The reality is that worrying is, more often than not, unproductive, but has the illusion of feeling productive when we engage in it. If we hash out possibilities and options over and over, we think that we are doing something about our fears and anxieties. Most of the time, it gets us nowhere, and only winds up causing further anxiety.

“Wait don’t eat yet, I need to take a picture for Instagram.” How many times have you or your friends uttered this phrase out loud? The impact of social media on shaping our thinking and behaviors can’t be discounted.

As we enter the holiday season, stressors can arise that impact our mental health. With less time to manage self-care and implement coping skills, there is a tool within us that can help ease the holiday strain: our vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is one of the longest nerves in our body and when activated, it triggers our parasympathetic nervous system, which counteracts the “flight-or-fight” responses brought on by stress. Thus, knowing how to increase our “vagal tone” effectively helps to lower those stress hormones and calms the nervous system.

Have you realized there is one voice in your life that constantly brings you down? Is it a total nag, harping on everything you do, never to be satisfied? Is that voice your own?

Here are some steps to help diminish that inner voice and disrupt that cycle:

The holiday season is upon us, which for many, can mean an uptick in social engagements – the company holiday party, the neighbor’s grab-bag gift exchange, the New Year’s Eve gatherings, and so on. For those suffering from social anxiety – an excessive fear of being judged negatively – it can be a particularly unnerving time of year.

Sadness is an inevitable, common, and normal emotion. It is a response to disappointment, a lament of loss, and an indicator of discomfort. While sadness may not be a desirable emotional state, everyone experiences it at some point in their lives due to the unpredictable nature of life. Life doesn’t stand still and often brings forth change that opens the …

Our smartphones can often feel like an additional appendage. Have you found that when your phone is close to losing all its power, your body starts to react in a mild panic? According to reports, the average American adult over the age of 18 spends 2 hours and 51 minutes on their smartphone each day. That is about 1,032 hours …

When we learn that someone is facing an illness or needs extra care, our thoughts immediately go to them. We wonder what we can do for them. We check in on them more frequently. We know they need extra support, all of which are normal reactions. What may not be as obvious is taking time to consider the needs …

10 helpful tips to improve your mood