone in that question. However, the idea that everyone struggles with these symptoms to an extent can be dismissive to those who do.

If you are struggling with self care, spring is a great time to start working on your mental health and take care of yourself!

If you are struggling with an eating disorder or low self esteem, read on for our tips of how to view yourself as more than a body!