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Family Fun Month
As everyone gears up for the new school year, it is important to remember that August is also Family Fun Month! Planning fun, simple family activities for the month can help ease the back to school blues, and give kids something to look forward to once their homework is done. Some easy weeknight ideas include going out for ice cream, taking a family bike ride, cooking meals together, or having a karaoke night. Regular family dinners are a great way to spend time together and save money; studies by Columbia University show that kids who eat dinner with their parents... Read More
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July Is National Picnic Month
National Picnic Month As we move into the warmest days of summer, it is no surprise that July is National Picnic Month! Picnics can be a great way to spend time outdoors with the family, but there are many more hidden benefits to this summer tradition. Packing up a meal for the family to enjoy together outdoors allows for family bonding and opens up communication. Since most picnics take place in calm, relaxing environments, family members are more likely to make small talk with each other and share details about their day. Hosting a picnic at a park or beach... Read More
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June is Men’s Health Month
June is Men’s Health Month! This month was established to heighten awareness of preventable health issues in men and boys. Throughout the month there are multiple health fairs and screenings available that are designed to improve the health and well-being of men of all ages. Some of the most common health issues brought to the forefront are: cardiovascular health, sexual reproductive health, mental health, prostate health, diabetes, aging, and nutrition/ obesity. Although women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with a mental health issue, that does not mean that men do not also suffer from the same... Read More
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May is National Foster Care Month
As many of us prepare for summer activities with our children and families, it is important to remember that there are many children out there still in need of loving families. May is National Foster Care Month, designed to focus attention on the year-round efforts of all of the volunteers, employees, mentors and foster parents in the system, as well as the children they serve. According to the National Foster Care Coalition, there are more than 400,000 children in foster care on any given day. While many children will leave the foster care system through reunification with their families or... Read More
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Autism Awareness Month
As many of you know, April is Autism Awareness Month. This month is designed to raise awareness and encourage acceptance of those who have autism, or have an autistic family member. Whathealth.com defines Autism as “a complex mental condition and developmental disability, characterized by difficulties in the way a person communicates and interacts with other people.” No two cases of Autism are the same, and people will generally exhibit symptoms that are very unique. Some of the more common symptoms are: problems interacting with others, difficulty showing empathy, difficulty with physical contact, sensitivity to changes in their environment, difficulty with... Read More
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Women in Psychology
In honor of Women’s History Month, we will be celebrating one of the most noteworthy women in psychology- Mary Whiton Calkins. Mary graduated from Smith College in 1884, and was later offered a position teaching psychology. Mary was required to study the subject of psychology for at least one year before she could begin teaching, which presented its own set of difficulties. With psychology being such a new area of study, there were few programs available, and even less that accepted women. In 1890, Mary put in a formal request with Harvard University to allow her to attend the lectures... Read More
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Taking Care of Your Heart
February isn’t just for Valentine’s Day- it is also American Heart Month! According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. February is the perfect time to make small lifestyle changes that can contribute to your heart health. You can start by making an appointment with your doctor for a check-up, and discussing your health goals. The CDC also recommends exercising for at least 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week and practicing healthy eating habits to reduce your risk of... Read More
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Why are New Year’s resolutions so hard to keep?
We are a little over three weeks into the New Year. If you are finding it hard to hold onto your resolution, you are not alone! There are many theories of why we aren’t able to see it through to the end. Timothy Pychyl, a professor of psychology at Carleton University in Canada, believes that people make resolutions to motivate themselves, but aren’t really ready to change their habits. Through the use of MRIs, brain scientists Antonio Damasio and Joseph LeDoux and psychotherapist Stephen Hayes have discovered that habitual behavior is created by thinking patterns create neural pathways and memories. ... Read More
Mental Health Tips
Managing Holiday Stress
The holidays can be a stressful time for us all. Whether you’re stressed about finding the perfect gifts for the right price, planning the perfect gathering, or ruminating on the negative feelings the holiday season unearths, it can be a hard time on your mental health. Here are some tips to help you reduce your stress and focus on your mental health this holiday season: Keep Your Healthy Habits With all the holiday sweets, holiday dinners, and holiday alcohol around, it can be tempting to give up on healthy eating and exercise for the month. You’ve worked hard to establish... Read More
Mental Health Tips
Reduce stress build up by taking moments to POP: Pause On Purpose
Almost all of the people we talk to now respond with a sheepish grin when asked about what stress exists in their lives. A Stress Awareness Month, sponsored by the National Health Resource Network, has been held every year since 1992 in the United States. It is the norm to have continuous activity in our lives, without much attention to recovering from that amount of activity. So we accept that we each function with a unique level of stress. The challenge then is, if we accept that we have stress in our lives, do we accept that we must acknowledge... Read More