As we continue to learn more about the mind-body connection, many physicians and therapists have become aware that poor eating habits can worsen symptoms of depression and anxiety, while a more healthful diet can lift your spirits and help keep you energetic and productive all day long Most of us have heard by now that refined … More Improving your Mood with Food
How many ways has the “digital age” changed our emotional lives? Judging by the lives of my clients as well as those of my family and friends, a lot. People seem to live huge parts of their lives via text message now. They will ask someone out by sending a text; they carry on huge … More The Internet and Emotional Health: Online Resources for Everyone
It’s well known that obesity is epidemic in this country. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much agreement about its causes and cures. While it might seem obvious that overeating causes overweight, a recent article in the New York Times (Always Hungry? Here’s Why) explains that one reason people overeat is because they are overweight. Once … More Why People Gain Weight, and What To Do About It
by Connie Opfell, LCSW Yoga is for everybody When they hear the word “yoga”, most people either think of a skinny Indian yogi sitting cross-legged in the lotus position for hours, or a svelte woman tying herself into a pretzel. Either way, they think “that’s not for me.” I’ve spent the last 15 years or … More Yoga – A Holistic Treatment Modality
A series of studies have demonstrated that adolescents will tend to take more risks when they are with other teens. The other kids don’t have to be applying pressure of any kind – simply being with other teens makes the adolescent choose riskier behavior. Most of us have observed or experienced this phenomenon, but … More Teenage Peer Pressure: It’s Not What We Thought
May is Mental Health Awareness month, established in an effort to help reduce the stigma that is so often still attached to the idea of having a mental illness or emotional problem. Too many people avoid getting help because they don’t want to be seen as “weak” or because they don’t want to talk about … More Mental Health Awareness Month seeks to reduce stigma
This post is borrowed from the Psychology Today blog, and was written by Mark Goulston, M.D. What does it take to be happy in a relationship? If you’re working to improve your marriage, here are the 10 habits of happy couples. 1. Go to bed at the same time Remember the beginning of your relationship, when … More Ten Habits of Happy Couples
This post is taken directly from the NIH (National Institutes of Health) website. You can get more information by visiting the NIH site at http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2014/niaaa-07.htm April is Alcohol Awareness Month, a time to learn about the health and social problems caused by drinking too much. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) encourages the … More How do you know when someone is drinking too much?
You may ask yourself, if I didn’t already know how to breathe, I surely wouldn’t be alive to read this blog post, would I? But what many of us don’t think about is that the way we breathe can have profound effects on our levels of stress and anxiety. Short, shallow, rapid breathing may give … More How to Breathe
by Dave Tomlinson, LCSW A Buddhist meditation tradition called “Shamatha Meditation” is an approach emphasizing “conscious breathing.” The technique is simply to attend to each in and out-breath, knowing that one is breathing in or out, whether the inhalation is long or short, and letting yourself become aware of all the subtle qualities of the … More Learning to Meditate: Strategies from the Buddhist tradition