With the new year coming up, a lot of you might want to set some resolutions but worry that you won’t be able to accomplish them. You are not alone! Resolutions can often be challenging. If you are interested in making changes for the new year, it might be impactful to look at resolutions in terms of goals. It is important to understand the length, plans, and actions to take when establishing your resolutions. There are two types of goals: 1. Short term goals can be accomplished quickly. Ranging anywhere from one day to one year. 2. Long term goals take a year or longer and require more time and planning. Understanding the difference between these two types of goals is important for resol

With the Holiday season in full effect, most of us are excited to have some vacation time and take a break. Some of you might feel the need to take a break from exercising but it might be beneficial to keep your workout routines during the holiday season. Here are a few reasons why: 1. Holiday stress: Although the holiday season comes with a lot of joy, it can also bring a lot of stress. Maintaining your exercise schedule will help to relieve a lot of the stress you are feeling. Remember when we work out, we are releasing endorphins. Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body. This will help relieve some of the stress you might be feeling during this time of year. 2. “Holiday

Harm from sexual assault can often last for years. One example is the experience of triggers resulting from sexual assault. Part of learning how to handle these triggers is understanding what they are and being aware when they are occurring. Triggers often occur as a result of a traumatic experience. According to helpguide.org, “If you are aware of what triggers may cause an upsetting reaction, you’ll be in a better position to understand what’s happening and take steps to calm down.” Surviviors of sexual assault might experience different types of triggers. Some can be flashbacks, nightmares or upsetting thoughts. They might come from a memory, smell, sound, location, etc. When we are

Most people like doing things they are familiar with because it makes them feel safe, secure and in control. This is known as the ‘comfort zone’. This zone is pleasant,however, it can also be limiting. Our comfort zone gives us a sense of security but it can also limit our potential. We often learn, grow and develop from new experiences. When we step out of our comfort zone, we open ourselves up for these new opportunities for growth and success. This allows us to gain new skills, increase our performance level and even expand our existing levels of comfort. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself and try something new. This doesn’t mean you have to do something extreme like jumping ou

If you had to guess, how many steps do you think that you take in a day? Many people do not get "enough" steps. Ever since I learned that it is recommended for us to get 10,000 steps each day, I have been more conscious of taking more throughout the day. Having an office job sure makes it difficult to get 10,000 per day, but getting up when I get something off the printer and just taking multiple short walks throughout the day makes a difference. Getting up and moving throughout the day has so many health benefits. Setting a goal of how many steps you'd like to get each day can encourage and push you to reach the goal. I suggest getting a device that can track your daily steps so that you ca

Medical trauma is a set of psychological and physiological responses of patients and their families to pain, injury, serious illness, medical procedures, and invasive or frightening treatment experiences. In many cases, medical trauma is not recognized or taken seriously. It does not necessarily matter the seriousness of the illness because it is easy to become traumatized when struggling with medical issues, especially if you are kept in a hospital or inpatient facility. Some tips on how to prevent and handle the effects of medical trauma would be to arrange social support as well as psychological support, become familiar with the illness and your treatment plan, be aware of the effects of

We can probably all think of at least one bad habit that we would like to break. The first step in breaking a bad habit is of course to identify the habit you wish to break. After you have identified it, try and understand more of why you do it. When did the habit start and why? What do you gain from doing it? If you can understand why you have this habit and what it does for you - it will be much easier to break. For example, if you bite your nails because you are nervous - you could identify the specific things or situations that make you the most nervous and try to find an alternative that might have the same or a similar effect on you. In this case, instead of biting your nails, maybe yo

What if I told you self care was more than a bath bomb and some essential oils? Often conversations around self-care come after we have told someone we are stressed out. We hear classic lines that go something like 'make sure you take time to take care of yourself'. I remember talking to a friend about the struggles of balancing school, work and life. She told me “You need to take some time to yourself. Have you heard about bath bombs? They are so amazing!” Now my friend meant well. But let’s be real, a bath bomb is not a ‘cure-all’ for stress. And contrary to popular opinion, self-care is more than taking a bath, going to the salon, or pampering yourself when you are upset or feeling dow

Holidays are hard enough as it is (as talked about in another blog) and they are much harder when we have lost a loved one! What is it about the holidays that makes grief so difficult? Well, of course it's we don't have our loved ones with us, as most normally do during this time of the year. Whether your loss is recent or many years later - the holidays always make us think about our families, friends and others that are close to us. This is a time of year that everyone makes the effort to get together and often share gifts. As you and your loved ones approach the holiday season - here are some tips that may help you as you grieve. 1. Acknowledge that the holidays will be different than nor

Ask yourself: what is causing you stress, anxiety or other unwanted negative feelings today? Can you pinpoint what it is? And what, if anything, are you going to do about it? Some ways that help you identify what you are feeling and why are to take up journaling (just writing freely about your feelings or look up prompts) or just making a list of what is bothering you and the emotion linked with it. Of course, another way that you can identify and work through your feelings would be to confide in someone - whether it be a friend, family member or a professional. I personally have to force myself to journal when I am feeling overwhelmed. My brain wants to avoid the additional feelings, though

Having a desk job or partial sitting job can make it hard to get in physical activity throughout the day and sometimes can leave you feeling sluggish. Feeling this way can have a negative affect on our mood as well. In order to prevent this and to stay active, there are many desk stretches available. The benefits of stretching throughout the workday include: - reduced workplace stress - improved worker productivity - increased flexibility and strength - proper blood and nutrient supply to the working muscles and tissues throughout the workday - prevents fatigue and discomfort - increases energy levels - reduced risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), like sprains and strains of the lower b

How do you know if you have been emotionally abused and how do you handle the triggers that follow you? It took me a while to realize that I had been a victim of emotional abuse, but it was clear whenever I looked back on my relationship with my father. Throughout my late childhood and adolescence, I remember constantly being called names, yelled at, threatened, sworn at, gaslighted, ridiculed and various other things. When I started to learn about different types of abuse in highschool and college (since I majored in Counseling Psychology) I started to realize that that type of relationship is not normal. Thankfully, my father and I are in a much better, healthier place now. However, the fe