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If you’ve noticed yourself feeling down or a little more depressed this month, you’re not alone. While we are fresh off the new year and its symbolism for new beginnings, it doesn’t always feel that way. For many, depression peaks in January. Key Takeaways The January blues refer to feelings of sadness, low energy and lack of motivation after the holiday season. Many factors contribute to the January blues, including but not limited to, reduced sunlight, post-holiday letdown, financial stress from holiday spending, and dietary factors. There are many effective ways to combat the January blues that can improve your ...

When someone is struggling with depression, the battle is both mental and emotional. Our thoughts shape how we see ourselves and the world around us. Sometimes, those thoughts become distorted, filtering reality through a negative lens. These thought patterns associated with depression can intensify sadness, hopelessness, and anxiety. Key Takeaways Depression often comes with thoughts that are distorted and filtered through a negative lens. These negative thought patters contribute to feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness. Some of the thought patterns associated with depression are: filtering, overgeneralization, all-or-nothing thinking, personalization, catastrophizing, mind reading, and fortune telling. It’s important to recognize ...

It’s often easy to extend kindness to others, yet so many of us struggle to offer the same care to ourselves. Self-compassion sometimes gets a bad rap of being self-centered, or self-indulgent, but it’s really not. Self-compassion is the practice of treating ourselves with the same gentleness and understanding we would show a loved one. Developing self-compassion is one of the best things we can do for ourselves. Key Takeaways Self-compassion helps you respond to challenges with patience rather than self-criticism. Identifying personal barriers like perfectionism and self-judgement is the first step toward developing a kinder inner dialogue. Small daily ...

Family life can be full of joy, but it can also come with stress, miscommunication, and emotional distance. Sometimes spouses, siblings, and parents might need help with their communication or conflict resolution skills. When issues begin to pile up between loved ones, it might be time to start family therapy. Key Takeaways Arguments or silent tension may point to deeper family issues that need attention. Big life changes- like divorce, illness, or loss- can strain family dynamics and may benefit from guided support. A child's anxiety, aggression, or withdrawal may reflect stress in the family that can be addressed through ...

Stressful situations can make anyone anxious. That’s just part of the human condition. However, ongoing anxiety that doesn’t go away when the stressful situation ends can become challenging to control and interfere with daily activities. There are about 6.8 million adults in the US diagnosed with generalized anxiety. The total number of people experiencing anxiety is much higher. High-functioning anxiety is a subset of generalized anxiety often undiagnosed. People with high-functioning anxiety often work hard to face their fears instead of avoiding the situations or interactions that would trigger them. Key Takeaways High-functioning anxiety is a subset of generalized anxiety ...