December 2022:
Dr. E’s Mental Health Moment: Create a 2023 Vision Board
As a psychologist, I can't help but love New Year's Resolutions, as imperfect as they can be. Sometimes we are able to make good on our intentions, but just as often they fall by the wayside by February. Instead of picking a random goal and idealistically hoping to follow through, I prefer to instead do a more comprehensive review of what really matters, and then use this to guide choosing specific behaviors or outcomes that are manifestations of these values. Keep reading to learn more about creating a vision board!
Many of us are familiar with the way the holidays can feel sometimes. What is supposed to be a joyous time of celebrating with loved ones, can be very stressful between holiday shopping, people’s expectations, holiday parties and social get-togethers, and more. This stress ultimately affects our children and can stress them out as well. Keep reading below for some tips on how to help kids handle holiday stress!
During the hustle and bustle of the holidays, people often feel they have to get their loved ones the perfect present or go shopping and spend money to make others happy. It’s something that is instilled in us very young with the holiday season. As children, we were always so excited to receive presents from our parents, friends, and family members. The truth is, though, that you don’t always have to give material goods to others in order to make people happy.
Some people may be more motivated by gifts than others, but not everyone is.
Helping your child understand why we do what we do and how we give back to our communities is crucial in assisting them to achieve their sense of purpose and in turn, making them better citizens, and giving them something to be proud of. So how do you help your child realize their potential and instill a sense of giving in them? Keep reading for tips!
To many adults, it may seem as though children have a fairly easy and carefree life. They don’t usually have to pay any bills or go to work or do things that adults may find stressful, but stress still affects children.
If you think about it, children have such limited experience in dealing with and handling the world, that certain things that you may find easy or not too stressful can really bother and affect them. They’re human too, and just as adults, they can feel stress and tension either from having a hard day at school or not being able to find the words and adequately express how they are feeling and that can be challenging.
Part of your job as a parent is to help ensure your kids are able to handle any stressors that come to them and help them build up their resilience and form healthy ways to cope. Below are some tips.
What if I told you there was one thing you could do for your family every day that could:
● help your preschooler be ready-to-read
● help your children have higher self-esteem
● help your teenagers be more likely to graduate high school and less likely to engage in risky or dangerous behavior
● help everyone (adults included) have better eating habits, better health, and lower the risk of depression
What could possibly have such positive, wide-ranging effects?