A Healthy Diet Can Help Improve Your Mood Many people who struggle with their mental health tend to look for a quick fix. Unfortunately, there is no remedy that will immediately relieve them of their anxiety or depression symptoms. However, there are changes in lifestyle that, over the long run, can help as an overall treatment. One of these lifestyle changes involves your diet. There are plenty of foods that can improve your mental health. Obviously eating one meal is not going to cure you of your condition, but consistently eating healthy can help relieve you of some of your chronic symptoms and get in a more positive mood. Here are some of the foods known to improve your mental health. Fatty Fish In most American’s diet, they are sorely missing too much omega-3 fatty acids. Instead, they are supplemented with trans fats and saturated fats which have been known to have negative effects on the brain. Our brains are mostly composed of fats, and since our bodies can’t produce their own essential fatty acids, our diet must consist of foods rich in omega-3s to meet our body’s needs. Cold water fish such as salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel all…
Having a Successful Work/Life Balance Helps Your Health Life is full of various aspects that everyone has to learn how to effectively juggle. From family and relationships to school and your career, many people are torn searching how to successfully balance their work and life. Your career should be important to you. After all, it is a way for you to make money to afford a roof over your head, clothes, and food. However, it should never take your entire focus. Failing to find a balance between work and your personal life can lead to mental and physical health issues. Studies have shown that working long hours and leaving little personal time can actually increase your risk of stroke by 33% and your risk of heart disease by 13%. A small level of stress can be helpful in pushing you to perform your best, but too much is a bad thing. Increased stress levels have been known to weaken your immune system, putting you in danger of a number of illnesses. Here are some tips to help you balance your work and life better: Define Your Work/Life Balance Your work/life balance refers to how much time you devote to your…
Many Women Experience Postpartum Depression After Birth Many people have the assumption that once a mother gives birth to their child, life is all sunshine and rainbows. However, new moms face many challenges in getting used to life with a newborn. Lack of sleep, new responsibilities, and breast pain from nursing can be just a few of the challenges new mothers face. Many don’t understand the emotional pain that follows childbirth. We are not talking about the “baby blues” but rather postpartum depression. Nearly 15% of all new mothers experience postpartum depression (PPD). While this condition can be successfully treated, many still do not understand PPD. What is Postpartum Depression? Postpartum depression is a deeply painful depression that a mother can have once they have a baby. Mothers can experience this any time during the baby’s first year, but more often than not, its effects are felt in the first 3 weeks. Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, guilt, and even anger can plague many mothers. They may not feel like they want to bond with their child or even care for them. PPD does not just affect first-time mothers. Many mothers have experienced this condition even after they had a child…
Self-Love is an Important Part of Maintaining your Health There is no time of the year that is bad to start taking better care of and loving yourself. It is always a good time to begin investing in caring for yourself. Summer offers you more time and opportunities to engage in self-love activities. The days are longer, and the weather is warmer, leading many to feel as though it is time to start working on themselves. You should never feel pressured to work on yourself. Loving yourself should come naturally and be an action which you want to do. For those of you who are interested in loving yourself this summer, here are a few tips to help you out. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others as Much It is almost human nature to compare yourself to your peers. It is not always a bad thing, but too much comparing can leave you feeling inadequate and insecure. Try not to compare how you look or where you are in life to others as much as you have in the past. If you do want to compare yourself to someone, look back at your past self and see how you’ve grown and…
Summer is meant for Fun, Yet Not Everyone Experiences This Summer is finally here. The weather is warmer, and the days are longer. For children, school is officially on vacation. For parents, the season presents plenty of opportunities to take a much-needed family vacation. Summer is supposed to be a time of fun and relaxation. However, there are many who suffer from summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD) that prevents them from enjoying this season. Summer SAD is not a well-known condition, but it affects enough of the population for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to declare September as Suicide Prevention Month. There are a high number of suicide attempts at the end of August and beginning of September. Many believe the increased sunlight provides depressed individuals more energy to take their lives. Understanding SAD Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) affects roughly 6% of the U.S. population and is more typically known for causing depression in the winter months when the days get shorter and colder. However, it is less known that about 10% of people who suffer from SAD experience it in the reverse: their depression symptoms occur during the summer instead of the winter. The symptoms between winter…
Marriage counseling is a great tool for many couples Relationships can be extremely wonderful, bringing joy and happiness into your life. However, they require an incredible amount of effort and care from both individuals involved. For those that have committed to marriage, they may feel an added layer of pressure and stress to have a successful relationship. These relationships are far from perfect, and on occasion, some struggle. Even the best marriages can suffer from time to time. Professional marriage counseling is often the best next step for those in a relationship showing signs of breaking down. Marriage counselors help guide you and your spouse in the direction that allows you both to get your relationship on the right track. The issues within your relationship will be unearthed and helpful solutions will be recommended. Marriage counseling may not always fix your relationship, however, it may help you and your partner come to a realization and separate in a healthy and amenable way. It is important to take the time to assess your relationship to help you find the best counselor for your marriage. There are various forms of counseling that address different situations. Seeking Marriage Counseling It is entirely natural…
Americans are some of the most stressed people in the world according to the most recent results from an annual Gallup poll. Gallup conducts these polls yearly, measuring the stress, anger, and worry of individuals in countries around the world. Representatives from 143 countries were studied, including over 1000 from the United States. The researchers would ask Americans whether they had experienced feelings of stress, anger, or worry the previous day. The results for the United States were the highest they had been in over a decade. Results When asked about how they felt the previous day, the majority of Americans (55%) reported they had felt some form of stress during the day in 2018. This put the U.S. just four points behind the world leader Greece (59%) and 20 points over the global average (35%). However, when asked about worry, Americans did not report great departures from the global average. The U.S. came in at 45% while the global average sat at just 39%. While this isn’t nearly as large of a gap as stress, it is still noteworthy that the U.S. ranks higher than the global average in two of these categories. Things do not appear as bad…
Bipolar disorder and ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, are two conditions that continue to be diagnosed in more individuals throughout the country, ranging from children to adults. However, diagnosing the two can be difficult as they both share several symptoms, yet they are two very distinct disorders. When a child is diagnosed with ADHD, they are more likely to develop other mental health disorders such as anxiety disorders, major depression, and bipolar disorder. This can make it extremely difficult to accurately diagnose the two conditions. ADHD is most often recognized and diagnosed at a very young age while bipolar disorder becomes more evident in the late teens to early 20’s. It is important to know the difference between the two to accurately diagnose and treat them. What is Bipolar Disorder? Bipolar disorder is most often characterized by the frequent mood swings it causes. Individuals who suffer from bipolar disorder experience mood swings from depressive lows to manic or hypomanic highs. These episodes can occur just a few times a year or as frequently as every couple of weeks. To meet the criteria to diagnose the condition, manic episodes must last at least 7 days, but the duration shouldn’t matter…
7% of adults age 18 and older suffer from major depression In the United States, nearly 7% of adults age 18 and older suffer from major depression, making it one of the most common mental disorders in the country. While depression can appear at any age, it typically appears with puberty and peaks in your 20’s. Living with depression can be draining and make even the simplest tasks seem impossible. However, while overcoming depression isn’t fast and easy, it is far from impossible. There is no cure-all to dealing with depression, but rather taking small steps to build off of. Coping with depression takes time and effort, but you can get there. What is Depression? Depression is a mental disorder that is made evident by excessive sadness, loss of interest in daily tasks or enjoyable hobbies, and loss of motivation and energy. Depending on the life event, feeling sadness and despair is completely natural. These events like loss, major life changes, stress, and others tend to resolve themselves as you come to terms with the changes. While these feelings may persist for a few weeks or on anniversaries of the event, they aren’t always excessive or long-lasting. Depression does not…
In romantic relationships, there is a widely common misconception that setting boundaries between you and your partner are harmful and unnecessary. Many seem to believe that boundaries put unnecessary restriction and stress on the relationship. However, the opposite is actually true. All healthy, loving relationships have boundaries. Boundaries should differentiate where one person ends, and another begins. Boundaries are not easy to establish as they do not come naturally. Openly communicating with your partner about your wants and needs in the relationship as a couple and outside of the relationship as an individual provide you and your significant other the basis to build on. By doing so, you begin to create a more comfortable area to operate and communicate. The healthiest relationships often include two individuals who feel responsible for their own happiness and feel as though they are not defined by their relationship. Boundaries help set up this feeling. As mentioned already, creating boundaries can be difficult so here are a few tips to keep in mind when creating them: Open Communication: Arguably the most important step to creating healthy boundaries is communication. Be honest, yet respectful with your partner. Clearly communicate your thoughts and feelings with them and…
