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From Socrates to Jimmy Buffet: How to Coach Yourself Out of Rumination and Distorted Thinking

January 22, 2020

Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Socrates was certainly onto something when he stated that “the unexamined life is not worth living.” However, the overly examined life isn’t so spectacular either. Countless people, mostly women, have a bad habit called rumination that contributes negatively to their “physical and emotional well-being.” Rumination: What’s Happening in My Brain? People who ruminate dwell repetitively over negative thoughts in their head that are typically related to “failure, rejection, humiliation, loss or retaliation.”…

Common Bad Dating Advice

January 17, 2020

Danielle Bertini, LPC Between family, friends, self-help books, and the media, there is no shortage of dating advice. Although some of the advice given from these different sources can be helpful, much of it is either mistaken or based solely on personal experiences and opinions rather than actual research. Siedman (2018) discusses five common dating advice fallacies. When you meet the right person, you’ll know right away. Many people offer this piece of dating advice as an…

What’s The Deal With Self-Care?

January 16, 2020

Today, “self-care” has become somewhat of a trigger word when discussing mental health. If you’re stressed, feeling down, or are having a crappy week people’s go to response tends to revolve around what you should be doing for self-care. While it’s great that more and more people are becoming aware of the necessity of self-care, I wonder if we really understand what self-care means. Is self-care using a facemask? Is self-care going for a run? Is self-care…

How Attachment Impacts the Grieving Process

January 16, 2020

Our attachment style is highly influenced by our early childhood and romantic experiences. There are many resources out there that explain attachment, the four core styles of attachment, and how each is displayed in individuals and in romantic partnerships. Interestingly, there is less research and discussion around how attachment influences our relationships with the deceased, and how our attachment to that deceased loved one will influence our grieving process. One thing to note about this is that…

How Being an Overachiever Can Impact your Happiness

January 15, 2020

It is not uncommon in today’s world to work extremely hard as still feel unhappy and unsatisfied. It has become the “norm” to work well over 40 hours a week, be consistently accessible via phone or email outside of work hours, and even put in time on the weekends. It’s vital to ask ourselves what is the motivation for working this hard and this much just to feel unfulfilled. In data previously collected by the Conference Board,…

The Dehumanization Epidemic

January 14, 2020

Matthew Cuddeback, LCSW Conversations across communities reveal a growing concern about dehumanization in society and its impact on how people treat one another. Small daily frustrations can quickly turn into moments where someone becomes a label, an inconvenience, or a stereotype instead of a whole person. At Symmetry Counseling, we see how this pattern affects emotional well-being, relationships, and workplace dynamics for ages 10 through adulthood. Dehumanization does not always begin with harmful intent. Sometimes it grows…

Things That Don’t Make You Happy

January 8, 2020

Coursera is a great online tool for learning; it offers up a world of learning to people who cannot afford a college education, and it provides ongoing learning opportunities for people who do have college degrees but want to expand their range of personal and professional interests.  The information found below is compiled from Yale University’s The Science of Well-Being course, taught by Dr. Laurie Santos, and gives you a taste of the great information found on…

A List of Things Guaranteed to Help You Feel Better

January 6, 2020

When life feels overwhelming, you often feel the urge to do something to help yourself feel better but lack the energy or the mental clarity to evaluate your options.  It can be helpful to know that there are things you can do that are almost always guaranteed to positively benefit you and not harm you. Below are all the actions you can take when you’re not sure what to do but know you should be taking care…

Boundaries, Boundaries, Boundaries

January 5, 2020

What do you think of when you think of boundaries? What do they mean to you, and how do you implement them in your life? As a therapist, boundaries are one of the core tools I discuss with my clients. Setting boundaries in your life can have a positive effect on your mental health, stability, and your overall wellbeing. I have seen clients benefit from setting boundaries in their life with partners, family members, co-workers, and more.…

The Potential Impact of Your News Exposure

January 4, 2020

How often do you watch or read the news? After your exposure, do you find yourself feeling empowered and informed, or do you find yourself feeling negative and pessimistic? As a therapist, I have worked with clients who have been impacted by their news exposure, and feeling pessimistic about the current state of the world.  Additionally, I, myself, have found myself feeling down or pessimistic after hearing about a recent bad event in my neighborhood. With the…