1. Exercise – Believe it or not, when you exercise, your brain releases pleasure-inducing endorphins which reduce perceptions of pain and produce a natural high (similar to a runner’s high). When you are depressed the last thing you want to do is exercise, but if you can push through it, it is a natural way to counter those blues. 2. Eat bananas – Depression can…
Putting the groceries in the backseat, I climbed into the car and left the parking lot. As I inched toward the road I heard a soft hissing sound that quickly escalated into a loud pop followed by a louder hiss. Oh no! The soda I put in the back seat had just exploded! May is Mental Health Month. If we want to be mentally healthy,…
The young girl enjoyed playing in her room; she was content to teach for hours. Her stuffed animals and baby dolls made the best students. As she passed out their worksheets for the day, she explained to them, “People can be mean; they can steal your toys and cheat off your paper, but no one can ever take your education away from you. Never ever!”…
I’ve always described myself as a “runner wannabe.” For the first time in my life, I feel like maybe I am turning a corner…I started running 8 weeks ago with a friend doing the program from the couch to a 5K (C25K), and I actually enjoy running for the first time ever. Maybe its the camaraderie of running with a friend or the joy of…
Did you know that there are therapeutic benefits to journaling? Not only does it help you to purge negative thoughts and feelings as you write them down, but it also helps you to gain perspective. In a recent study exploring resiliency factors in women who lost their husbands to suicide, five of the six women discussed how writing in a journal or on a blog…
For the next several months, I will be immersing myself in research regarding resiliency factors in widows bereaved by suicide. I will be interviewing women who lost their husbands to suicide, hearing their stories and searching for meanings and trends to help others in the future who face such devastating loss. I consider it a privilege to listen to the stories of these strong, resilient…