One of the most reliable ways I know to take care of your mental health is to move your body. Any form of movement can help. - walking, lifting, dancing, trail running, or what I sometimes call joyful movement. It activates both brain and body, lifts mood, and can reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and … Continue reading You Get to Move: Exercise Goals That Actually Support Your Mental Health
Tag: Pittsburgh Christian Counselor
How to Use Your Strengths Every Day
Part of what I do as a counselor is help people identify and use their strengths and God-given gifts to improve their mental health. That work is not about pretending everything is fine. It is about seeing what is already working in you, then using it on purpose. How do we find the strengths and … Continue reading How to Use Your Strengths Every Day
How We Think About Ourselves Matters
Mindset matters. What do you think about yourself? You are as creative as you think you are. You’ll be as successful as you think you’ll be. You can handle as much as you think you can handle. Most of the time, it comes down to what you think of yourself. Mindset is important... not in … Continue reading How We Think About Ourselves Matters
Why Labeling Foods as “Good” vs “Bad” Hurts Runners’ Performance and Recovery
Glacier Ridge Trail Ultra Hey runners, If you’ve ever thought, “I was so good today, I only ate clean foods” or “I can’t have that, it’s bad for my training,” you’re not alone. This black-and-white thinking about food shows up a lot in the running community, and while it might feel like it’s helping you … Continue reading Why Labeling Foods as “Good” vs “Bad” Hurts Runners’ Performance and Recovery
Anxiety as a Runner: Why It Shows Up, How It Holds You Back, and How to Finish Stronger
Anxiety can show up even when life looks “fine” on the outside (racing thoughts, a body that won’t settle, or that constant sense that something might go wrong). Whether it’s performance anxiety before a big run, generalized worry that drains your energy, or anxiety tied to past trauma, I help clients understand where it comes … Continue reading Anxiety as a Runner: Why It Shows Up, How It Holds You Back, and How to Finish Stronger
Owning Your Story: How Self-Compassion and Self-Love Lead to Healing
It isn’t always easy to own our story and to love ourselves, but the process of acceptance and moving forward with healing is one of the most important things we can do. It takes courage (real courage) to look honestly at the chapters we’d rather close forever and still choose to write the next ones … Continue reading Owning Your Story: How Self-Compassion and Self-Love Lead to Healing
Three Ways to Improve Emotion Regulation When You are Stressed
In order to regulate emotions, we need to exercise the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) part of the brain. The ACC is involved in emotion regulation, solving emotional and cognitive conflicts (for example, when you feel torn about what to feel or think), and detects performance errors. After someone goes through a traumatic event, the ACC … Continue reading Three Ways to Improve Emotion Regulation When You are Stressed
Exercise, Yoga, and Qi Gong for Managing Anxiety and Depression
I'm going to be sharing with everyone some recent research findings on a few exercise-based therapies for depression and anxiety. Hopefully some of this will be useful. Mental health, which includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being, affects the way that a person acts, thinks, and feels. It is now well-established that mental health issues can … Continue reading Exercise, Yoga, and Qi Gong for Managing Anxiety and Depression
The First Step to Digital Detox
Digital detox is a great topic that many of my clients are asking about, so let's talk about it. Our phones and screens can cause significant distress because they are frequently grasping for our attention. When we turn to them, we can lose touch with reality and the importance of self-care and emotional well-being. About … Continue reading The First Step to Digital Detox
Build Better Habits: The difference between people who succeed and who fail
Have you read Atomic Habits by James Clear? I recommend this book and workbook to most of my clients. This information is a summary from both books. Towards the end of the article, there are actionable steps that you can take. My clients and I like to walk through the actionable steps together and discuss … Continue reading Build Better Habits: The difference between people who succeed and who fail