The holiday season is the time we’re told we’re allowed to “relax” and spend time with family, yet it tends to be busy, and often before we can catch our breath, we return to work.
Whether you find comfort in or feel stressed about returning to work, have you taken the moment to pause and check in on how you’re doing after the switch? Let’s take this moment together to pause and check in on ourselves.
Whether or not you are enjoying the celebrations, family or other gatherings, and holiday spirit, these few weeks can be overwhelming and stressful with the weight of expectations, obligations, traditions, or loss. The weight of these stresses can muddle our thoughts and dampen our mood, but one way we can gain mental clarity is by journaling.
This time of year can become quickly overwhelming and hectic, so let’s take a moment to pause, breathe, and check in with ourselves.
The holidays are often depicted as a happy, joyous, and festive time of the year spent with loved ones. But, the holidays aren’t always a wonderful time. It can be a difficult, sad, stressful, or anxious time for many people. If you’re experiencing grief this holiday season, you’re not alone.
Moreover,
“you are not a grinch,
you’re in grief.”
-David Kessler
As we approach the winter solstice, the nights grow longer and the days shorter. It is common to experience a change in mood and energy with this change in season, a change that often leads to sleep disruption and lower mood and energy.
This week, we’re taking the moment to mentally prepare ourselves for the winter months so we can manage the “winter blues.”
Sleep is a precious thing, not only because of all the mental and physical health benefits, but just simply because we’re often tired and it has become a scarcity. Sometimes our work or commitments pull us away from a full, restful night’s sleep, and other times we toss and turn, struggling to fall asleep. Or, maybe we find ourselves more productive at night and tend to push off sleep in favor of (finally!) getting some work done.
This week, we’re learning about sleep hygiene and how we can protect our precious sleep.
We’ve covered a lot of topics over the summer: we have learned
about the grieving process and how to cope with grief,
how to befriend our body,
how to mindfully color,
how to overcome procrastination and build discipline,
and last week, we learned how to build healthier relationships with social media.
Whew! That’s a lot to take in! And understandably, it can feel overwhelming, so this week, let’s pause and check in with ourselves.
Grief is one of the oldest universal aspects of human experience, and yet it is also unique to each person and each situation. Grief is our emotional response to the loss of someone or something we love, and thus grief can feel overwhelming or all-encompassing. There is no right or wrong way to grieve; however, understanding grief can help us find healthier coping strategies.
In honor of National Grief Awareness Day, today, we’re looking at the grief process and tips to cope with grief.
Have you ever returned home from a paw-ful day, your pet comes up to greet you or you give them loving pets and your stress seems to melt away?
The bonds between humans and animals are powerful and valuable. Our companion pets provide us not only with their unconditional love but also with a wealth of mental health benefits—all while being their paw-some and adorable selves.
It’s easy to get caught up in the grind of our day-to-day lives. And, maybe we push our emotions off to the side without acknowledging or listening to them, so we can focus on our work. Or, maybe we let our emotions, like worry, anxiety, stress, or frustration, walk with us throughout the day without taking the moment to face them and listen.
So, let’s pause, take a mindful breath, and listen to what we have to say when we ask ourselves:
“How am I doing?”
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Congratulations on taking this step!
We look forward to working with you!
