The sun’s out, the temperature is rising, and… you’re feeling depressed. While people typically experience the effects of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in the fall and winter months, this condition can also cause some individuals to feel depressed in the spring and summer. Whether you have SAD or you’re feeling depressed for another reason, here are five activities you should consider to boost your mental health this summer:

1. Head outside to try a new outdoor exercise like walking, swimming, or playing tennis (even if you don’t feel up to exercising, relaxing outside while reading a book or picnicking with friends could improve your mood).
2. Create a summer playlist filled with upbeat, catchy tunes.
3. Spruce up your home by planting some flowers (if you don’t have any outdoor space, try looking for a local community garden).
4. Attend a local fair, watch an outdoor movie, or spend the day at a nearby amusement park.
5. Pick up some fruits and vegetables from a local farmer’s market (and maybe even use them to try a new recipe).

Does Your Mental Health Still Need a Boost?

If you’ve tried the summer activities listed above but found that your mental health could still use some improvement, contact us today. We’ll be happy to schedule an appointment with one of the experienced therapists at our practice. Once we’ve learned about the issues you’ve been experiencing, we’ll be able to recommend some strategies that are customized to your unique needs.

For as long as there have been human beings on this planet, there have been people who took a walk when they were feeling a strong negative emotion. There is just something so beneficial about walking. It seems to calm us down and clear our head so we can think from a calm and logical state instead of an emotional one.

So it makes complete sense that some people would be drawn to walk and talk therapy.

What is Walk and Talk Therapy Exactly?

Walk and talk therapy is a type of outdoor therapy and it is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of sitting in an office environment with your therapist, the two of you get out into the great outdoors and have your session during a lovely walk in nature.

Why Try It?

There are a variety of reasons to give this form of talk therapy a try. To start, it can be hard for some people to process their emotions while sitting still. Our bodies seemed to be designed to move while processing emotions. 

Second, many people find the traditional talk therapy format awkward. Sitting in a tiny space with your therapist staring at you as you try and open up and bare your heart and soul is not an easy thing to do. But walking side by side while looking at beautiful nature helps make someone feel calm and open. There’s no doubt nature can be very healing, which makes it the perfect space for therapy.

What Can Walk and Talk Therapy Help With?

Walk and talk therapy can be very effective at treating numerous mental health issues such as:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Self-Esteem Issues
• Life Transitions
• Stress
• Anger
• Bereavement

Is Walk and Talk Therapy Right for Me?

If you enjoy being out in nature and are interested in a holistic approach to mental health, then walk and talk therapy may be a great fit for you. If you are struggling with depression or anxiety or are having a hard time processing your emotions and are interested in giving this form of therapy a try, please get in touch with me. I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.

SOURCES:

https://welldoing.org/article/what-is-walk-and-talk-therapy

https://www.choosingtherapy.com/walk-and-talk-therapy/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/walk-and-talk-therapy-new-york-ny/52552

If we’re honest, most of us would admit we look at some form of digital screen more than we do the face of our friends and loved ones. From our phones to iPad, laptops and flatscreen TVs the size of an entire wall, screen time for most people is definitely on the rise. But what exactly are the mental health effects of all of this screen time?

Sleep Deprivation

Without realizing it, many of us are hampering our natural sleep cycle with so much screen time. Our electronic devices emit a blue light that interferes with our production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Screen time before bed will make it very hard to fall asleep. And a lack of quality sleep can cause our mood to dip and make it hard for us to deal with everyday stressors.

Impaired Social Skills

There is a bit of irony when it comes to screen time. We’re on our devices more and more as a way to connect with others. And yet, in reality we are alone when socializing digitally. Fewer real-life social interactions can lead to social anxiety and loneliness.

Poorer Emotional Regulation

Too much time on our devices affects our ability to register and process our emotions. Exposure to aggressive or violent media, for example, can impair our emotional judgment of real life events. It can also trigger our own aggressive tendencies. 

Lower Self-Esteem

Social media platforms are where we go to compare ourselves to others. Often when scrolling through our timelines, we perceive everyone else to have their act together, to be happier, healthier and more successful. Doing this day after day can take a real toll on our self-esteem.

Finding Healthier Alternatives

If you think you’re spending too much time in front of your screens, there are some steps you can take. First, make a commitment to keep TVs and all other devices out of your bedroom so you can ensure a good night’s rest.

Make dinner time with the family a “screen-free zone.” 

And finally, take up some new hobbies, connect with old friends and try to get outdoors more. Your mental health will thank you.

 

SOURCES:

https://www.adventhealth.com/blog/how-screen-time-affects-mental-health

https://www.opal.so/blog/screen-time-and-mental-health

https://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/2018-03-16/is-screen-time-a-serious-threat-to-mental-health

Having a low self-esteem is something many people of all ages deal with. While a low self-esteem is not considered a mental health condition itself, the way we think about ourselves directly impacts our mental health and overall well-being.

What is Self-Esteem?

Self-esteem refers to the way people feel about themselves. Someone with a healthy or high self-esteem thinks positively about themselves and their abilities. They believe they are deserving of respect and have no problems setting healthy boundaries.

Individuals with low self-esteems do not feel very good about themselves. They constantly measure themselves against others and always come up short. They may not think they are worthy of love and respect and will typically not set healthy boundaries, allowing others to take advantage of them.

How Does a Low Self-Esteem Affect Mental Health?

The following are some ways a low self-esteem can impact a person’s mental health:

Poor Relationships 

Human beings are wired for connections. But when we have low self-esteem, we tend to not put ourselves “out there” socially and even tend to isolate, which can lead to poor relationships and loneliness.

Addiction

Studies have indicated low self-esteem in childhood can lead to addictions later in life. Mandy addicts use alcohol and other substances as a way to cope with negative feelings about themselves.

Depression and Anxiety

Living with low self-esteem day after day, week after week, can very much take its toll and eventually lead to the development of depression and anxiety.

How to Build Your Self-Esteem

Building self-esteem is important for mental health and to live a happy life. But it’s not necessarily easy to do it. It’s not like losing weight where you can say I am going to eat less and move more.

That is why I recommend working with a trained therapist who specializes in helping people build their self-esteem. A therapist can help you identify your core negative beliefs and determine where they came from. He or she can then help you develop a new, realistic self-esteem that reflects who you truly are.

If you or someone you know is suffering with low self-esteem and would like to explore treatment options, please get in touch with me.

SOURCES:

https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/July-2016/Why-Self-Esteem-Is-Important-for-Mental-Health

https://www.hormona.io/why-self-esteem-affects-your-mental-health/

https://fherehab.com/learning/self-esteem-mental-health