We’re well into the school year, so those first-day-of-school jitters and nerves have likely subsided. But in case some still remains, here are some tips I wrote about managing school anxiety over at Produce for Kids:
You can also listen to an interview with me about the topic on the podcast: Healthy Family Project:
And if you want to hear more, check out the entire line-up of interviews:
I don’t care who you are, where you stand, what you believe or who you are voting for, the political news has been overwhelming. Last week I spoke to the folks over at Self Magazine for some ideas about how to cope with the hourly onslaught of news (and talking about news, and more talking about news) that we’ve all been trying to deal with. Here’s the entire article:
Here’s one of my tips:
There are a bunch of others, too. Including some helpful links on how to do progressive muscle relaxation, where to go to find a good laugh, and where to turn if you need to talk to a professional.
Thanks, SELF!
I recently got to be a part of a story in 5280 Magazine about work-life balance in Colorado. I think most of us Coloradoans like to think of ourselves as laid back, easy going folks who might work hard, but definitely take our leisure activities and relaxation pretty seriously. But turns out that this might not always be the case. Are we becoming more stressed and busy?
Take a look at this:
Colorado Guilt? I’ve definitely fallen prey to that one. Check out the entire article to read all about stress in Colorado.
Photo Credit: Health eCareers
Have you ever had a terrible, awful, annoying, rude, unfair boss?
OF COURSE YOU HAVE!
At some point in our lives, all of us have had a terrible boss. My terrible boss story includes frozen fish food, piranhas and Christmas Eve – but I won’t get into the details.
Anyway, I recently wrote an article over at Health eCareers that included some tips for how to cope with the bad boss in your life. Here’s a glimpse:
Stop talking so much
When I’ve had bad bosses in the past, my first instinct has been to talk about it. With family, with friends, with the grocery store clerk; with just about anyone who will listen. The trouble with talking about it is, it can take a stressor that takes up eight hours of your day and stretches it to taking up 10, 12, 14 hours, or even more. Why give your boss more power and control than they already have? Try keeping work at work and reclaim your off-work hours for things that are fun, relaxing and pleasurable.
To read the rest of the tips, check out the entire story here.
Happy Thanksgiving week!
Turkey and all the trimmings can be great fun, but this season comes with its share of stressors for many of us. Whether it’s dealing with family members we’d rather not, coping with memories of better times, or something else – Thanksgiving doesn’t always look like Pinterest tells us it should.
So here are just a few quick-and-dirty tips for making it through to Monday.
Keep up with your normal routine. As much as you can, try to keep up with your normal routine this week. Whether that means taking a walk each morning, saying a prayer each evening or watching Ellen every afternoon – keep it up! These are the routines and behaviors that keep your stress at bay all year long – don’t abandon them now!
Take a break from social media. Nothing can ruin the holiday more than comparing yours to everyone else’s on your Facebook feed. You might be having a perfectly good Thanksgiving, but there’s always going to be someone who seems to be having more fun, in a prettier home, with better behaved children in a more stylish outfit. Best to not even go there.
Go outside. This one might seem a little weird, but I am a firm believer in getting outside and DOING something – particularly when things inside are going south. Uncle Jim driving you crazy? Take a walk. Grandma Penelope drinking too much? Grab the cousins and throw a football. You get the idea. A little fresh air and activity is a effective, healthy stress management strategy – and its fun, too.
I recently wrote an article for the National PTA’s magazine, Our Children:
Pretty fun opportunity! The topic was how to manage stress in families with school age children. There are so many things to consider when dealing with kids: Academics, activities, social pressures, safety – not to mention all the stuff that we as parents try to manage: work, finances, relationships, etc.
Photo Credit: National PTA
Here’s a bit about stress and teens in particular:
In fact, a 2013 American Psychological Association poll revealed that 31% of teens surveyed feel their stress increased in the past year. Concerningly, 42% said they either are not doing enough to manage their stress or they are not sure if they are doing enough to manage it.
So what can we do to help? Here’s one tip:
Ask your kids what they think
It may seem silly, but sometimes I forget to ask my kids what’s important to them. Questions like: “How do you feel about your piano lessons these days?†and “Is the swim team still something you enjoy?†are crucial to helping your kids maintain good mental health.
As our children develop their own interests and passions, we should be mindful of keeping them in the loop when it comes to setting up schedules.
To read the entire article – with more info about stress, kids and strategies – check it out:
Photo Credit: Fatherly
I recently had an opportunity to speak with the folks over at Fatherly. The subject? Losing our cool (meaning: raising our voice, being irritable, impatient) with our kids. Here’s the thing: It happens to the best of us. Sometimes a lot. Here are some of my thoughts about stress, parenting and losing our temper with our kids:
“I think of it as an iceberg. The bulk of the stress is underneath the surface,†says Dr. Stephanie Smith, a clinical psychologist based in Erie, Colorado. “We’re not really paying attention, but it builds up throughout the day. It all piles up, but when we reach a certain level the tiniest little thing can tip us over the edge: we’re out of Cheerios or whatever. It’s silly little things that end up being the breaking point.â€
The good news is, there can be some teachable moments when our kids see us feeling stressed out. Like this example:
“It’s ok to take a few deep breaths, or an hour, (after a breakdown), but make sure to come back to it,†says Smith. “In an age-appropriate, developmentally appropriate way say, ‘I’m sorry, I’ve had a really rough day, and I kind of lost it for a minute. I’ll do better moving forward to deal with those feelings before that kind of thing happens again.’â€
To read the entire article, check it out on Fatherly.
Looking for a new job is rough. In fact, it’s been ranked as one of the top ten life stressors! Just a few days of looking for a new job can feel like months, and the anxiety about where to apply, how to craft your resume, and what to say in an interview can be all consuming.
I recently wrote an article over at Health eCareers about how to manage the rigors of the job search. My favorite tip:
Keep up your normal routine. Most of us have some good stress management strategies already. Meditation, coffee with friends, jogging, chess — the activity itself doesn’t matter as much as its ability to help you manage your stress level. The problem is, many of us abandon these strategies as soon as the going gets tough! Instead of forgoing your favorite yoga class to peruse the latest job postings, keep the yoga on your schedule and work your job search around it. Your overall level of stress will be lower as a result.
Want to read the whole article? Check it out:
This is what I have looked like for the past few weeks. Except not that pretty.
Stress is a reality of life. A little of it can be good. A lot of it for long periods of time, not so much.
I was recently interviewed for a story about how our stress affects our kids over at WebMD. The bad news is that our kids (and our partners and pets) definitely pick up on our stress. The good news is that there’s quite a bit we can do about it. Check it out:
Here’s a tip:
Here’s the whole article:
WebMD: How Does Your Stress Affect Your Kids?
I was recently interviewed by the online publication, Mic. The writer let me know she had some questions about flying anxieties. I answered her questions, felt a little anxiety of my own (flying is NOT my fav), and then forgot about it. I recently read her completed article, and it kind of blew me away.
In the article, the writer describes using a new app aimed at helping folks manage their flying phobias and fears – in REAL time. As in, in the air. I was intrigued for several reasons:
Here’s a bit about the app:
For the most part it seemed like the app was pretty cool, and actually helpful. Other than this:
Hmmm, that part didn’t sound so great. So, I had this to say:
So, not a perfect fix for flying fear, but a start anyway. Happy flying!