Decluttering Both Your House and Heart

Things pile up. We over-gift at the holidays and receive gifts we don’t use, buy clothes we never wear and save papers that don’t need to be saved. Nonetheless, the reality of life is that getting rid of things is often extremely difficult. While the sadness of ditching toys your kids have outgrown is more obvious, feeling anxiety over shredding billing statements that are ten years old is a bit harder to explain. Despite how difficult it feels, though, decluttering brings good things both spatially and emotionally. Here are a few tips on how to declutter both your house and mind this spring. The Physiological Chemistry Behind Stress Mess Psychology Today talks about “stress mess” and draws parallels between physical clutter and emotional clutter. Stress [Read more...]

By Jennifer Slingerland Ryan|

Optimism: The Spring Thaw Your Mind Needs

Anyone who’s ever said that optimism is simply a state of mind probably never tried to be truly optimistic. The truth is, it’s not easy, especially if you’re going through a difficult time in your life or dealing with other troubles. Optimism is something you have to work for and work at, but in the end it can be very rewarding. Here are a few suggestions for how to find your inner optimism this spring. Optimism Is Not About Denial There’s a big difference between blind optimism, which amounts to denial, versus reconfiguring your perspective. NBC discusses that the brand of optimism that can positively impact your brain and increase life span is all about acknowledging stressors and dealing with them productively. Being in denial [Read more...]

By Jennifer Slingerland Ryan|

Pleasure Principle: Sexual Health Is Important

Think back to what you learned about sex in school or in your family. You likely heard about pregnancy, diseases, and morality. And you likely did not hear about the pleasurable aspects of sex. Yet, pleasure is one of the main reasons people engage in sexual activity, both with themselves and with others. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), sexual health is one of the four main dimensions of human health, along with the physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions. According to the WHO, “Sexual health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality. It requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of [Read more...]

By Brandie Sellers, M.S., LPC-Intern|Tags: sex, sexual health|

Autumn leaves are now falling…but how are you doing?

This is the time of year that nature (or a good amount of trees) shed themselves for the winter to prepare for the regrowth and blossoming of spring. Of course we have all heard of “spring cleaning”, but I think there is something to be learned from the way that Mother Nature takes care of herself. How are you doing? Honestly, do you think to ask yourself this question very often? Most of us have automatic emotional or behavioral responses to life’s good and bad events, but we can often times neglect to check-in on our own emotional well being outside of these specific events. Below are a list of questions that may prompt your own understanding of your current state and how you can [Read more...]

By Lyndsey Perry, M.A., LPC-Intern|Tags: self-care|

Self-Care SOS

Holidays can be wonderful and joyful! And they can be overwhelming and bring up many emotions which we may have been avoiding all year. What better time than now to engage in some primo self-care, right as the new year starts? When you find yourself in need of tending, here are a few ideas to contemplate. Consider this a self care menu, which you can alter to fit your needs. Experiment to see which things you find helpful for you. There are no rights or wrongs, and there is nothing to achieve. Stay curious about what works for you, which will no doubt change over time! Do a walking meditation. I like this one: https://www.wildmind.org/walking/introductionJournalMy favorite holiday moment from childhood - sights, smells, sounds, feelings, [Read more...]

By Brandie Sellers, M.S., LPC-Intern|

Vision Boards: Setting Goals and Intentions for the New Year

I just hosted my 2nd Annual Vision Board party in my house, with friends who are eager to set their life wheels in motion, and manifest big, amazing goals! Many people set goals this time of year, and I personally think while goals can be set all throughout the year, there's no time like the present to get into the groove and put yourself on the path of attaining exactly what you want. I hear some people say they don't like the words "resolution" or "goals" and have requested they not be used because they just sound too staunch and concrete. So, I've resorted to using words like "vision" or "intention". What we put out to the the world, the world gives back to us. What we [Read more...]

By Jennifer Slingerland Ryan|

A New Year: How to Make “You” Time Part of “Family Time”

When every day is a flurry of bills, traffic and deadlines, it can be tough to find some me time with your family. The easy solution? There isn’t one. If you find yourself and your loved ones losing touch with each other, start reconnecting by scheduling some me time with family time. Here’s how: Set Aside Some Time Our lives are often full and busy to the brim that it’s easy to forget about making the people in our lives feel special. One way to prevent you losing touch with each other is to set aside family time. Set a firm policy against doing anything during ‘Family Hour.’ It can be as simple as playing a game of Scrabble, PSP or playing doubles in badminton. [Read more...]

By Jennifer Slingerland Ryan|

Don’t Wait for The Turkey: Top Tips for Showing Gratitude to Your Spouse All Year

With Thanksgiving approaching, it is easier than ever for most people to reflect on what they’re thankful for. When talking about your life partner, most of us can think of myriad ways that our spouse has made our life easier, better and more enjoyable. Do we take the time to show them our gratitude? Dallas-area counselors like those at I Choose Change say there is no reason to wait for the turkey to hit the table to show your spouse how thankful you are for their presence in your life. It is important to make an attitude of gratitude something you strive for every day in your marriage, as well as in other important relationships. Why Thankfulness Should Not Be Dependent on the Calendar The [Read more...]

By Jennifer Slingerland Ryan|Tags: Allen family counseling|

Trick or Treat? Removing Your Relationship’s Mask before Saying “I Do”

You decide who you want to become for the night. You prepare your outfit, plan your approach and hope to end the night with a little sugar. You dream of treats, but primarily hope you don’t end up with a trick. It may sound like the average Halloween night, but this concept sadly applies to a first date. This process of masking yourself with hopes of getting treats over tricks may actually continue far past that first date. Over time, though, the relationship may grow to a point where you want to get married. Here is how you can remove the “mask” from your relationship before your big day.Trick Know Yourself without the Mask The key is to know who you are first without the [Read more...]

By Jennifer Slingerland Ryan|

Carving Season: Pumpkins and “Me Time” (Strategies for Self-Care)

Here we are, smack-dab in the middle of October. There’s talk about Halloween costumes, carving pumpkins, and the upcoming holidays. With that, now is a fantastic time to carve out time for yourself and engage in self-care strategies. [Hehe] “Yeah, sure, sounds great in theory, but, Lyndsey, I don’t have the time. Like, at all. I’m maxed out.” I hear you. I do. But let me tell you, work FOR yourself, not against yourself. I’ll explain what I mean shortly. Sometimes, life feels like it’s going faster than what we can keep up with, while other times, we may feel like there is nothing to do or maybe we feel like doing nothing. This phenomenon happens in large part because we are not placing high [Read more...]

By Lyndsey Perry, M.A., LPC-Intern|Tags: me-time, priority, relax, self-care|