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Dr. Teresa Smith

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How to Prevent Burnout

Not many people get through life without experiencing burnout at some point. Whether it’s from working more than one job, taking care of a sick loved one, or juggling family life while going back to school, burnout is real, and it negatively impacts your life and health.

Common Signs of Burnout

If you think you may be experiencing burnout but are unsure, here are some of the most common signs:

  • Physical and mental exhaustion
  • Feeling overwhelmed
  • A need to isolate
  • Fantasies of escaping
  • Irritability
  • Frequent illnesses such as colds and flues 

5 Ways to Prevent Burnout

Exercise

You know exercise is necessary for your physical health, but it is also fantastic for your mental and emotional health as well. Physical activity helps our bodies secrete feel-good hormones, which give our mood a boost. So be sure to commit to exercising at least 3-4 times a week.

Get Enough Rest

It’s essential to get enough restorative sleep each night. Sleep not only helps our bodies build and repair new tissue, but it helps us be able to feel calm and focus. 

If you have trouble getting enough ZZZZZs each night, skip caffeinated beverages past 2 pm, ban smartphones and other electronics from the bedroom, and establish a relaxing nighttime ritual like meditation, reading, or taking a bath.

Validate Your Feelings

“Keep calm and carry on.” That’s a fun saying for a throw pillow, but it’s not always the best advice. Sometimes it’s important to admit that you are struggling and that you need a break.

Remember to Play

Just because you’re an adult, that doesn’t mean you don’t need some downtime to just have fun. Whether you want to play a sport, enjoy a hobby, or go to the theater, be sure to make time each week to enjoy yourself and your life.

Ask for Help

During stressful times, it’s important to reach out to others for help. Sometimes all we need is a friendly ear to listen to what’s on our minds and hearts. Let your friends and family know you could use a little support.

If your stress levels don’t seem to go down, you may want to consider working with a counselor who can help you navigate your feelings and offer coping strategies to deal with the issues you have going on.

If you’d like to speak with someone, please reach out to me.

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How to Help Your Kids Develop Healthy Habits

Every parent wants their child to grow up to be as healthy as possible. Sadly, rates of childhood obesity in this country have skyrocketed, increasing over 800% since 1982. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obese youths have a far more likely chance of developing heart disease and high cholesterol as they age. They are also most likely to develop prediabetes, sleep apnea, joint issues, and poor self-esteem.

Parents can help their kids develop healthy habits by following some of the following tips:

Give Them Choices

Loading your kids’ plate or lunchbox with healthy foods may not be the best way to get them excited to try new flavors. Instead, give your kids the choice of what they want to try for lunch or dinner. Do they want beets or Brussel sprouts? Blueberries or bananas? Rice pilaf or sweet potatoes? Kids love having choices, and you’ll love that they’re eating healthy!

Plant a Backyard Garden

If you REALLY want to get kids excited about eating more fruits and veggies, then have them grow their own. Caring for a garden not only encourages your kids to eat what they help to grow, but it also teaches them environmental responsibility. If you don’t have enough outdoor space for a garden, check out your local community to see if you can get involved with a community garden.

Teach Your Kids to Read Labels

So many of the foods on grocery store shelves would have you believe they are healthy, but if you read the label, you’ll see they have hidden sugars and trans fats. Even “healthy” foods like yogurt, granola bars, soups, and cereal may contain way too much sugar. Teach your kids to turn those cans and boxes around and read the labels to understand exactly what they are eating.

The bottom line is, the more fun you have and the more you involve your kids in decision making, the more apt they’ll be to try healthy foods and LIKE them, and grow up to be healthy and happy.

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How to Tell Your Partner About Your Past Sexual Abuse

Relationships always start out on a high note. Your mutual attraction combined with your commonalities stirs up your feelings, while finding out about your differences and exploring the world together makes your relationship fresh and exciting. When your relationship starts to become more intimate, you may start to wonder when the right time is for you to open up to your partner about your past sexual abuse.

Being a survivor of sexual assault is, unfortunately, not uncommon. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in three women and one in six men in the United States experience some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime. So when is the right time to open up to your partner about your past, and how do you tell them?

Be Ready
It’s important as a survivor that you are in control of when you share your story. Center yourself around your own needs and share only when you’re ready, and not before. You may need to discuss it first with a therapist, counselor, friend or support group.

Know What You Need
Know in advance what you’ll need to get through this discussion. You may need your partner to not ask questions, or to not touch you while you’re talking. Be honest and upfront, and ask for support when you need it.

Prepare for a Response
How people respond to your story will vary widely. Hearing sexual abuse disclosures affect both the person telling the story, as well as the person listening. Your partner may be silent for a while as they take the information and consider what to say. Give them time to process it. If it will make you more comfortable, you can ask them to give you some time before you discuss the matter again.

 

Opening up and discussing difficult, sensitive topics with your partner is never easy. But these challenging times are often the ones that create milestones in your relationship, and will ultimately bring the two of you closer than ever.

Are you a sexual assault survivor and in need of guidance and counseling? A licensed therapist can help. Call my office today and let’s set up a time to talk.

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National Disability Awareness Month Brings New Awareness About Mental Health

Did you know that March is officially National Disability Awareness Month? And 2022 marks the 28th year that the United States has recognized this national holiday as a way to bring understanding, encouragement, and opportunities to people living with disabilities.

In the United States, it is believed that over 60 million adults, or one in four adults, live with a disability. Disabilities may include a limited ability to walk or climb stairs, see, hear, and focus with ease. These disabilities often make everyday tasks difficult. 

Bringing Awareness to Better Mental Health

One way we can all mark the occasion this year is to educate ourselves on the mental and emotional impact of living with a disability. Adults with disabilities report experiencing depression and mental distress almost 5x more often than adults without disabilities. Frequent mental stress is often linked with poor health habits that can lead to chronic disease and other poor health outcomes.

Getting Help

When someone lives with a disability, it is easy to focus so tightly on the physical challenges that mental and emotional needs can be neglected. If you or a loved one live with a disability, it’s important to check-in and sees how you are feeling mentally and emotionally.

Should you find that you are feeling stressed, anxious or depressed, please find a licensed therapist who can help you navigate these uncomfortable feelings and offer coping strategies for moving forward.

Therapists can also help in other areas as well. For instance, the right therapist can help you understand the mind-body connection and help you speak with friends and families about how you’re feeling. He or she can also help you navigate any relationship issues you may be having that are related to a disability.

If you’d like to explore treatment options, please reach out to me.

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