Reducing Stress

Summer is over and fall is here. This means change is near or has already started. For some, it may have never stopped. With busy work schedules and children is school, you may never feel like you have any time for yourself. Next, the holiday season will be here, and we will all be wondering where the year went. Here are ten holiday coping tips to get you through the season: Go outside and watch the birds and other animals. Nature is a great escape and a good way to clear your mind. Leave all gadgets behind and just enjoy being…

Maybe you weren’t expecting this but I’m going to talk about depression in this article. Depression affects many people. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 19 million Americans suffer from it. At some point in their life, 10%-25% of women will become depressed and 5%-12% of men will become depressed. Depression isn’t fun and it can be debilitating. Here are five signs that you are depressed: You laugh and cry at times that don’t call for it. In psychology this is also known as “inappropriate affect.” This is when you over-react to insignificant sadness, and ignore major league bad news.…

The answer is yes. Let’s review what The Four Horsemen are: Criticism, Defensiveness, Contempt and Stonewalling. They are the four biggest predictors of divorce. This is based from The Gottmans research. They have done over four decades of research in working with couples. They have found that there is overlap into the workplace. They have also found that when couples stop using The Four Horsemen in their relationship and change how they communicate with one another, they will change how they communicate with people outside the relationship. Not only will they see their relationship change, they will see other relationships…

“Always speak politely to an enraged dragon.” Steven Brust As a therapist, I hear it all the time. ‘I just can’t do this, or I’m just not good enough, etc.’ It’s easy to put yourself down. We all have an inner dialogue, it’s natural. Unfortunately, many people use it to beat themselves up. This can really bring you down. It’s true, we are what we think. Your thoughts will affect how you feel. Here are five tips to help conquer your inner dragon: Learn to relax. This is a great way to make your inner dragon go away. Take a yoga…

In today’s society, we are faced with many stresses at the work place. Will the company that you’re working at down size? There are many interruptions, which makes it difficult to focus. If you work in a cube, you may be tired of hearing the person next to you argue with their spouse on the phone. Sleep deprivation is at it’s worst. 40% of adults say they lie awake at night worrying about work. Here are five tips to help eliminate stress at work: Take a deep breath. Sounds simple and it is. When people are stressed they either hold…

We’ve all been there. Slept through the alarm clock, car is low on fuel, forgot to pick up coffee, the baby won’t stop crying, etc. Minor things can trigger bad days. As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I have found it’s best not to catastrophize. Don’t let the small things ruin a perfectly good day. In our society it is easy to focus on the negative. All you have to do is watch the news. Here are five tips that can help you turn around a bad day: Start your day by stating five things you are grateful for. No…

I went out to dinner with a couple of friends last night, and as we were chatting one of my friends made a comment that she needs to change the chatter in her head. She needs to stop putting herself down and telling herself that she is stupid and ugly. I immediately complimented her. She is a smart and attractive woman. She thinks this way because she is single. Now, is there any truth to what she is saying? I know plenty of smart and attractive single people. As a Therapist, it amazes me how many people tell themselves horrible…

Let’s face it life doesn’t always go our way. Regardless, of who you are life is full of surprises. It’s best to embrace change and keep moving on. Here are ten tips that can help when life get’s tough: They keep in control. They don’t give away their power.  They stay happy. They don’t complain. They don’t waste energy on things they can’t control. They celebrate other people’s success. They don’t resent that success. They enjoy their time alone. They don’t fear being alone. They expend their mental energy wisely. They don’t spend time on unproductive thoughts. They tolerate discomfort.…