Life Lens Counseling

10/22/2021

As the world continues to place additional stressors in our lives, we need to be more realistic about how we are functioning and more purposeful in our commitment to our mental health and well-being, says Dr. Helen C***s.
https://verilymag.com/2021/10/times-change-mental-health-purpose-dr-helen-coons-therapist-advice-2021?fbclid=IwAR1MwkoJ3kVFdyUOUsm2QWKkbGDfgel43X4eQXHc-tMP_K71IozJrv75PMU

A psychologist offers women five ways to tend to their wellness in times of transition.

10/21/2021

You can’t always avoid the tensions that occur on the job. You can, however, take steps to manage work-related stress before it takes a toll on your health and well-being.
https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/work-stress

10/19/2021

It’s no secret that American workers are experiencing significant stress that is impacting not only their attitudes toward work, but also their mental well-being.
So, what can employers do to create a psychologically healthy workplace and support employees’ mental health?
https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/work-well-being/compounding-pressure-2021

Workplace experiences during the pandemic, employee stress related to work, and what employees are looking for from their employers as it relates to their mental health, specifically in the context of the pandemic and changing priorities.

09/17/2021

The mental health benefits of friendship are well-documented, but our social circles tend to shrink as we get older. These strategies from Dr. Art Markman can help you make and maintain new friendships as an adult.

These three strategies can help if you’re looking to make new and meaningful connections.

09/10/2021

09/01/2021

We generally think about seasonal affective disorder as a winter phenomenon, but it can also happen in the summer. Mental health experts, including Dr. Sherry Benton, explain how to recognize the symptoms and when it may be time to seek help.
https://www.realsimple.com/health/mind-mood/seasonal-depression-summer?fbclid=IwAR3y9Wua6U3R2OXrq5beY-8G-5AQLbVk7jBDmqR_GcFDbVzf2mKicOjIa7w

Why do you feel so sad during the summer? Summer seasonal depression is a real thing. Here's why SAD can hit in the summer, what it looks like, and how to cope.

08/13/2021

As employers redesign the offices of the future, it's equally important to build new plans for supporting the mental health of employees who continue to face new stressors and concerns. https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/employee-mental-health

07/30/2021

KEY POINTS:

Loneliness is common and part of the human experience, and many singles struggle with it.

Loneliness becomes more manageable when approached with self-compassion.

Strategies that involve cultivating connections, practicing gratitude, and seeking out joy can help mitigate loneliness.

How to approach this feeling with curiosity and self-compassion.

06/10/2021

While some Americans packed up their office supplies and headed home in March 2020, many adults had to continue going into work, despite the health risks. Essential workers, such as health care professionals and law enforcement officers, have had to deal with a special set of stressors that included isolating themselves from their loved ones and witnessing first-hand the effects of the coronavirus. Prolonged exposure to these stressors is taking a serious toll.

More than half of essential workers (54%) said they relied on a lot of unhealthy habits to get through the pandemic. Nearly 3 in 10 (29%) said their mental health has worsened. When asked about emotional support, 3 in 4 essential workers (75%) said they could have used more than they received since the pandemic started. Essential workers were more than twice as likely as those who are not to have received treatment from a mental health professional (34% vs. 12%) and to have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder since the coronavirus pandemic started (25% vs. 9%).

Essential workers have had to deal with a special set of stressors that included isolating themselves from their loved ones and witnessing first-hand the effects of COVID-19.

05/10/2021

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), nearly one in five adults in the U.S. has mental illness. Despite how common mental health conditions are, not everyone knows how to identify them.

Early warning signs of mental illness are often missed. Family members, friends and even doctors can overlook lesser-known symptoms as a result of stigma, lack of mental health education and diagnostic bias. This is particularly true for people that don’t fit the textbook example of what having a mental illness looks like.

Early detection and intervention for mental illness is key to help a person get connected to a support system and improve long-term recovery outcomes. Especially considering that untreated mental illness can lead to both worsening symptoms and unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as substance use.

Early intervention starts with being able to recognize the warning signs, especially ones that can be mistaken for other health issues. Here are five symptoms of mental illness that are often overlooked.

https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/May-2021/Five-Warning-Signs-of-Mental-Illness-that-People-Miss?fbclid=IwAR0XZRI-f8oEOljdd0PgFWQjpq82c9K7lJda3FcTER6gl1ugBp3_X93hxuQ

Identifying signs of mental illness, and acknowledging there might be a problem, is the first step toward getting help.

05/09/2021

How managers can help reduce the "Sunday Scaries".
https://bit.ly/3eETHyn

Have you ever spent Sunday night dreading the work week or had your heartbeat speed up at just the very thought of going into the office the next day?