Vitamin D is one of the most influential vitamins for mental and physical health. It is not only important for proper bone growth, but it actually aids in the functioning and development of different parts of your brain. Since there are receptors for this vitamin in virtually all of your muscles and tissue, Vitamin D deficiency can have many negative effects. Most people know that Vitamin D can come from the sun, this is one of the reasons why Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is common during the winter months of the year. SAD is also known as seasonal depression. There is less sunlight during these months which then changes the levels of Vitamin D in your brain. This can then translate to

Since many people are working from home, our daily routines have been forced to change. For some, this includes one of the most important daily needs...sleep. Though it may seem juvenile to stick to a sleeping schedule, the benefits of getting good sleep can affect every part of your physical and mental health. Your brain needs sleep in order to function properly. Studies have shown that people who don't sleep well often have high blood pressure which can lead to heart disease and higher risk for a heart attack. Sleep is essential for your brain to assist your memory and learning. Reaching each stage of sleep each time you sleep is important because each stage stimulates different parts of y

Exercise can have a variety of good affects on a person's health. Some of these benefits could include regulating blood circulation throughout your body and prevention of heart disease. Working out can also have positive affects on people's mental health. Exercising can be a good habit to start. With building good habits comes optimism and accountability. In order to take accountability of how you track the habit you want to build or break, you have to take accountability for carrying out your goal. Most goals cannot be achieved overnight. Staying positive through your entire journey to your end goal is one of the best ways to keep your motivation high. Another way to build good habits is to

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders in the world, next to depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. The struggle with Anxiety is the co-morbidity rate of other diseases that affect your physical health. Co-morbidity is the likelihood of someone having two or more chronic disorders. Anxiety is linked to increased risk for medical issues like cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Cardiovascular disease can be caused from anxiety due to increased heart rate which then translates into high blood pressure. If you feel anxious and your heart rate is rising, try to focus on your breathing. Square breathing is a great way to slow your heart rate and calm your thoughts. S

Many people have been affected by the current world situation. These people have lost jobs, the ability to walk at their graduations, and some have lost loved ones. Despite the trauma and the longing for social interaction, it is important for everyone to stay positive. Whether it be working out, cooking new food, spending more time with those you live with, or taking time to do things you wouldn't otherwise have time for. Staying positive can positively affect your mental health and other parts of your physical health as well. Learning how to transition your negative thoughts into positive ones is a great way of coping with stress and anxiety. Re-framing is a great technique for seeing the

Though seeing a counselor in person is preferred by many, given the state of our country this is not feasible for the next few weeks, possibly months. Telehealth is a great way to substitute going to an office to seek counseling. Many people have concerns about different things regarding the use of online healthcare. Privacy online and in the home is one of the biggest worries people have. With regulations put in, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant software is used to ensure the privacy of clients. As counselors, we are doing everything we can to make this transition from in person to online therapy as worry free as possible. Many insurance companies are al

Many of us are starting to feel restless with the current state of our world. As a population, we are eating more, drinking more, and doing a whole lot of waiting. During this time, I challenge you to take care of yourself. Do something that makes you feel good. Take time to realize how you are feeling and what you would like to accomplish while being at home. Perhaps you could try starting a new project or taking up a new hobby. Everyday during this quarantine you could be trying something new, or taking time to take care of yourself. Personally, I have found that tending a garden, even a small one, is calming and something to look forward to everyday. If you'd like to find some peace withi

When you break things down, there are two ways of coping with stress. There is active coping and there is passive coping. When you use active coping, you tackle a problem, or stressor, head on. On the contrary, when you use passive coping, you are simply taking your mind off of the stressor. Active coping helps with putting your mind at ease in a productive way. Examples of active coping could be making a list of things to do, problem solving, or seeking social or emotional support. Passive coping helps with putting your mind at ease, but only temporarily. Examples of passive coping could be ignoring your problems, procrastinating, and self-medicating. Take time to reflect on what type of co

Though drinking water is not technically working out, it can most definitely help you lose weight in a healthy way. Each person's body is different, that is what makes us all unique. The one thing that we all have in common is that our bodies need to be hydrated. Drinking water is an easy way to cut out extra sugars, fats, and grains that your body does not need. Though alcohol, soda, and coffee with cream are very tasty, your body doesn't need them to function properly. Since each person is different, we all need different amounts of water to remain hydrated. The easiest way to find out how much water you should drink each day is to cut your weight in half. That number is how many ounces of

Longer than I have been studying psychology and its subcategories there has always been a stigma against those who see a counselor. I find this interesting because everyone, including therapists, firefighters, police officers, and business people go through the emotional roller coaster that life is. Even if you aren't going through a life altering event, having someone who is trained to help you analyze and get through issues can be very eye opening. You don't have to be in a crisis to start counseling. You don't have to be mourning the death of a loved one to see a counselor. Everyday struggles including the loss of a job, transitioning to college, transitioning from college to adult living

As a recent college graduate, and soon to be graduate student, budgeting is not a new thing to me. So many people wish they would have started saving money when they were in college. If you struggle with saving or managing money, or you want new tips to save, this is your sign to keep reading! Here are some tips I use and some other tips that I have heard work great for others! I would highly suggest getting some kind of change jar. Even if you don't carry cash around, you'd be surprised at how many coins and dollar bills you come across. Once you have your jar or container, set it in a place that will remind you to put your coins and bills in. You could easily save any $5 bill you come acro

Since spring is here and in full bloom, why not start your own garden? It can be easier than you think! A few years ago, we built a fenced in garden in the backyard and have grown numerous different plants including herbs and vegetables. My family loves making dinner, baked goods, and snacks with our fresh ingredients. Things like tomatoes, cucumbers, and snap peas make great pickling ingredients. While dill, mustard seed, thyme and rosemary make great aromatics. My favorite thing to grow is dill because it smells delicious and can be kept for a few months after the growing season is over. Pickles are one of my favorite things to make with backyard garden ingredients because they are so easy

Many people know the difference between extroverts and introverts is how these people spend their time. Extroverts tend to want to be near people and introverts are content with spending time alone or with few people. What a lot of people don't realize is how differently the two types of people are handling the stay at home order. Introverts in regular, everyday life can have a hard time going out to parties, attending events, or simply going to work depending on their job. These types of people don't need the extra energy that is given off by other people because they can fulfill this need themselves. Extroverts could be struggling in this uncertain time right now because we are forced to s