mental health
Unfortunately, in today’s world it seems we’ve come to accept feeling constantly stressed while moving at an extremely fast pace. It comes as no surprise that people are feeling overwhelmed and unhappy as our brains try to make sense of an ever-changing world. If we continue to increase our workloads the common response is to wake up earlier and stay later in order to complete the necessary tasks. However, wouldn’t it be more effective to re-evaluate and…
Hannah Hopper It’s that time of year again in Chicago when the days are shorter, the sky is grayer, and it feels a lot harder to get out of bed and face the piercing wind. Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is a mood disorder that typically begins and ends around the same time each year, and often takes place in the winter months. For most people the symptoms begin in the Fall as the colder weather sets…
Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Mental health is an integral part of an individual leading a happy and fulfilling life. With World Mental Health Day being in October, this is the perfect time to raise awareness and think about mental and physical wellness. In this day and age, we are always paying attention to and worried about losing weight, being fit, getting toned…but what about mental and emotional fitness? When you work out, your body reaps positive…
We get to a certain age (it is different for everyone) where we finally realize our bodies have changed- the realization that we are not as young as we think they are. My boyfriend recently pulled his hamstring playing flag football and this realization has hit him hard. When talking with him, he mentioned that he pushed himself as hard as he used to and he said that his body could not carry him as quickly as…
Danielle Bertini, LPC Anger and resentment can often be like on overstuffed suitcase that weighs you down and demands large amounts of energy and attention. When looking at the topics of anger and resentment, it is first important to discuss what the differences are between these two words. Anger is a normal, natural emotion. In fact, in many situations, it’s a healthy and appropriate emotional reaction. Anger takes place in the present, when life isn’t going the…
If you read my last blog post referencing the Psychology Today article, “Radical Acceptance” by author Karyn Hall, Ph.D., you may be wondering what exactly does radical acceptance even look like and how to practice it? Below are the remaining key points from Dr. Hall’s article. What does acceptance look like? Instead of saying ruminating things like, “this isn’t my fault. This isn’t fair. I can’t believe this happened to me” we can shift our mindset to…
I work with many clients who are struggling with a stressful life transition in their personal and/or professional life, and for some clients possibly both at the same time. My job as their clinical therapist is to help the client better understand why this life transition is causing stress, what impact it has on the client, and how to better manage this life transition. Some clients, due to their life circumstances, cannot fully change the life transition,…
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.”…
Ghosting is easy. Think about it. The fast-paced online dating scene allows individuals to swipe past profiles very quickly; it is easy to talk to more than one person at a time, keep multiple relationships going, and ghost when the interest is no longer there. Online dating provides individuals with hundreds of different prospective partners that can be assessed and swiped right/left constantly. With the idea that there are better options out there, I can see how…
With the influx of social media applications and Facebook usage, we have gained access to other’s lives and opinions. At least the things they want us to know and see. While things may look great on social media we never really know what’s going on in people’s personal lives or insecurities they might be having. To prevent the building pressure present in today’s society from being increasingly detrimental, it’s vital we support each other and respects each…