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Decision fatigue is a genuine condition. The term refers to the way decisions made by people after a long session of decision making will deteriorate (Baumeister, 2003). Decision fatigue is an important consideration here at Christmas time. Deciding the right thing to buy for others, shopping for it, then paying a good price for it are uppermost in most people’s minds at this time of year. [More]

Sleep. Sleep is something that many of us admit that we want to get more of, but most of us don't. As I write this, I've been struggling with my sleep patterns for a couple of weeks at this point. We all go through times like that, but did you know that, if you are not getting enough sleep, you can actually be negatively affecting your mental health? It's true. Getting good sleep and feeling well rested is absolutely vital when it comes to taking care of our mental health. Why? We're going to take a closer look at that and how you can be sure to get better sleep. [More]

Working out is a superb way to manage anxiety, depression, and anger. It is also a useful adjunct to manage addiction, PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder), and insomnia. It has been noted that mental health providers are slowly recognizing this, and are advised to include it as part of a treatment plan (Weir, 2011). The exact mechanism by which exercise improves mood is unclear- it may be partly due to increased catecholamines- the brain chemicals serotonin, dopamine, and norephinephrine- which can all elevate mood (Mayo Clinic, 2014). Release of beta-endorphins, the natural opiates produced by the brain are also a likely cause (Mental Health Foundation, 2013). [More]

The holidays can be an incredibly stressful time of year, and because of that, it's important for us to get a grip on what is going on and figure out how we can take care of it in an effective and safe manner. Holidays are supposed to be enjoyed, but more often than not, they cause us to feel incredibly frazzled. Why are the holidays such a stressful time of year? What can we do in order to reduce the amount of stress we are feeling and enjoy the holidays in a healthy way once again? [More]

Your doctor informs you that you have an invisible disease which causes debilitating pain throughout your body. You may lose your job, have to fight for benefits. You have to deal with doctors who think you're lying about your condition and symptoms and become a guinea pig in order to find the most effective medications and therapies. [More]

One thing that seems to be coming up in the news a lot is mental health. Whether it's a new mental health discovery, or it's something that has occurred that causes us to talk about the mental health care system in our country, there are a lot of questions out there about the mental health system and what can and/or should be done about it. But why does this keep happening? [More]

If you’re like many of us who feel better being in control of the situation or tasks, you’re going to have to learn to let that control go. There are studies that indicate that when we physically feel signs stress and anxiety it is our body’s way of trying to tell us that we need to reach out to others. We need to let others know what is going on. We need to pay more attention to our body and what it is trying to tell us. We need to embrace ourselves, love ourselves and treat ourselves with the kindness and compassion that we so often give to others but forget to give ourselves. [More]

Medication is one of those hot topics that some people really don't like to talk about if they don't have to. Because of this, they find that it's really difficult to see why someone may need medication. Millions of people around the world take some sort of medication for mental illness, so if this is something that has come up with your psychiatrist or another mental health professional, it's nothing to be ashamed of. [More]

You probably know how it starts - everything starts to pile up all around you and you aren't exactly sure how to deal with it. You may feel like you have no control over certain areas of your life, or you may have countless deadlines that are accumulating and making it difficult for you to move forward with anything that you have to get done. [More]

When you think of meditation, what do you think of? Some people picture holy people, like nuns and monks, all together, silently in a room, While that can definitely be a form of meditation, it's actually a lot more than that, and meditation can play a significant role in helping you to have optimum mental health. It's true! In this post, we're going to take a look at what meditation really is and how it can assist you in achieving the best mental health that you can have. [More]