One only needs to read a few lines from poets such as Frost, Wordsworth, and Thoreau to recognize the love for and connection to nature human beings have always had. Nature stirs our souls and imagination and brings beauty to our everyday lives. But it turns out, nature also brings a slew of benefits to our mental and physical health.The...[ read more ]
Many of us experienced social isolation during the recent pandemic. And none of us will deny that those days and weeks were very hard. Thankfully, the pandemic is over, and life for the majority of us has returned to normal.But for some people, social isolation didn’t go away; it is a part of their “normal” existence.Common Causes of Social IsolationThere...[ read more ]
Seasonal depression, also referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), refers to a type of depression that relates to changes in the seasons. Most people with SAD feel symptoms come on in the fall and generally feel them all through the winter. Symptoms, which include lethargy, sadness, and general depression, usually dissipate once spring arrives. With the warmer months here, it’s...[ read more ]
Into each life a little rain must fall is a way of saying every one of us will experience sadness in our lifetime. It is completely normal and natural. But there are some people who feel something deeper and darker than sadness, and they may feel this way despite there being no triggering event such as the loss of a...[ read more ]
Our mental health significantly impacts our quality of life, so it makes sense that we would want to do all we can to improve it. This may include things like eating healthy foods, exercising, and getting enough quality sleep each night. But there is something else that greatly influences our mental health and that is a community and a sense of...[ read more ]
When you boil life down to its very essence, you’ll find what’s left is a series of human emotions. All of the experiences in our life come with emotion, whether it’s joy, sadness, anger, or anxiety. That’s why so many people choose to do everything they can to avoid situations that bring pain and only focus on those experiences that...[ read more ]
We live in a society that values things that appear perfect. And I suppose there are things that can be perfect. Architects can draw the perfect straight line, mathematicians can solve an equation with a perfect calculation, and a chocolate cake can be perfectly moist.But as human beings, we can never reach a state of perfection because we will always...[ read more ]
Did you know that on most days, the average person has between 25,000 and 50,000 thoughts? That’s an impressive amount of thoughts.But when happens when the majority of these thoughts are negative? Imagine the impact on your psyche and your life if you had thousands and thousands of negative thoughts each day?This amount of negative thinking is a hallmark of depression. Negative...[ read more ]
We live in a society that seems obsessed with physical health and weight loss. A majority of people have tried one or more diets to lose weight. People join gyms, juice, and take supplements, all in an effort to optimize their physical health.Sadly, most people don’t give their mental health a second thought.The problem is, no matter how good you...[ read more ]
If you are suffering from a chronic illness, you are not alone. Almost half of the population in the United States is currently battling some form of chronic physical illness. In fact, chronic illness is the number one driver of healthcare costs in America.Some of the most prevalent examples of chronic illnesses are:EpilepsyHIV/AIDSEndometriosisLupusArthritisDiabetesHeart diseaseFibromyalgiaMany people suffering from a chronic illness...[ read more ]