What is this “Mindfulness” Thing anyway?

April 22, 2016 in LINKS

We’ve used the words Mindfulness Mediation a lot here and perhaps you’re curious about what it means and what it is all about? We found this really neat short video for you that explains it quite well!

5-10 minutes a day! That’s pretty easy, cool brain exercise that can help you and your adolescent change the way you interact with the world around you.

Would you give this a try for a week? Would you do it with your adolescent? Tell us what you think in the comments! Give some suggestions for how this best fits into your life!

Tags: alifeworthliving, Being who you are, mindfulness, not able to concentrate, relax, resources, wellbeing Comments Off on What is this “Mindfulness” Thing anyway?

by Firefly ★

Self-Care Outside of Therapy

April 12, 2016 in Educate Yourself

Actual Conversation:

Person 1: I go to therapy every week, why do I need to do anything else about this?

Person 2: If you do your self-care work, therapy is going to go a lot smoother.

Person 1: Therapy IS my self-care!

Person 2: It’s part of your self-care.

Photo Credit: a4gpa via Compfight cc

Perhaps you’ve been on both sides of this conversation, maybe you’ve had it with yourself. It’s important to remember that therapy and medication are parts of the self-care and self-love process.

That can be really hard to cope with when it takes a lot to just get to therapy and open up there. It’s important to be mindful that each piece of the process is important: therapy, medication, self-care activities, sleeping, eating well and exercise.

What do you do outside of getting help from a health professional? What is self-care to you? Does it change? Tell us your thoughts on engaging in this?

Tags: courage, depression, help, questions about your health, relationships, reputation, self-care, stigma, therapy, treatment, wellbeing, what to do in a bad mood Comments Off on Self-Care Outside of Therapy

by Firefly ★

Believe in Yourself

April 11, 2016 in Be Positive

Photo Credit: Chibird

“Don’t waste your energy trying to change opinions … do your thing, and don’t care if they like it.” –Tina Fey

Does it help to have someone else believe in you when you are down? Tell us about supports you’ve had that have helped you get past tough times.

Tags: calm, communicating, happy, inspiration, quotes 1 Comment »

by Firefly ★

Motivation

April 4, 2016 in Be Positive

Sometimes we all need a little extra help with something hard. Many people, including youths, start smoking and find it incredibly difficult to quit. DoSomething.org currently has campaign to for people to help other people quit the deadly habit. It’s called “Quitters Always Win” and you can win a $5000 scholarship by signing up to send a card to someone trying to quit! You can sign up here!

Do you think this kind of positive encouragement is useful? Where in your life could you use a card? Tell us about if you signed up and made a card or need a little extra boost in your life!

Tags: awesome, communicating, courage, help, inspiration, positive, wellbeing Comments Off on Motivation

by Firefly ★

Writing away the Stigma

March 30, 2016 in Educate Yourself

I recently found out about this book Writing Away the Stigma: Ten Courageous Writers Tell True Stories About Depression, Bipolar Disorder, ADHD, OCD, PTSD & more

One in four American adults will endure the trials of a mental health condition this year, and more than half will experience one in their lifetime. Yet the stigma of mental illness remains, leading many to face their difficulties in shame and silence. In this collection, ten writers confront the stigma of mental illness head-on, bravely telling stories of devastating depressions, persistent traumas, overwhelming compulsions, and more.

I thought it was very cool that so many people contributed to the book to write about their experiences with mental illness. Being able to talk freely about things that are difficult for us make it easier for everyone to express when they are struggling.

E-book and paperback versions are available now through Amazon.

What do you think of sharing your story? Does it help you to be open about your struggles?

Tags: anxiety, Being who you are, communicating, courage, depression, inspiration, questions about your health, reputation, stickysituations, stigma, stress, treatment Comments Off on Writing away the Stigma

by Firefly ★

Emotional First Aid

March 29, 2016 in Educate Yourself

By taking action when you’re lonely, by changing your responses to failure, by protecting your self-esteem, by battling negative thinking, you won’t just heal your psychological wounds, you will build emotional resilience, you will thrive. A hundred years ago, people began practicing personal hygiene, and life expectancy rates rose by over 50 percent in just a matter of decades. I believe our quality of life could rise just as dramatically if we all began practicing emotional hygiene.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone was psychologically healthier? If there were less loneliness and less depression? If people knew how to overcome failure? If they felt better about themselves and more empowered? If they were happier and more fulfilled? I can, because that’s the world I want to live in, and that’s the world my brother wants to live in as well. And if you just become informed and change a few simple habits, well, that’s the world we can all live in.

While this TED talk is about 17 minutes long, we think that it has some great stuff in it! What do you think? How can you think about your emotional health the same as your physical health? What are some strategies addressed in this TED talk that you could use?

Tags: anxiety, inspiration, not able to concentrate, positive thinking, questions about your health, quotes, ted talks, wellbeing, what to do in a bad mood Comments Off on Emotional First Aid