I had debilitating anxiety for years, and because it stuck around for so long, it caused other issues. I have learned a lot on my mental health journey, and I would like to share my knowledge. Here are 12 ideas and strategies that can help reduce anxiety and all that stems from it. Prepping for School Prepare for and anticipate any of your anxiety triggers, whatever they … [Read more...]
5 Mid-Year Resolutions to Re-Implement for Self-Care in 2018
It feels like just yesterday we were counting down to the new 2018 year. I was ready to face the new year with a brand new set of resolutions, but this year, it was time to actually keep them. Half what through the year, I'm reminding myself how far I've come and encouraging myself to keep going. Looking after yourself shouldn’t feel like a chore. Self-care is important, but … [Read more...]
9 Ways to Get Out Of Your Shell and Squash Social Anxiety
You've heard it before but I will say it again - practice makes perfect. This is especially true for social phobia. If we want to eventually reduce our social anxiety, we need to expose ourselves to the very things that make us anxious. We need to take deliberate steps to meet people, try new things, and take risks if we are going to reduce our social anxiety. The good news is, … [Read more...]
The Power of Therapy
Personally, I was never really well-versed on therapeutic and emotional regulation interventions before I studied psychology in college. There is still a negative connotation associated with therapy and this is why a lot of people do not believe that therapy can actually be a very beneficial treatment option for people who need it. Not enough people are educated on the … [Read more...]
How a John Mayer Song Helps Me Cope with Panic Attacks
There are so many tips and tricks when it comes to dealing with panic attacks. Weather it's deep breathing, muscle relaxation, or simply distracting yourself, there are many tried and true methods to help calm the attack. While I cannot say there is one simple method that always works for me, there is something I always like to remember when battling the symptoms of … [Read more...]
5 Foolproof Stress-Busting Activities for Finals Week
Stress is a powerful thing and something that often become extremely overwhelming if you let it get out of hand. Since coming to college, I believe that I have started to master some of the best options to try if you are having an especially difficult day or couple of days. Finals week is especially stressful for most. Here are a few options to reduce stress during finals week … [Read more...]
I’m My Own Sunshine, and You Should Be Yours, Too
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You’ll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away. - Jimmie Davis When we think of sunshine we typically tend to think of warmth, comfort, light, and joy; things that bring us happiness. In this classic song, Davis suggest that whoever this person is, is so full of … [Read more...]
AiT Exclusive Interview: Anxiety, Sex Ed and RealTalk with MyHealthEd Co-Founder Cristina Leos
More than any other time, the teenage years are confusing times. This couldn't ring truer when it comes to sexual education: anxiety about pregnancy, STDs, and body changes abound! Fear not- RealTalk is here to help you with all of your innermost questions and concerns. Best of all, the content is youth-led! Join us for an AiT Exclusive interview with MyHealthEd's Co-Founder, … [Read more...]
Virtually Haunted: How Social Media Stress Took Over My Life
My best friend and I had an emotional and confusing falling out that has extended over the past few years. Obviously, this was not something that was easy to handle, and consequently is something I am still burdened with today. It took a long time for our lingering toxic relationship to fade, and to be honest, despite both of us being pretty dead-set on wanting to move forward, … [Read more...]
4 Steps to Effectively Create a Self-Care Plan
Maintaining health and wellness can become challenging at times regardless of who you are and what your circumstance might be. One way to combat difficult times is by generating a self-care plan - this creates an extra layer of buffer to stress or any overwhelming feeling and can prove to be beneficial to wellbeing. However, self-care plans are personal to the individual, so … [Read more...]
6 Tips to Balancing Your Mental State in College
College is a life-changing period in our lives. It tests our character, mental stability, and our overall self-esteem to get through the toughest of times. With all the commitments, events, academics, and things going on each day, it can be daunting for one to tackle them all. Fortunately, there are solutions and steps to help balance out your mental state. Let’s … [Read more...]
Weathering the Scrupulosity Storm: A Story of OCD, Faith and Healing
My brain was a vortex. Thousands of thoughts, like drops of water, flowed together in a harsh rush of unwelcome emotions. They crashed together, circling down toward an uncertain conclusion, a dark place deep inside of me, from which I believed I could never come up for air. But I was wrong. As real as my feelings of fear, anxiety, sorrow, and hopelessness were, the reality … [Read more...]
Think:Kids: An Overview of Group Parent Therapy Program
In light of Oprah’s 60 Minutes piece on trauma-informed care that ran on PBS March 11, 2018 (which I highly recommend), I wanted to share my family’s somewhat untypical experience with trauma, mental illness and the Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) model. Childhood trauma such as sexual abuse or sudden death of a parent can increase a person’s vulnerability to mental … [Read more...]
You See My Friend
I breathe in once I exhale twice My chest rises and falls But my heart is frozen like ice I think my head is spinning again You see anxiety does not play nice And she brings along all her symptom friends They knock on my always open door I watch them come in then stare at the floor You see I can’t control what she does I can only wait patiently … [Read more...]
An Honest Conversation About Race and Mental Illness
At the time of writing this, it’s shortly after the 2 year anniversary of MarShawn McCarrel’s death. MarShawn, a well-known Black Lives Matter activist, took his own life on the statehouse steps on the 8th of February 2016 in Columbus, Ohio. He was 23 years old. Depression, his being hyper-aware of his race and issues concerning race in the US, and the emotional toll of his … [Read more...]