6 Ways to Cope When You Are Feeling Overwhelmed

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6 Ways to Cope When You Are Feeling Overwhelmed

2020 has been a roller coast of a year for many, including myself!  It was the year of big plans, changes, and aspirations all squashed due to the pandemic, and the many challenges and alterations it brought to life.  The minute we seem to get answers or figure out a routine in this new normal, something changes, and we must pivot and draft a new plan of how to function in a new way of life.  Trying to manage within a pandemic can be very overwhelming.  On top of worrying about normal problems and life issues, there are now bigger matters at hand, most of which we do not have concrete answers to.  Not knowing or having a plan of action can cause us to feel emotionally overwhelmed and fear the worst.  These feelings are normal and can be addressed and worked on.  However sometimes they become overbearing, feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders.  Let’s discuss 6 ways to best move forward when those feelings begin to take over and it feels like you against the world with no end in sight. 

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4 Ways To Support A Loved One

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4 Ways To Support A Loved One

Many of us have loved ones who are struggling right now.  They might be struggling with the quarantine, with losing their job, with anxiety about getting sick with COVID-19, or even with school starting back up.  We obviously care for our loved ones, and want the best for them.  But, sometimes we feel completely helpless to help them.  And, even with our best intentions, we might say something that doesn’t actually help or that makes things worse. Saying things like “Why are you so depressed? You have so much going for you?” is like saying to someone has asthma “Why can’t you breathe? There is so much air.” We are often well meaning, but our “help” can fall short.

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6 Tips To A Meaningful Apology

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6 Tips To A Meaningful Apology

I would think I am not alone on this subject but giving a proper apology can be tough. I am sure I am not the only one who has come up short when saying sorry or felt like my apology has fallen flat. And, many of us might be having more arguments with loved ones because of the quarantine. But why is apologizing so hard?

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Dealing With Uncertainty

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Dealing With Uncertainty

Uncertainty is really hard for us.  As humans, we love knowing.  We love knowing what to expect.  We love routines.  We love being certain of things. We love structure.  Our brains are hard-wired to create these shortcuts for us that help us to understand our world.  We are bombarded with information and stimuli to our senses every minute of the day. Our brains have developed an ability to filter out unimportant information, make judgment calls about what's not important.  Based on our previous experiences, it’s a shortcut for our brain so it doesn’t have to pay attention to everything.  I wrote about these shortcuts in this blog. We look to the things we are certain of to help us make sense of our world.

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Therapeutic Qualities of Our Pets

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Therapeutic Qualities of Our Pets

Research shows how petting an animal can lower the heart rate, reduce symptoms of anxiety, and reduce symptoms of depression.  Of course, our emotional state and mental health have a direct correlation to our physical health.  Thus, when we relax by cuddling and petting our fur babies, our emotional state improves which leads to health improvements.  

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