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It can be easy to treat self-care like another item on your to-do list, especially when life gets busy and self-care practices feel like chores. In the moments you find yourself living on autopilot, slowing down and taking a moment to pause and infuse intention into how you are tending to your mind, body, and spirit is essential to allowing self-care actually to feel like self-care.

With the change of time, less daylight, and colder temperatures, winter can be a prime season for individuals to experience depression Knowing what to expect and how to work with seasonal depression rather than against it can help you navigate the "winter blues."

Although social media can be fun and a way to connect with others, it can also be a source of anxiety, depression, and a warped sense of reality. Social media can also be something to lean on when you want to distract yourself from your emotions and in moments of stillness. If you have been feeling discontent in your life, or as if you cannot be still without reaching for social media, perhaps a social media detox could benefit your mind and body.

One of the most challenging things to do, especially if you identify as a "giver" more than a "taker," is allowing yourself to receive support. Letting your guard down, allowing others to support you, and being vulnerable can be uncomfortable for anyone, but they are essential components of addiction and mental illness recovery. Recovery can often feel isolating, lonely, and impossible without allowing yourself to do these things. Part of recovery is learning how to allow yourself to receive support from your treatment team, therapist, family members, and friends.

Recovery is a complicated journey, and each person will have their own best practices when it comes to processing emotions and expectations throughout the process. There are a plethora of strategies that each individual can explore. One potent option can include using writing therapy as an emotional outlet to provide an individual with a unique perspective when processing their feelings and gauging progress towards set goals. Even within writing therapy, there are many different ways each person can approach their written outlets. Different forms and intents behind one's writing can provide a myriad of purposes across one's recovery journey.

Trying to always be perfect is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Even when you feel you have reached perfection, there is always another part of yourself that still needs work. Although you may know perfection is impossible to attain, it can still feel like it is something to strive for, and you may struggle to let go of the concept of perfectionism. The good news is that you do not have to keep up with the ever-revolving door of perfectionism forever. With the proper therapy, you can understand why you are attached to perfectionism and learn how to let it go. When you stop trying to be perfect, you can start being yourself.

Whether you are struggling with an active eating disorder, disordered eating, or negative body image, cultivating peace surrounding your body image is an important cornerstone of experiencing wellness. Learning what it means to have an accepting, compassionate, and trusting relationship with yourself and your body is needed for holistic wellness and having the self-confidence to reach your goals. No matter how long you have tried to make peace with your body, it is possible.

Anxiety can be a normal human response to stress. However, suppose anxiety begins to impact your ability to cope with stress and manage day-to-day activities. In that case, you could be living with generalized anxiety disorder, which one of our therapists can help you navigate. Living with anxiety can cause you to feel overwhelmed by uncertainty, fear, and racing thoughts. You may also experience physical symptoms such as a fast heartbeat, stomach issues, and headaches. These things can leave you feeling decentered and disconnected from yourself and your body. By recentering yourself after spiraling with anxiety, you can become grounded in your body and anchored in the present moment again. Here are some tips to help you regain control of your emotions when dealing with anxiety.

Whether individuals are overcoming their use of drugs or quelling unhealthy drinking habits, addiction recovery is an incredibly challenging process. Many emotional and physical changes occur in rapid succession as an individual ceases their use. Having a comfortable space to fall back and process these intense changes is instrumental in navigating such a tumultuous time. However, an approach to addiction recovery ripe with amenities is not an absolute necessity when pursuing sobriety. Although, it can offer several unique advantages that may be pertinent to one's situation. Understanding the role that luxury plays and its intents can help each person decide the best approach during their sobriety journey.

December brings plenty of opportunity for festivities, with the myriad of holidays leading up to the New Year all birthing traditions and gatherings with friends and family. Taking time to enjoy events throughout the season is a great opportunity to reconnect with others. Holidays can also be extraordinarily stressful if you are balancing your sobriety with expectations for the holidays. Preparing for the stressors ahead of time and creating a plan to navigate the holidays with a sober mindset is crucial for focusing on your sobriety while still celebrating the holiday season.

Addiction is a "family disease," and if you are suffering from an addiction to drugs or alcohol, it can adversely affect family and those closest to you. The disease of addiction is not limited to single relationships or familial dynamics; couples may be suffering from the disease together in a very literal way. This can create an incredibly delicate scenario where it is difficult to focus on your sobriety if your partner has not made the same choice to remain sober. While there are risks involved with couples' recovery programs, there are also several unique benefits. Understanding the purpose behind these programs can help you and your partner decide the right recovery route for you.

When mentioning “addiction,” you may think of a dependence on drugs or alcohol - the addictive substances that can greatly impact an individual's health and daily life. However, the definition of addiction is much broader, encompassing more than drinking or use of amphetamines. Process addictions, otherwise known as behavioral addictions, can be just as detrimental to your life. This makes them an equally serious but overlooked class of addictions that can continue to affect lifestyle, relationships, and finances.