Relaxation techniques can be helpful in reducing levels of anxiety that occur from time to time. Anxiety might show up in one or more ways. Here’s when to use relaxation strategies to help anxiety, and when NOT to do it….
What feelings do you associate with relaxation?
When you think about taking time for yourself, do you feel guilty? While many of us have learned that pushing ourselves beyond our limits damages our physical and mental health, work performance, relationships, and overall satisfaction with life, we still believe that we do NOT have time to relax and replenish. However, the good news is that we can develop the ability to lower our stress levels and improve our health without taking a lot of time out of our day. Here’s more…
What are the benefits of relaxation?
What are the steps in relaxation?
Celebrating is Good for Our Mental Health
This year, weddings, birthdays, graduations, and other celebrations were canceled or remarkably subdued. Because of that, it might be tempting to downplay the holiday season like we have with other celebrations this year, especially with surging COVID cases. If you are in that mindset, you might want to rethink that decision. Based on an abundance of evidence, it is even more critical for our mental well-being that we engage in rituals of the holiday season, while observing the limitations needed to keep us safe from the virus.
Sleep: More Important Than Ever
Research shows that only about half of us are satisfied with either the quality or amount of sleep we get (Lau et al, 2018). And this was before Covid-19. With so much going on in the world and in our personal lives, it is understandable that we may be experiencing even more difficulty with our sleep habits. So, what can we do about it?
Our Furry Friends
This morning as I was drinking my coffee and preparing for the day, I noticed my sweet little dogs all curled up in their beds totally oblivious to anything beyond this moment. I have to say, I envied them. For them, there is no crisis … no worries. All they know is that in this moment everything is fine. This prompted me to take a look at the latest research on pets and well-being.
Calm in the Storm
Social Distancing, Not Emotional Distancing
At the risk of stating the obvious, there’s a lot going on! It seems like we’re trying to stay calm, but at the same time we feel like we have to get prepared. Within this frantic planning, people are talking about “hunkering down” and creating binge lists for viewing. What really concerns me about our plans to physically distance ourselves, however, is that this may also lead to emotionally distancing ourselves from others. And, that has consequences…
Your Well-Being in a Tech-Saturated World
Our digital world provides us with many advantages, such as the ability to stay connected with others, access to knowledge and education, and all sorts of entertainment options. However, as with many innovations that make our lives better, there are unintended consequences. So, how does our tech-saturated world impact our well-being?