CBT Therapy (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is a type of therapy that identifies how thoughts, behaviours and feelings all wrap around each other in order to improve or harm your current life circumstance.
*** We work to develop a treatment plan based on your specific goals and then test your progress through exercises in the "real world." *** The skills you learn are transferable to any future life circumstance and you will become your own guide through this process if you want to put in the work to learn. *** People of all ages can learn CBT skills, even children! In fact, if children can learn these skills at a young age, it will help them through their hardest years ahead! *** ARE YOU THE PARENT OF A TEEN? IF SO, PLEASE READ ON TO ENSURE YOU KNOW THE SIGNS OF TEEN DEPRESSION. *THERE IS HELP AVAILABLE*
*** * Feeling persistently sad, anxious, or empty * Experiencing hopelessness or pessimism * Struggling with irritability * Feeling guilty, worthless, or helpless * Losing interest in hobbies or activities that used to be enjoyable *Struggling with fatigue or lack of energy * Moving and/or talking more slowly than usual * Feeling restless * Struggling with concentration, memory, and/or decision-making * Experiencing unexplained changes in appetite or weight * Having thoughts of death or suicide * Unexplained aches or pains that don’t go away when treated Is anxiety keeping you from enjoying your life? Do you have any of the following symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
> Feeling restless, wound up, or on edge > Becoming fatigued easily > Struggling with concentration > Experiencing irritability > Feeling muscle tension > Having difficulty keeping worry levels under control > Struggling with sleep, such as difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep, or not feeling well-rested *** Researchers don’t know exactly what causes seasonal depression, but one thing all the factors have in common is the sun 🌞
*** Biological clock change: Your body’s internal clock regulates mood, sleep, and hormones. Due to the time change and fewer daylight hours, you may notice mood swings. *** Brain chemical imbalance: The chemical Serotonin helps us feel happy, and since the sunshine helps regulate Serotonin, we cannot regulate the levels when it is dark outside. Instead, we produce more melatonin which creates that lazy feeling on those winter days. Using a sun lamp has shown benefit in gaining more daylight for our brains to produce Serotonin. *** Vitamin D deficit: The sunshine helps the body produce vitamin D, which our bodies need for serotonin production. Taking a vitamin D supplement during winter months has been shown to improve mood. *** Negative thoughts: Some who suffer from SAD experience stress and anxiety about the winter, perhaps due to the lack of outdoor exposure or due to the holidays. Researchers aren’t sure if these negative thoughts are a cause or effect of seasonal depression. Practice keeping a gratitude journal in the evenings to bring positivity into your day. *** If you are like me you probably struggle with time management or task completion from time to time! Here are some tips to help reduce that overwhelming feeling of having a million things to get done! 👍
*** 1. Learn more about your time management style. Are you a procrastinator? Do you write things down but then forget where you put the list? Are you “scatter brained”? These are all reasons why you may be stuck in getting started with your tasks in the first place. Knowing yourself is an important first step to making effective change happen. *** 2. Toss that “to do” list in the garbage. The list won’t tell you what the most important item is, or how the items on it help to achieve your end goal. A better strategy is to create a list by priority in terms of how these items connect to your end goal. *** 3. Start each day by looking at only the top item on your priority list. If you have time, review this item the night before and make sure you are starting the next day ready to work on this top priority. The rest of the list doesn’t exist for this one day. Do not focus on the other items below your daily priority because they don’t matter (just for today). *** 4. Break your daily priority into small steps. Create a deadline and notes relating to how you will accomplish this top item within a reasonable timeframe. This will allow you to see small progress along the way to your end goal and give you a daily sense of accomplishment. *** 5. Reduce your time on social media and other “distractions” that are keeping you from making progress on your big list. You can use social media time (or whatever is enjoyable for you during lockdown) as a reward for getting your small daily tasks done. It will be more enjoyable when you know you have accomplished your goal for the day. *** 6. Repeat step #3 as needed until your “priority” list is complete. While these two words look similar, they couldn't be more different. If you see yourself as a "caretaker", you may wish to learn more about the negative impacts it could have on your life. As always, help is available to help you navigate these waters!
*** Caretaking: 1. Doing what isn’t our responsibility and what we don’t want to do 2. Doing what people are capable of (and should be) doing for themselves 3. Forcing help on someone who does not ask for it/need it 4. Taking care of people’s feelings while neglecting your own 5. Speaking for people and not letting them speak for themselves *** Caregiving: 1. Helping a family member or friend recover from surgery 2. Taking your elderly parent to a doctor’s appointment 3. Attending the bedside of a dying family member/friend for emotional support 4. Making meals for someone who is grieving/mourning 5. Volunteering at an animal shelter because you care/want to help *** Do you ever feel like you are an “Imposter” in your own life? Do the following statements sound like things you have said to yourself at one point or another?
*** > My friends are only here because they pity me > I don’t deserve the good things that happened to me because I didn’t work hard enough > They only love me because they don’t know the “real” me > I shouldn’t celebrate because it was just “luck” > This praise feels undeserved > What if everyone realizes I am a “fake” *** CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) can help you stop feeling like an Imposter and start living your life with confidence and self-compassion. *** Grounding techniques are useful tools for anyone who struggles with anxiety or panic attacks. They can help you to help yourself to remain calm and to regain a sense of being in the present moment. This technique is easy to learn and can be done inside or outside, anywhere you are it doesn’t matter.
*** 5 Things you can see: Look for small details such as patterns on the carpet, the way the light reflects on a surface, or anything in nature around you. *** 5 Things you can feel: Notice how the fabric of your clothes feel, the warmth of the sun on your skin or pick up an object and notice the weight. *** 5 Things you can hear: Pay attention to the sounds around you such as traffic, the wind, other people around you. *** 5 Things you can small: Notice smells in the air such as air fresheners or the leaves or snow on the ground. You can find an object to pick up and smell like a candle. *** 5 Things you can taste: Always have gum or a sucker on you to help with this or grab a bottle of water or a cup of coffee or tea if it is handy and be mindful of the flavour. What is a gratitude journal? It is an easy thing you can incorporate into your daily routine to help you manage various mental health concerns, or just overall work/life balance. All you need is to buy a notebook, grab a pen and start writing! Focus on thinking of 1-3 things per day that you are grateful for in your life. This can be anything! Read below for reasons why this can be helpful:
*** 1. Gratitude can be a wonderful stress relief and focusing on the satisfactions in your life can take your mind off the topics that are stressing you out. *** 2. Gratitude helps you focus on the good things going on in your life, which will increase positive emotions. *** 3. Gratitude before bedtime has been shown to have positive effects on your sleep. This is because focusing on what you are thankful for can reduce the worries that are keeping you awake. *** 4. Gratitude can improve your self-esteem overall because it allows you to reduce comparing yourself to others by being satisfied with what you have in your own life. *** 5. Gratitude can create a more optimistic outlook on like if you struggle with anger or resentment. By focusing on the positive aspects of your life, you are giving more power to positive thoughts. Some of us struggle to be assertive when it comes to communication. Sometimes it feels like we are arguing when we mean to have a calm conversation with someone. Paying attention to some key tips can help you feel confident the next time you need to set your boundaries within communication.
*** 1. Respect yourself: Your need, wants and rights are as important as anyone else’s. It’s fine to express what you want, so long as you are respectful toward the rights of others. *** 2. Express your thoughts and feelings calmly: Giving the silent treatment, yelling, threatening, and shaming are all great examples of what not to do. Take responsibility for your emotions and express them in a calm and factual manner. Try starting sentences with “I feel”. *** 3. Plan what you’re going to say: Know your wants and needs, and how you can express them, before entering a conversation. Come up with specific sentences and words you can use. *** 4. Say “no” when you need to: You can’t make everyone happy all the time. When you need to say “no”, do so clearly, without lying about the reasons. Offer to help find another solution. |
IT'S TIME TO START FEELING BETTER!
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