We thought we left the awkwardness of pandemic etiquette behind when restrictions were lifted, and we could meet face to face again. Although it does feel great to connect with each other, many of us are feeling a little awkward greeting and talking to each other again in person. When you add the complexity of mask mandates, vaccines, school stress, and office changes, meaningful connection, and good communication becomes more daunting. Humans need to connect and feel heard,

If you’re a parent, you may be asking yourself why you’re so stressed out. Many parents are feeling at wits end with world issues, health concerns concerning the Delta variant, school starting, and work changes. It’s expected to feel anxious, stressed, and angry – maybe more than you ever remember before. Establishing a plan to destress is important for your personal mental health, but it’s also important for your child’s. Children are going through accelerated changes creati

Mondays are difficult for most of us, but would make small changes that make the whole week better? Many begin worrying about Monday morning on Sunday night and experience insomnia and severe anxiety. In fact, there are a significant increase in heart attacks Monday mornings. But you don’t have to live with Sunday night anxiety or sleepless nights if you’re willing to make a few behavioral changes. These may not be easy, so begin slowly changing one or two a week. 1. Wh

Being a parent is bittersweet during transitions in your child’s life. You remember the first day of kindergarten as much as the first day of high school. You thought you were prepared for the day they left home for college until you see them walk away to their new dorm. You told yourself you wouldn’t cry, but now you find yourself in the car sobbing. The transition of a child leaving the “nest” is difficult and conflicting and can make you feel vulnerable and alone. However,

Parenting is a tough job. Most parents are harder on themselves than they should be and genuinely want the best for their child. However, a few parents develop toxic patterns of parenting, which destroy their child’s self-esteem, confidence, and joy. In the field of mental health, we can clearly see the results of parents that didn’t parent well. Toxic parenting develops slowly over time. Since there are many styles of parenting, it’s easy to ignore when you’ve crossed the li

As school begins for your child, you may be concerned about the quality of their education, their health, and their emotional well-being as they readjust to school. As a parent, you have the strongest influence on your child’s attitude towards school. However, their new teacher will be a close second. Research has suggested that one of the most important indicators of how well their child adjusts to school is the parent’s ability to communicate positively with their child’s t

Getting ready for returning to school is typically exciting and stressful for many families, but this year with COVID-19 coming back into the news, it’s especially concerning for parents. The safety of their children is first and foremost in their minds rather than the signs that their children are also feeling stressed about the upcoming school year. If your child is having uncontrolled meltdowns or temper tantrums, consider that their outburst may be misplaced stress about

When you hear news like Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez reuniting, it may have you reminiscing about your ex. Most people enjoy the romantic notion that they could work it out with their ex. Meanwhile, the pandemic readjusted priorities and heightened the sense of loneliness for singles. Dating websites found that more than 15% of singles were texting an ex during this time. Couples do get back together successfully with their ex, but it isn’t common and it’s not easy. Reuniti