The holiday season is a time of joy and celebration with our loved ones. Creating new memories after someone you cared about has died may be a painful reminder of that loss. Perhaps carrying on a tradition without that person might be a hard thing to do. We know that grief is an experience that comes in waves and it is common for it to resurge during the holidays.
Meditation can help lower cortisol levels, which is known as the “stress hormone” that causes inflammation in the body. Increased cortisol can lead to developing high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, fatigue, and attention problems. It can also alleviate stress-triggered medical conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and fibromyalgia. Meditation techniques can be used to promote sleep because they can help you relax your body and have better control over the thoughts that might be keeping you up at night.
Sleep is an essential part of our daily lives. About 1/3 of our lives are spent being asleep. Often when sleep issues arise, we find that it can have a ripple effect on our mental, emotional, and physical health. This 1/3 of our life establishes the foundation for our overall wellbeing.
By taking action, you are taking ownership and responsibility of alleviating loneliness. We often look for validation from this from external gratifications, such as other people or events to fill this vacancy in our hearts. However, sometimes this can be more harmful if your expectations are not met by them. You may be setting yourself up for disappointment.
The Use of Meditation & Prayer Whatever your religious or spiritual beliefs are, we can all practice a form of meditation and prayer. Prayer is the practice of remaining hopeful and expressing gratitude. It can give you the opportunity to look at challenges or struggles from a different perspective. Life can be overwhelming, and when you are able to have faith in possible solutions, prayer can be profoundly empowering. When we [...]
Utilizing Self-Care as a Tool for Burnout Prevention There are several common misconceptions about implementing a self-care routine, such as: "Dedicating time for myself is selfish when I have people to care for” “I don’t have the time for self-care activities” “I cannot afford to pay for it” Several benefits are associated with a daily self-care practice: Having a clear mind, more energy, balance, and confidence Prevention from burnout [...]
6 Ways to Increase Self-Esteem in Teens 1. Verbalize compliments or acknowledge positive personality traits/behaviors Examples: ∙ "You worked hard on that project." ∙ "That was really kind of you to help grandma out today with her yard work." 2. Children often have learned behaviors from their parents. Avoid your own critical self-talk in front of them. Try your best to model self-confidence. 3. Encourage and support activities that promote [...]
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)? The cognitive-behavioral model describes how an individual’s perceptions or spontaneous thoughts about situations influence emotional, behavioral, and physiological reactions. When distressed, it is common for thoughts to become inaccurate or dysfunctional. Those who participate in CBT can learn to identify and evaluate their “automatic thoughts”, which occur instantaneously as a response to an internal or external cue from past negative experiences. Such thoughts are [...]
