As the year is coming to a close many find themselves reviewing their successes and set-backs.  Many are setting goals with high ambitions for the new year.  Whether, you find yourself enjoying the process of goal setting or you are actually dreading it, I would like to offer a slight shift in the setting of goals for the New Year.  A process that involves identifying your core values and offering yourself COMPASSION.

Hope has been on my mind.  Particularly, as the year is coming to a close.  For some the end of the year may be a time of joy and anticipation, while for others it is heavy.  It is painful.  Hope is what allows you to take the next step.  Hope is what helps you tolerate a difficult present, and also propels you forward even when living with an uncertain future.  Hope allows for grief and gratitude.

The Holidays hold a variety of meaning, memories, experiences and emotions for each of us.  You may experience excitement and are able to soak in the magical moments.  Or perhaps, you may feel a sense of dread.  Loneliness, grief, mental health conditions and overwhelm may be magnified. The following five tips are suggestions to help manage the stress that so often accompanies the holiday season. 

It is likely that you have heard before that a practice of gratitude can increase your level of happiness.  Or perhaps you may KNOW you Should be more grateful, yet at times is may be difficult to FEEL grateful.  It can be a struggle to cultivate and practice gratitude when life is hard.  When you are struggling.  When you are carrying a heavy load. When you feel burdened down with depression or spinning with anxiety.  I would like to offer a bit of the science behind the practice of gratitude and offer a simple way to build a lifestyle filled with gratitude.  

Your Autonomic Nervous System influences your mental, behavioral and physiological processes.  Your Nervous System holds a story of how your past is influencing your present.  How you perceive danger, safety, and your ability to foster connection.  

Attempting to build your self-esteem from the accolades of others, wealth, awards and accomplishments may feel good in the short term, but in the long run may prove to be an unfulfilling race. The good news? Internal, durable self-esteem can be cultivated through intentional actions.

Are you dreading the anxiety that accompanies the start of a new school year? Then this post is for you. You are not alone. Four tips to manage back to school anxiety.

Anxiety is now the leading mental health concern among children, teens and adults. In order to understand your relationship with anxiety let us better understand what anxiety actually is and what to do about it.

Writing in a journal has a significant positive effect on one’s mental, emotional and physical health.  There is something powerful about putting pen to paper.  Neuroscience shows that the act of writing connects differently in your brain, rather than simply typing. 

Do you like math?  Well, you’re in luck there is an emotional equation to anxiety. Let’s break it down!