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Dr. Teresa Smith

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Managing Work-Life Balance

Do you have trouble balancing work and your personal life? If so, you’re not alone. According to Mental Health America (MHA), almost 40% of U.S. adults who are employed full time reported working 50+ hours a week, and 18% work 60+ hours.

Despite how common it is for people to work long hours, having a healthy work-life balance is critical. Working too many hours—especially if it bleeds into your evenings, weekends, and holidays—can cause you to:

  • Feel stressed and burnt out
  • Strain your relationships with your loved ones
  • Neglect your hobbies and self-care activities

All of this, in turn, can negatively impact your physical, mental, emotional, and social health.

How to Achieve a Healthy Work-Life Balance

Creating a healthy work-life balance can sometimes be difficult, but it’s certainly doable. Here are some steps you can take to balance work and your personal life:

  • Manage your time. There are various time management techniques—such as Pomodoro timers—that can help increase your productivity, meaning that you’ll get more work accomplished in a shorter amount of time.
  • Multitask. If your job allows it, try to get some work done while simultaneously engaging in a self-care activity. For example, you could listen to a seminar while you go on a walk or do some laundry.
  • Set boundaries. Decide what times you’ll be starting and stopping work each day and stick to that schedule as best you can. Also be sure to set aside time for vacation days even if you’re not planning an out-of-town trip.

Get Help Balancing Your Work & Personal Life

Work-life balance plays a crucial role in our overall health and happiness, so if you’re struggling in this area, we invite you to contact us and schedule a therapy session. We look forward to helping you take the steps needed to balance work and your personal life.

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Overcoming Depression: Practical Steps

Do you experience persistent feelings of sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, worthlessness, or guilt? Are you feeling fatigued, anxious, restless, or like you can’t focus? Have you lost interest in the activities you once enjoyed, or have your coworkers or loved ones noticed that you’ve been more irritable than usual?

If this sounds familiar, you might have depression, a common but serious mood disorder. You should schedule an appointment with a therapist as soon as possible, but in the meantime, here are some practical steps you can take to help manage your depression:

  • Eat a nutritious diet.
  • Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, five times a week (but be sure to consult with a doctor before beginning a new workout regimen).
  • Get at least seven hours of sleep each night and try to fall asleep and wake up at the same time each day.
  • Schedule time for a fun activity each day, even if it’s only for 30 minutes.
  • Spend time with loved ones and limit the amount of interaction you have with individuals who bring you down.
  • Give back to your community (for example, by volunteering at a local nonprofit organization).
  • Set attainable goals for yourself (for instance, rather than saying that you’ll clean the entire house, commit to washing the dishes in the sink).

Get Help Managing Your Depression

Are you having trouble overcoming sadness? We can help you take the first step toward conquering your depression and improving your quality of life. Contact us today to schedule a therapy session.

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Nurturing Positive Relationships With Friends

The importance of having positive friendships in your life cannot be overstated. Healthy friendships can help you feel happier and more self-confident, reduce your stress levels, and prevent you from feeling lonely or isolated. When times are good, friends can help you celebrate. And when times are bad, they can help pick you up and provide a kind shoulder to lean on.

Unfortunately, for many adults, it can be tough to make new friends and even more difficult to ensure that those friendships enhance their lives. With that in mind, here are some tips for how to build healthy relationships with friends:

  • Be an active listener. Communication is key to a positive friendship, but many of us aren’t great at listening, which can leave our friends feeling ignored and unvalued. When talking with friends, make an effort to face them, focus on what they’re saying, and ask follow-up questions. You should also avoid interrupting them and zoning out as you plan what to say next.
  • Offer advice without judgment. At some point throughout the course of your relationship, your friend will likely come to you for help with a problem. While you should be honest about how you feel, you should also try to empathize with them and respect that that might have a different opinion.
  • Make time for each other. In today’s busy world, it can often be difficult to schedule time with friends, but getting together is crucial. If you live near each other, pencil in a weekly dinner or even a monthly coffee date. Or, if you live far apart, plan a time to talk on the phone or, better yet, videochat.

Start Building Healthy Relationships With Friends

If you struggle to maintain positive friendships, you’ve come to the right place. We have extensive experience helping patients nurture healthy relationships with friends, and we’d love to do the same for you. Contact us today to schedule a therapy session.

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The Benefits of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA Therapy)

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is a form of therapy that is often used with children and adults who have been diagnosed with autism and other mental health conditions. ABA focuses on improving specific behaviors such as social skills, communication, learning aptitudes, hygiene, motor dexterity and domestic capabilities, to name a few. ABA is often used in a variety of settings including homes, clinics, schools and workplaces.

The National Institutes of Health has stated that ABA is a popular and effective form of treatment used by mental health and educational professionals. By focusing on increasing desired actions and decreasing undesired ones, ABA can be a catalyst for profound change.

Here are just some of the many benefits of ABA: 

Improves Independent Living Skills

The goal of every child is to someday grow up and become self-sufficient and independent. This independence can be a challenge for children on the autism spectrum. ABA allows teachers and parents to teach independent living skills such as dressing, washing, brushing teeth, etc. 

Empowers Parents and Teachers 

Therapists who have been trained in ABA can share their knowledge with parents and teachers, empowering them to provide the best care for their students and loved ones. Often, parents and teachers are run ragged, simply trying to get through each day without any “meltdowns” or “disasters.” But ABA provides them with tools and skills to do more than hope for a good day. 

Increases Life Satisfaction 

There is no better gift to an autistic child and his or her parents than the ability to truly enjoy life. Because ABA helps parents help their children grow to become capable and independent adults, there is a true sense of life satisfaction. 

If you would like to work with a therapist who has been trained in ABA, please get in touch with me. I would be happy to work with you and your child or student to empower everyone. 

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