It seems like everyone is talking about anxiety these days. But what exactly is anxiety? And is it really possible to control anxiety levels? 

We have all had those days when we come home feeling exhausted. We barely have energy to eat and get into bed, and wake up almost as tired and as stressed the next day. Many of us, from time to time, experience burnout: pure fatigue from the challenges of life. 

Let’s face it: we all get stressed, because life is stressful. We cannot avoid stress, BUT (great news!) we can learn how to build our resilience to stress. Stress can actually be good for us, depending on our perceptions! We actually cannot function without stress—it is a natural part of being human, and can help get our brains and bodies ready for action in tough situations.

Did you know fighting can be good for your mental health? Arguing can be beneficial for both your health and your relationships, IF done correctly. In this blog I am going to give six points on how to argue, and the mental health benefits of arguing well.

We all had those days when everything just seems to fall apart. As the saying goes, “when it rains, it pours!” I had one of those yesterday—I just couldn’t catch a break!  But, thankfully, there are way we can protect our mental health during tough times, which can actually make a bad day, or bad week, better! As I discuss on this week’s podcast, whenever I find myself struggling, I use these 4 mental strategies to help me control my thinking and face the challenges at hand:

I’m sure you either know someone personally or are related to someone who just seems to keep making the wrong decisions, no matter how much you try to help. I know how frustrating it can be when they just don’t want to listen, and I know annoying it can be when you feel like you are wasting your time! I’ve been there—sometimes you just want to give up! 

This week I will continue discussing five more simple and practical mental self-care techniques to keep your brain healthy and reduce anxiety. This is part 2; last week we did part 1 (if you missed last week, you can read the blog and listen to the podcast to catch up).

There are so many things to worry about in life: being a good friend or partner, making time for family, having a meaningful job, raising your children well, making enough money to live comfortably…the list goes on and on. And, of course, all these concerns and fears impact our mental health, which impacts our physical health, which just gives us more things to worry about! 

Expectations are a normal part of life. We expect certain things from ourselves and others, and we also have to deal with the expectations of others in our lives, whether at school, home or work. However, too often these expectations become so burdensome that they lead to anxiety, panic attacks, burnout, and mental fatigue. It is therefore so critical that we understand why this happens, and how we can prevent performance anxiety from destroying our mental health. 

Making mistakes means we are human—we all have our bad moments! But what about making the same mistakes over and over again? Why do we keep slipping up, even though we know what we are doing is wrong?

It is not unusual to feel nervous around strangers, or uneasiness in large groups of people. However, sometimes this nervousness can be downright panic-inducing and debilitating, causing you to avoid social situations, and miss out on opportunities and special moments. Social anxiety is painfully real, but there is a solution!

As I discuss in this week’s podcast, it is natural to want people to like us—no one wakes up wanting to be shunned or hated. But when does this natural longing turn us into people pleasers? When does our desire to be loved turn toxic, and make us do and say things that are not true to who we are, or who we want to be?