Rest...It's a Beautiful Thing

Living in the fast-paced, bustling society we do, rest is not something that is typically prioritized or valued very highly. Yet it can be quite the antidote to stress and anxiety. Learning how to rest, learning what things are restful for you is a much needed skill and a great tool to decrease stress and anxiety. Perhaps it's reading a book, talking a walk, being outside on a beautiful day, engaging in a hobby or sitting at coffee with a good friend; whatever is restful to you, whatever rejuvenates you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually should be prioritized into your routine. We make time for work, bills and gassing up our cars...rest should be included in the things we must do each week too! Counseling can be a great way to learn how to slow down, re-prioritize, filter through what things are actual necessities and what can go and to learn how to rest. Resting isn't always something we can just sit down and do; sometimes it takes some practice and trial and error to learn what actually "rests" us. If we have become hardened to rest and accustomed to a fast pace, learning to slow down is not easy! Certainly rest will ease the intensity of stress and decrease the anxiety or worry that is present when it is regularly incorporated into daily routine and lifestyle. So try to begin resting, being still; incorporate it in to your routine. I bet you see decrease in the stress and worry you currently experience. And if you attempt resting and it's just not helping, maybe reach out for some counseling to help! 

2 Steps to Battling Depression

Depression can leave a person feeling weighed down, hopeless, worthless and unmotivated. When I'm counseling clients who are experiencing depression, we discuss setting not only a daily routine but setting also a few daily goals. Routine is so important to overcoming depression. A healthy sleep schedule, regular balanced meals, time for fun, social interaction and also a little productivity is a great daily routine when working to overcome depression. In my counseling work with clients experiencing depression, we also discuss goal setting. Depression can leave someone feeling worthless and hopeless. Setting and accomplishing goals - no matter how big or small - adds to self worth, confidence and positive motivation. I encourage the clients I counsel to set 3 small goals each day. Some clients prefer to set them the night before and others start with a planning session in the morning when they get up. Writing down a few manageable, achievable goals will help one begin to overcome depression. This, along with a daily routine - getting up and going to bed at around the same time every day, regular mealtimes, time for fun and social activity and time to accomplish goals - will help the depression begin to decrease. You can take small, easy steps to begin fighting your depression and counseling can be a great help to your battle if you wish!