Anxiety can feel like a raging storm hovering over your life. In some ways, it can leave you on edge and emotional. In other areas, you can develop mood swings and anger. Chronic anxiety can also trigger physical conditions, such as high blood pressure, panic attacks, and heart disease. Learning to self-regulate your emotions with mindfulness exercises for anxiety can decrease your risk of developing these conditions by lowering stress hormones. Mindfulness Exercises for Anxiety The following is a [...]
Have you concluded that you are in an abusive relationship? Below are the criteria for narcissistic personality disorder in the DSM 5. This is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition) that psychiatrists and therapists use to diagnose mental illness. Traits of Narcissism Look at the criteria below and see if you are currently with someone who has these traits. Grandiose sense of self-importance. Exaggerates achievements and talents; expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate [...]
Managing stress in an already hectic environment seems impossible. But you can lower your stress levels in bite-sized chunks. You can practice a few ways to manage stress while you brew a pot of tea or coffee. Five-Minute Ways to Manage Stress Five minutes may not seem like a long time, but it is just the right amount to shift your mindset, calm your thoughts, and trigger the parasympathetic nervous system, which will help you feel calmer. Pick a [...]
Family rifts often arise from unconscious causes, creating deep divides that can last for years. Even minor disagreements may escalate due to miscommunication or differing values. For instance, political views have torn apart families, and such conflicts have become more common than one might think. Some studies show that over 25% of adults experience family estrangement in the US alone. Family rifts can often arise even when the warring parties initially had no intention to hurt or disappoint the [...]
How well do you know yourself, your personality? Do you understand how you naturally react when it comes to emotions? Do you lean toward suppressing your emotions or letting them out in ineffective ways? Our thoughts determine the ongoing course of our lives. We all know the difference between positive and negative thinking. Normally, our thinking is more negative, human-centered, and egocentric. Positive thoughts are by far first-rate compared to negative thoughts; however, how does positive thinking relate to [...]
When we go through difficult times, we can deal with that in either a healthy way or an unhealthy way. For instance, if you’re feeling slightly anxious, you can decide to go for a walk or talk with a friend. On the other hand, you could also decide to use food to soothe or comfort yourself, which can feel good in the moment, but it has many negative consequences down the line. Similarly, if you’re struggling with emotional, social, or [...]
Grief is a fundamental part of our lives and affects us in ways that can rock us to our core. We tend to view grief as a reaction to death or loss of relationships. However, grief is far more pervasive than that and affects every major and even minor change in our lives. Yes, we grieve the deaths of friends and family, people we know or look up to, our pets, and the loss of relationships. We also grieve [...]
The ability to regulate our emotions and control our impulsiveness is key to our mental health and overall well-being. Our emotional regulation, vulnerabilities, and impulsiveness are affected by our biology (developmental and physical), upbringing/childhood, social environment – both supportive or unsupportive, culture, health – physical and mental, life events, stressors, self-care, personality disorders, trauma, and grief. Some of us are born more emotionally vulnerable and impulsive than others, and we all may respond differently to the same situations. When our [...]
Anxiety disorders affect millions of people a year in the United States. Yet, many people are unaware that lifestyle habits influence the severity of the signs of anxiety. Changing how you eat, move, and sleep can make a difference in your stress and anxiety levels. The Signs of Anxiety The signs of anxiety are varied, and not everyone experiences the symptoms the same way. For example, you may feel more on edge and emotional while your best friend experiences [...]
One of the more challenging ideas to understand in the Christian faith is the concept of freedom. The apostle Paul wrote that, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1, NIV) This freedom is from sin and from the behaviors, attitudes, and mindsets rooted in it. Codependent behavior is one set of patterns that many people need freedom from. [...]
Shame is one of the greatest weapons that the Devil uses to keep us from feeling worthy and achieving God’s plans for our lives. John 10:10 (NKJV) says, “The thief does not come except to steal, kill, and destroy.” Satan lies to us using shame as one of his most devastating tools to keep us stuck in toxicity, bad behaviors, addiction, and a life filled with regret. Shame Brings Condemnation Shame attacks our identity and is a blackmailer, forcing [...]
My Experience With Trauma I remember it like it was yesterday. I knew I had bad dreams and had trouble sleeping. But it was my “normal,” and as I grew into adulthood, I thought nothing of it. It was the fall of 1991, just days after I was married. We spent part of our honeymoon visiting her family in Nebraska. We were staying in a guest room at her parents’ house on an air mattress. We drifted off to [...]
