SOVA Blog

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Giving Back

There are going to be a lot of chances to reflect and give back now that the holiday season is in full swing. This doesn’t only include Thanksgiving during November, but other holidays such...

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Curling Up With a Good Book

There are so many ways to get comfortable with a book and get lost in the words and stories that it contains. You can read in the car during a long journey, in between...

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Seasonal Affective Disorder

As the days get shorter this time of year, some have trouble maintaining a positive mood. One type of depression is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD typically sets in at the beginning of...

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One bad shot…

As a golfer and captain of my high school team, I’ve faced a lot of pressure—most of it from myself. Playing individual sports can be tough because when you make a mistake, it feels...

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Why Do Plants Improve Our Mood?

The cliched image about someone having a “green thumb” typically involves someone in their backyard, their overalls covered in dirt, hands protected by thick gloves that are rough to the touch. The garden can...

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Gratitude Prompts

According to Grateful, researchers at Harvard Medical School report, “Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.” However, Brianna Steinhilber writes that while...

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New Music Monday

Music can help us in many ways. As several posts here have discussed, it can be particularly helpful when it comes to calming anxiety, providing an escape, or even helping us feel justified in...

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Controlling Emotions

It’s impossible to be in control of our emotions all the time. After all, we’re only human, and we react to things in different ways as they happen, whether we want to or not....