September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month—a time to share personal stories and resources in an effort to shed light on this highly taboo and stigmatized topic. According to an article posted on NAMI’s (The National Alliance on Mental Illness) website, suicidal thoughts, much like mental health conditions, can affect anyone regardless of age, gender…
When smartphones have replaced Legos and Barbie dolls as the first item on your child’s wish list, what’s a parent to do? You may ask yourself, when do I give my child a smartphone? Undoubtedly, arguments can be made on both sides – from promoting safety, peace of mind and keeping parents and kids connected…
Sure, Valentine’s Day crafts and candy hearts are sure to delight our kiddos this holiday, but is there something that we as parents can do that can have a greater impact on our children? Yes. According to an article posted on Parent.com, author Gary Chapman’s The Five Love Languages can be beneficial to our relationship…
Ahhh… the season of love, lip-locking and germ sharing… as this season’s flu is reaching epidemic proportions, it’s important to not only take care of yourself but to take measures to prevent the spread of the virus and other nasty bugs that seem more prevalent than Valentine’s Day store displays. In an effort to promote…
We’ve all been there at some point in our lives – whether it’s related to a first date, a job interview or waiting for test results. Maybe it manifests in the form of sweaty palms, the inability to sleep or THAT feeling in the pit of your stomach. Anxiousness. Or, is it anxiety? How can…
When tragedies such as the shooting in Las Vegas strike, it is only natural for us to be left feeling scared, confused, anxious, sad, vulnerable and left wondering, why? It is especially difficult when our TV screens, tablets and phones are abuzz with images of senseless violence and exposure to such graphic and upsetting images…
One of the best, most effective ways to manage stress is to just get away from it. That’s right, just leave, and leave the stress behind. What do I mean by this? I mean leave the stressful situation, whatever it may be. There are two ways to do this. You can temporarily leave a stressful…
Are most of the stressors in your life, the things which cause you to feel stressed-out and anxious, internal or external; or are they a confusing mix of both? Are these stressors acute or chronic? Are you making your own life more difficult than it needs to be, or is the world around you simply…
Are you stressing yourself? Feeling too busy to finish every task you’ve set for yourself? Feeling like your job is taking too much of your “Me Time?” If so, you may be stressing yourself out. It’s time to get rid of self-induced stress. Even if we accept the premise that our world today is a…
Life seems to have become far simpler today for the gay, lesbian, and transgendered among us; with acceptance, rather than mere tolerance, having become the norm, even to the point of marriage equality in many states. Yet, despite the progress made in the past decade or two, coming out to family and friends remains a…