Pay It Forward on July 15th It seems, in today’s world, people have more things than they need. The ever-increasing popularity of consumerism encourages people to buy in excess. Even if someone doesn’t need a product, they are often convinced by a brand or a business to make a purchase. As you can imagine, this often leads to people owning more than they need. Many of us are fortunate to have this “problem.” However, there are just as many people who do not have this privilege and struggle to get even the bare minimum. For those that have excess, they often clean their homes and declutter, getting rid of the things that they no longer need. However, instead of throwing these things away, you might have an option that not only helps you declutter your home but also makes the world a better place, and National Give Something Away Day is just the time for that. Every July 15th, we celebrate National Give Something Away Day. On this holiday, you are encouraged to share your many blessings with others in your community without any expectations. It’s a day to give back to those around you. Whether it’s to a significant…
Join Millions Across the World on March 20th Celebrating happiness seems to be seen as a bit childish. After all, kids sing songs like “If You’re Happy and You Know It” all the time. However, it is an essential part of human life and should be something that every man, woman, and child on Earth strives towards. While it may not be possible to achieve happiness every day, it is admirable to support others in experiencing happiness as often as possible. Many view happiness as an essential and guaranteed human right, which is why the United Nations (U.N.) established International Day of Happiness on March 20th back in 2012. The first International Day of Happiness was celebrated on March 20th, 2013, and has only grown with each passing year. The U.N. established this day as a way to appreciate how relevant happiness and well-being are as goals and ambitions for people all over the globe and how critical it is that happiness is recognized in public policy objectives. This day highlights that progress isn’t just about improving our bottom lines and boosting economic growth but also the happiness and well-being of the citizens of the Earth. Join Lifeworks Counseling Center,…
Reaching Out to Friend Over the Holidays Goes a Long Way With the year coming to a close, many people find themselves busier than usual. December traditionally means the holiday season is well underway. You may be busy shopping for all of your loved ones, planning holiday parties, decorating your home, and much more. Many families are also traveling for the holidays, taking several days to go visit their friends and families for Christmas. Right after Christmas, we have New Year’s Eve! Countless individuals spend a great deal of their time playing elaborate New Year’s Eve parties and festivities to share with those closest to them. Even many businesses are incredibly busy this time of year. If you work in retail, you’ll know how hectic the holiday season can be with so many people doing their Christmas shopping. However, other businesses are just as busy. They typically spend a lot of time closing out all of their tasks for the remainder of the year. They are also getting their business ready for the start of a brand-new year. With so much going on, it can be incredibly difficult to keep up with everyone. The holiday season is incredibly hectic with…
Sleep is Important to Maintaining Your Overall Health When it comes to sleep, most people believe this is a time when our mind and body shuts down. However, this couldn’t be further from the case. Our brain and body are both very active during periods of rest. Your mind is processing and storing information while your body is restoring and strengthening itself. Sleep is incredibly important to protect your mental and physical well-being. Getting a good night’s rest is as vital to your health as exercising and a healthy diet. Poor Sleep Leads to Obesity Not getting the right amount of sleep has been strongly linked to weight gain. Studies have shown that individuals with short sleep duration are more likely to see their weight increase significantly as opposed to those who get the right amount of sleep. Those deprived of it tend to have bigger appetites and consume more calories than they should. The production of hormones that control appetite is disrupted by the lack of sleep. Studies have shown that levels of ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates appetite, were higher, and the levels of leptin, the hormone that subdues appetite, were lower in those without proper sleep. If…
Individual Therapy & Group Therapy Both Have Pros & Cons Psychotherapy, or therapy as it will be referred to in this article, is the use of techniques to assist in managing thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Therapists typically utilize therapy to relieve symptoms of emotional or behavioral dysfunction or distress. Therapists also use it to help clients achieve improved levels of self-awareness, realize their full potential, navigate through big life changes, and enhance current and future relationships. Every individual has their own concerns and problems. No two people share the same experiences, so naturally, it makes sense that the form of therapy that people choose varies. Today, we are going to compare individual and group therapy, discussing their advantages and disadvantages. Individual Therapy Individual therapy occurs where one individual known as the client engages in a therapeutic process with at least one trained therapist. This therapist must be someone who is professionally trained in the use of therapy, which can include psychologists, social workers, counselors, psychiatrists, marriage and family counselors, and more. If they have not received formal training, they are not a therapist, and the process is not therapy. Advantages: Stronger Therapeutic Alliance. A therapeutic alliance refers to the relationship…
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…
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…
Every December we take the time to contemplate what we are going to set as our New Year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, many of us have troubles sticking to those New Year’s resolutions for longer than a few weeks to a few months. The most popular resolutions are that of living a healthier lifestyle. It all begins with the desire to want to be healthier, so just by deciding on a healthy resolution you are off to a great start, however you may just need a little help following through. What is important for success is how you go about achieving and maintaining your New Year’s resolutions. 1. Be realistic It’s extremely important to set resolutions that are realistic for you, your lifestyle, and your schedule. You need to be honest with yourself about your goals and what you will be able to achieve in light of your career, your family, and your social life. If you aren’t realistic about your goals then you will likely just end up frustrated or quitting. 2. Set short-term progress goals along the way If you take it step-by-step, you are much more likely to achieve your goal. If you have smaller goals along the way,…