Family Media Balance

 

Do you have a family media plan? Technology is so useful and helpful in many circumstances. We can look up information such as how to fix a toilet flusher, how to do long division, or how to unlock a bedroom door without a key- all actual searches from our household! We can have video meetings for work, see a doctor, and visit with family and friends.  It is important to consider these benefits within the context of challenges, limitations and concerns. Show love to your family this month by establishing a healthy relationship with media. Here is a webinar from the American Academy of Pediatrics that discusses several important aspects of media use among children and adolescents. 

Media Balance: What’s Your Family’s Plan? 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/3o15t5qH6BY 

I hope this provides some useful and relevant information. Please reach out to me with any questions. 

Living Well in the New Year and Beyond

 Happy New Year!  

New Year’s Resolutions are very popular, and if you have ever started out the month of January strong with working towards a goal and then started to fall away from it by the end of the month, this post is for you! If you are a go-getter, ambitious goal-setter, and love to work towards change, this post is also for you! 

This is a brief article detailing some general principles of behaviors, attitudes, skills, and mindsets that can support the development of well-being. 

I hope this helps with making a meaningful change in your life. 

 

Seven Reminders for How to Live Well in 2024 https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/seven_reminders_for_how_to_live_well_in_2024?utm_source=Greater+Good+Science+Center&utm_campaign=6295a1949b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_GG_Newsletter_January_4_2024&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5ae73e326e-6295a1949b-50850427 

 

 

 

 

I have been holding onto this nugget for this whole year and I am excited to share some meaningful movie recommendations for this holiday season. Enjoy and remember to take care of yourself. 

Eight Movies That Can Make Your Holiday More Meaningful

Thankfulness

 Did you know that what you think matters? The content of your thoughts, the time you spend with them, and your reaction to them all influence the way you feel and what you do. If you have worked with me before, you will likely have learned this very important concept, which is a main tenet of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).  

Indeed, focusing on things that have gone wrong during the day and judging yourself for either the mistakes you made or the fact that you are thinking about your problems (or maybe even judging yourself for both) can lead you to feel some unpleasant emotions. Notice I didn’t say “bad” emotions- emotions themselves are not really “good” or “bad.” Those are labels we often use when we judge our experiences and react to our thoughts and feelings. Remember that emotions are a normal and necessary part of the human experience. 

In this month of Thanksgiving, I challenge you to acknowledge the difficult thoughts and feelings you are experiencing. Allow them to be present without judgement. Be aware of any labels you use to describe your situation. Choose what to do next- you have that power! You can sit and wait.  You can use healthy coping skills to work through it. You can ask for help. You can journal. You can exercise. You can talk it through with someone. You can read. These are only a few of the many choices you can make when faced with difficulty.

 

One of my most favorite daily habits that helps with managing difficulties is to intentionally spend time focusing on thankfulness. Look for, notice, acknowledge, appreciate, and attend to the thoughts, feelings, behaviors, situations, relationships, challenges, struggles, etc. that you are thankful for. Find the joy in the hardship, the growth potential in the challenge, the connection in the grief, the love in the lonely, the bravery in the fear, the gratitude in the lack. Many people think “If I just had/did/was, etc....I would be happier.” I challenge you to change your perspective. You may have enough right now. Experience thankfulness. Express gratitude. Look for the good. This doesn’t mean to ignore struggles or avoid unpleasant thoughts and feelings. It means to embrace it all and do some good with it so that you can grow and experience deeper meaning in your life. 

This is not a quick fix. This takes time. Grow in patience. You can reach out to a mental health provider who practices CBT for help. 

I wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

Common Misconceptions about OCD

  

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can pervasively impact the life of the diagnosed individual as well as their families, friends, partners, and roommates. The term OCD is also commonly tossed around in casual conversation, which can unfortunately create a misunderstanding about how debilitating the disorder can be. Even among professionals, OCD can be poorly understood.  

I want to encourage you to have hope if you or someone you care about has a diagnosis of OCD. There are very effective treatments available. In order to help people better understand differences between danger and OCD intrusive thoughts as well as the role of magical thinking, common themes present with OCD symptomology, I am sharing two articles in this month’s focus. 

 

Harm OCD vs. Being Dangerous 

https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/harm-ocd-vs-being-dangerous 

 

The Role of Magical Thinking in OCD 

https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/role-magical-thinking-ocd

 

I hope you gain a better understanding of OCD symptoms and will reach out for help if you need.