Encouragement, Inspiration, and Wisdom from Professional Christian Counselors
In ways, fear and anxiety are like wanting to know the 10-day forecast so that you can make plans well in advance and know what to expect. The thing about 10-day forecasts, though, is that they are rarely right. The voice of fear tells us that if we can plan out and answer all of the questions rolling around in our minds we will feel like we are in control and the stress will go away. But control is elusive – especially in light of a pandemic.
The mental health impacts of COVID-19 remain to be seen, and I anticipate there will be some significant fallout. This list is not meant to be an exhaustive approach to boosting your mental health as there are a lot of ways to improve your mental well-being, but as I think about spending more time at home than I might be used to, these were strategies that came to mind that I will be intentional to practice over the next several weeks. We are in this pandemic together. Let’s be intentional about encouraging one another to take care of ourselves physically AND emotionally.
Coronavirus. COVID-19. Pandemic. Shelter-in-place. These have been the hot topic words over the past week and a half and understandably so.
There has been a lot of talk about how to keep families and kids physically safe and healthy during this COVID-19 pandemic, but from my perspective, health also includes emotional well-being. So what are parents to do?
How you speak about your spouse matters. Your words have the power to tear down or build up, to give life or destroy it. Your words matter. So if you are looking for one way to begin improving the health of your marriage, take an honest assessment of how you speak of your spouse (especially in public).
Begin with recognizing your strong emotions and the thoughts and instincts that partner with them. Be still and notice them. Allow yourself to even be curious about them. Notice without reacting what this inner intensity produces in your thoughts without taking these thoughts too literally. As you quiet your reactions to them, you can pray for wisdom about what to do or think about them.
We’re continuing our with our Friday introductions! Today I’d like to introduce you to Cindy Raices, MA, LPC. Cindy is a valuable member of our Heritage team. One unique thing about Cindy is that she is able to provide counseling services in Spanish.
We’re back with another Friday Introduction! Meet our counselor, Amanda Paben.
As I scroll through my Instagram feed, my mind often starts to feel dissatisfied with what I have been given in this world. The questions make my mind wander. “Why can’t I have that?” “What am I doing wrong?” “Why me?!”
When this happens, I have become a victim of the comparison game.
