New information on the resources site! Check it out! In todays electronic age, we have so many resources at the tip of your fingers. I have included several apps  that have been recommended to me by clients who have used them themselves and loved. I then did some research on them, read reviews and would love to pass them on. Though this is obviously a small example, they are solid choices. Recommendations are always welcome!!!

Many things happening in our world today that are stressful. Many people are angry, down, stressed about the political climate, the agendas and the ways people are responding around the US these days. No matter what your values, your choices, or your own agenda is, it is resonating within, toward, or near you. That tense energy let alone dynamics has a fierce wear and tear on our mood, our mental health and ultimately our wellness. 

Though winter was late coming, it is hear now. The days are darker, colder, and things around us are turning from colorful to many shades of grey. For many people this will also affect mood and have symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Then there is the holidays, the stress of money, the time pressure, possible overwhelmed with too many obligations and trying to sort which ones are priorities, and for some stressful family dynamics. 

Here is an article regarding distress tolerance skills. Through tough times, we need to anchor ourselves, or as I like to tell my clients, root yourself down and let the storm swirl around you but root youself so you dont swirl with it.  These skills help with helping people pass through inevitable tough times. 

http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/distress-tolerance-dialectical-behavior-therapy-0117134


​I hope these are helpful for you, and am available if you need more resources or support. Make it a great day!!

I came across this video that I love that explains how we as humans are suppose to have adversity. It is inevitable but how we choose to cope with it is what matters in our growth. Enjoy!​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aDXM5H-Fuw

Many people started focusing on new years resolutions on January 1. Many of those that did made a resolution to work out and get in better physical shape. However, how many of you focus on getting into positive emotional fitness. I talk with my clients about daily emotional workout and hygiene and creating a time, a regimen etc that will foster such an idea. Items included, may be a "tool box" of stress relievers available, keeping a list of coping skills available, working with mindfulness and relaxation techniques daily whether stressed or not, and using a gratitude list to keep a positive outlook. There are lots of options available, most of us just do not practice it in a daily workout.  Would love to talk to you about options if you have questions.  

The daylight savings time is upon us. The days are getting shorter, the hours of darkness are getting longer.  Here, in Nebraska, a common concern for my clients is SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).  Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that tends to occur (and recur) as the days grow shorter in the fall and winter. It is believed that affected people react adversely to the decreasing amounts of sunlight and the colder temperatures as the fall and winter progress. Though some people, have reverse SAD, where they have more depressed symptoms in spring and summer, most SAD affects people in the winter months. 

Researchers think that less sunlight during fall and winter leads to the brain making less serotonin, a chemical linked to brain pathways that regulate mood. With less serotonin being produced in these months due to less sunlight the pathways for stable mood production don't function normally, the result can be depressed symptoms.
A diagnosis of SAD can be made after three consecutive winters of the following symptoms if they are also followed by complete remission of symptoms in the spring and summer months:

• Depression: misery, guilt, loss of self-esteem, hopelessness, despair, and apathy
• Anxiety: tension and inability to tolerate stress
• Mood changes: extremes of mood and, in some, periods of mania in spring and summer
• Sleep problems: desire to oversleep and difficulty staying awake or, sometimes, disturbed sleep and early morning waking
• Lethargy: feeling of fatigue and inability to carry out normal routine
• Overeating: craving for starchy and sweet foods resulting in weight gain
• Social problems: irritability and desire to avoid social contact
• Sexual problems: loss of libido and decreased interest in physical cont

School is starting. This is both a time of excitement, and a time of stress. Kids are glad to be back with their friends, but for a group of kids, this may be a trigger to social anxiety and difficulty feeling like they can fit in.  There is also the expectations of meeting grade expectations by their own standards or their parents. Learning how to organize time, assignments, and books etc are another source of stress. Talking to your kids about these concerns as they enter the school year can prevent being blindsided by it later on. Looking at structure or skills to go into the school year can help. If you have further concerns, consulting a professional counselor for a few tips can be beneficial. I hope you all had a fun summer and wish you all the best for the school year

Most of us have heard of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Did you know that actually about 10% of SAD sufferers experience it during the summer time, instead of the winter time. I know, this seems odd, but it is true. Be aware of this and if you may have an increase in symptoms please take precautions. Exercise, good sleep, moderate leisure activity, social support, good stress management skills are all helpful for coping with these symptoms. If they continue to persist, please contact your medical physician or a local therapist for a consult. We think if summer as "fun in the sun", however, people have stress that may include a disrupted sleep schedule, kids having unstructured time, heat fatigue, and many people are more prone to body image issues during this season.  Again, please check and evaluate your level of mood and take action if any of these are concerns...and have a GREAT summer!

Just like the seasons change here in Nebraska, from Living Vibrant Colors, to feeling drought and scorched, to losing energy and becoming dormant, and again rejuvenating growth, we too go through such changes. People think of growth and change as constant. It never has a steady growth pattern, a constant progress.  A fellow psychologist once told me human growth is much like the stock market, up down, sometimes little jumps and bumps, and sometimes great dives and great growth spurts.  But all in all the progress is always up. I see growth in ourselves as sometimes stagnant, sometimes feeling like we lose ground, but if we learn from it we may have a growth upward and sometimes a burst. As spring comes upon us, I think of that rejuvenation and the things in our lives that we do to progress and thrive.  What are you doing to rejuvenate?

Many people have made and already failed on the dreaded "New Years resolutions". The issue is that these resolutions look at a "starting point" and therefore we have an idea of a "stopping point". We as human beings are in a constant pattern of evolving and personal growth. We are made up of millions of physical, social, mental, emotional, and spiritual dynamics. These are ever changing and our lives are ever changing around us. I believe we need to do a constant quieting of ourselves, sit back, identify where we are at with these dynamics and what we would like to progress or change. We can problem solve, research and find new ideas as to how to attain these changes and then practice implementing them. This should not be a once a year goal, but a constant, mindful,agenda for us in our lives. So it is "not too late". It does not matter that it is January 29, or that it will be February 6th, or any date for that matter. Take it on as a life challenge. I can change my life at any time!