Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a technique that alleviates stress and anxiety. It can be used during a stressful experience and is also described as a mindful activity that promotes relaxation. Therefore, you can practice PMR as a proactive OR reactive measure to take control of anxiety and reactions to stress. In progressive muscle relaxation, […]
Let’s start with figuring out what escapism is! Escapism is the act of mentally separating from something unpleasant by focusing on something entertaining or getting lost in your imagination. Forms of entertainment in these situations usually come from electronics. It’s so easy to grab your phone and spend time on social media instead of sitting
You are constantly bombarded with advertising trying to sell you on something, especially diets. A popular and ever-growing subset of advertising is taken up by diet companies. Altogether, the weight-loss and diet industry (gyms, food plans, medications, coaches, etc) was calculated to be a 75 billion dollar industry in 2023, up 15% from 2022.* Unfortunately,
By definition, validation is recognition or affirmation that a person or their feelings or opinions are valid. But, why is it so important? Because everyone wants to feel heard and understood. In fact, validation communicates to someone that they are important and that you are present with them. Fortunately, there are many different ways that
We are our own worst critics. This is a saying you have probably come across before. An important follow-up question to ask yourself is, how does being critical impact my self-esteem and body image? We all struggle with confidence and can be overly critical about our bodies at times. It can be hard to befriend
I have been contemplating mindfulness this week. One reason is that I practice Iyengar Yoga with local community members once a week. On the last week of the month, it is restorative yoga. For those of you new to yoga terms, restorative yoga focuses on lighter and more supported stretches while focusing on your breathing.
This blog post on taking breaks was inspired by feeling stuck writing a blog post! Taking a Break Last week, I sat at my computer to write a blog post. A few topics came to mind, but none of my ideas developed further. It is important to note, that it was Friday and I really
Engagement in social media use is a prevalent part of how we spend our time. A way to fill time, to “decompress,” to avoid, to entertain, and to connect. But how often do we really take time to reflect on the impact of social media use on our lives? Are we being responsible consumers and
