The year 2020 brought events and situations that none of us could have anticipated. Dealing with change and uncertainty is often difficult, and we have had a year like no other full of changes and unknowns. Studies have documented the profound effect of the pandemic on mental health and offered …
A Personal Book
A personal book can take many forms—from a timeline or journal to a goal tracker, workbook, or picture book. It can also be used to write about thoughts and feelings or as a narrative about the past. They all have in common that they are about you, by you, for you and belong to you. They are all a …
Getting Personal with Coping Skills
Introducing some personal, close-to-home coping skills into our lives has serious advantages. With ourselves, we are operating in our sphere of influence. We can waste a lot of time trying to control others and be none the better for it. Even if we hope to contribute to world peace, the only …
Boundaries
Good boundaries make other coping skills more effective. But what is so important about boundaries? How do boundaries apply to life skills? Our bodies, the natural world around us, our culture and civilization, and our “higher” or “inner” beings (what you might think of as soul, spirit, …
Codependence
Codependence, or co-dependency, as it’s also called, involves the opposite of emotional development and emotional regulation. Co-dependent people have learned to suppress and avoid emotions and disregard their own emotional needs. Mental Health America offers this description of …