It seems as though more and more people are getting involved in gratitude practices. But what is gratitude exactly? The dictionary definition is “the quality of being thankful”. And “readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”. Yet how many of us practice gratitude on a daily basis? Expressing gratitude is more than courtesy, [...]
If you’re a parent, you may have noticed that your child’s emotions vary from day to day. Sometimes your child may seem happy-go-lucky without a care in the world. But the next, they are more reserved, isolated, and down. As a parent, this can be difficult to watch, as you only want your child to [...]
How to find hope. I’m not sure about you, but my hope levels have been a little low lately. I’m catching glimpses of it every so often. But I can never keep my grip on it for very long. Proverbs says, “He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything”. When [...]
It’s been dreary in Pittsburgh lately. With this last snow blast, it seems as though the seasons are changing. The days are still shorter. And with the lack of sun, many of us are going to feel this shift. Especially for those that suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type [...]
It’s normal to feel down once in a while. But if you’re sad most of the time and it affects your daily life, you may have clinical depression. Depression causes many, sometimes intense, symptoms. These symptoms affect how you feel, think, and manage your daily life. Depression also causes persistent feelings of sadness and loss [...]
Coping with generalized anxiety disorder. Anxiety. That word is everywhere today. Coworkers talk about it. So do your friends. Even your mom does! Anxiety involves feelings of worry, fear, and apprehension. And it’s typically experienced on cognitive, emotional, and physical levels. Maybe you have negative thoughts. Or you might feel scared and out-of-control. You might [...]
Today’s blog is a collaboration piece written by Bethany Hatton. Bethany, a retired librarian with 32 years of experience, created PreventAddiction.info after her oldest grandson became addicted to opioids. Though she discovered there is no guaranteed way to prevent addiction; she was able to find many helpful resources that can keep the public up to date on the [...]
Weighted blankets calm anxiety, according to science. In its simplest form, a weighted blanket is just that. A blanket that is intentionally heavier than a standard blanket. Remember how it felt to crawl underneath one of your great-grandmother’s quilts and how the heaviness of it felt comforting? It’s kinda like that. A study published in 2015 [...]
Self-care. It’s everywhere. Self-care is a popular blog topic and Pinterest pin. It has hashtags and YouTube videos dedicated to it. Many push it in the direction of pampering. A sheet mask here. A bath bomb here. For some of us, it’s a girls night. We stay in and eat ice cream and do a [...]
Almost everyone has heard of the dreaded phrase “Midlife Crisis”. The average woman experiences one at the age of 44. The two most common female reasons for a midlife crisis are that their children are suddenly gone and that their lifestyle changes enable more opportunities. It could also be caused by menopause. In this “Midlife [...]
