For some, summer isn’t necessarily a carefree, relaxing time. In fact, if you’ve experienced increased anxiety during the summer, you’re not alone. This is counterintuitive to how we typically think of summer. However, there are a number of reasons your anxiety can increase.
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People around the globe are eagerly awaiting the end of the pandemic now that effective vaccines are in use and being distributed. Most of us are exhausted from lockdown and restricted activities. We miss the freedom and ease of life before the pandemic. We can sense the end nearing and wait with impatience.
But if we’re being honest, how quickly will life actually be able to return to normal? And what will normal even look like after we’ve lived through such a stressful time?
These questions are even more pressing for the many Americans who’ve experienced new, worsening, or relapsed addiction during the pandemic. Many lives have been deeply changed, not just inconvenienced.
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Adolescents live with an exuberant false sense of immortality that leads them to throw caution to the wind. It’s hard for them to see the point of wearing masks or distancing from their friends when they’re young and healthy. Here are some ideas to help you encourage them to follow CDC guidelines.
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Grief really does produce physical symptoms that leave you exhausted. Understanding these symptoms is important so you know what’s happening to yourself and how you can manage them.
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When you hear the words “individual resilience,” what comes to mind? What does it mean to you?
No matter what hardships and difficulties you’ve encountered in life, resiliency plays a crucial role in helping you move beyond them. While people may describe it differently, at its core, resiliency is being able to navigate hurdles and setbacks without giving up. It is a type of inner strength that helps you withstand the tough times and even come out stronger on the other side.
One of the beautiful things about resiliency is that it is a skill that you can nurture and grow. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a resilient person, you can find a way to become one.
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Mental health therapists are among the many professions that have had to rapidly pivot their services during the pandemic. While teletherapy wasn’t unheard of before COVID-19, its use has risen exponentially in the last year. This has had the remarkable effect of allowing people to get the support they need during an unprecedented time. Therapists and clients have been able to continue holding sessions, addressing anxiety and depression, and find healing as a result.
However, you may be wondering what you can do to make the most out of your telehealth therapy. Even though teletherapy is clinically proven to be as effective as in-person sessions, here are steps you can take to ensure you get the most out of it.
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It’s safe to say that the times we’re living in now are stressful for many, if not most, of us. The pandemic’s effects have been many. And, of course, life can be incredibly stressful whether or not a pandemic is in play. Employment or lack of it, health concerns, family demands, and so much more can weigh heavily on you.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, no matter the cause, it’s critical to take steps to reduce your stress. There are many helpful things you can do on your own. You can also consider reaching out to a therapist for telehealth sessions during this time.
As you learn how to reduce your own stress, you can also positively impact those around you.
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Many engaged couples choose to go through premarital counseling before the big day. Premarital counseling is designed to help you understand each other better. It gives you a chance to think through how you’ll handle conflicts and disagreements in the future. You’ll take time to delve into life goals and what each of you want from life — but premarital counseling might have had to wait until after quarantine time frames.
If you’re like many couples, you intended to begin or complete premarital counseling before the COVID pandemic began. But once it started, your premarital counseling sessions were put on hold in the interests of social distancing and public health. Perhaps you holed up together during the isolation and strangeness of this last year.
All that time together has likely changed your relationship in many ways. Because of this, premarital counseling after quarantine may look a lot different than it would have before the pandemic. Here are some things you might expect.
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If you’re a parent and you’ve survived this far along in the pandemic, please give yourself a giant congratulations. It hasn’t been easy. You’ve managed to help your children with remote learning for at least part of the school year, if not all of it.
You’ve probably been working remotely from home at the same time. Or you may have still been leaving the house to go to work but struggled to find care for your children who were learning from home.
All of this is a lot for anyone to handle. If you’re feeling stressed out and worn thinner than you can imagine, you’re not alone. It’s essential to remember to address your own self-care needs and to reach out for help if you need it. Here are a handful of self-care ideas for stressed parents.
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