Sometimes referred to as “sleep terrors,” night terrors are a type of parasomnia that can cause someone to scream, cry, breathe heavily, have an increased heart rate, sweat, stare, sit up in bed, thrash around, or wave their arms and legs. It can be difficult to wake someone who’s experiencing night terrors, and they may be confused and hard to...[ read more ]
The sun’s out, the temperature is rising, and… you’re feeling depressed. While people typically experience the effects of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in the fall and winter months, this condition can also cause some individuals to feel depressed in the spring and summer. Whether you have SAD or you’re feeling depressed for another reason, here are five activities you should...[ read more ]
You’ve probably heard of “self-care Sunday,” a recent trend that involves devoting one day a week to nourishing your mind and body. Whether you want to start practicing self-care on Sundays, Wednesdays, Fridays—or every day—good for you! Depending on the practices you adopt, self-care can boost your mental and emotional health, enhance your physical health, strengthen your relationships, and improve...[ read more ]
If you’re looking for a way to relieve stress, you’ll want to consider incorporating exercise into your daily routine (with a doctor’s approval). Exercise is renowned for being an excellent stress reliever, but how exactly does it affect stress levels? Exercise can:Increase endorphin production – Your pituitary gland and hypothalamus produce endorphins, hormones that can help reduce your stress, relieve...[ read more ]
If you’re looking to improve your mental health and overall well-being, one of the best things you can do is track how you’re feeling. Not only does this allow you to identify any issues you might be experiencing and set goals for how to resolve them, but it can also help you analyze how you’re progressing toward those goals. Here...[ read more ]
The brain has three main executive functions: working memory (which helps you remember what you’re doing at the present moment), cognitive flexibility (which helps you shift your thinking from one topic to another), and inhibition control (which helps you focus and stop yourself from saying and doing certain things). Executive dysfunction disrupts these functions, making it difficult for someone to...[ read more ]
Often times, when we think about what could harm our mental health, our minds go to major life events—the loss of a job, the end of a relationship, or the death of a loved one. But small habits that often go unnoticed can also play a major role. Below are three common habits that could be negatively affecting your mental...[ read more ]
Rumination involves obsessively thinking about negative experiences and feelings. Some people replay events that occurred in the past, while others worry about situations that could potentially occur in the future.Rumination tends to have a snowball effect—certain mental health conditions (including generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder) can cause someone to ruminate, and rumination can in turn worsen the symptoms of...[ read more ]
If you’ve been researching self-care practices, you may have come across something known as journaling. But what is journaling, exactly, and what can it do to improve your mental, emotional, and even physical health?Journaling, at its core, is the regular practice of writing down experiences, thoughts, and feelings. However, it can be adapted to whatever your specific needs or goals...[ read more ]
Words have power, and the way we talk to and about ourselves can have a significant impact on our thoughts and behaviors. That’s where affirmations come in—repeating certain phrases to yourself can boost your self-esteem, reduce your stress, create a more positive mindset, motivate you to take certain actions, and improve your overall well-being.So, how can you start taking advantage...[ read more ]
