Summer is finally here, and we can all now slow down and enjoy the beautiful weather- right? Well, as relaxing and fun as summer can be, many of us overload our social calendars in order to cram everything into those few short months before the kids go back to school. This can cause a lot of anxiety for many people. So, how do we allow ourselves to stay truly present and actually enjoy these moments? Practice mindfulness! Well, this is sometimes easier said than done. Mindfulness is often associated with a visual image of a person in a yoga pose by themselves counting deep breaths. For some of us, this task seems difficult, time-consuming, and awkward. Well, there are other ways to accomplish the art of staying present in the moment and feeling calm and grounded.
Read MoreRaise your hand if you have ever made a New Year’s resolution. If you ever have made one how long did it last? Research shows that many New Year’s resolutions are forgotten or stopped within 6 months. Resolutions and goals are great. However, to increase your chances of success and achievement, you want to make sure the resolutions are realistic and obtainable. Otherwise, you are setting yourself up for failure and the impact of not completing the resolution might be worse for your mental health than not setting one at all. As you are figuring out what your resolution will be or maybe you have even thought of one already, consider the following to help you.
Read MoreWho doesn’t love a good snow day? If you are joining my blog from NJ or any other place that gets hit with snow during the winter, snow days can stretch out. The first few storms are pretty and it’s nice to have a day off here and there. However, once you are on snow day #5, it’s freezing, and you’ve had to cancel plans again, it gets annoying. A snow day can turn into the perfect (or not-so-perfect) day to sit around and binge-watch Netflix or scroll on social media. However, screens weren’t always around for snow days (yes, I know… shocker!). Sitting in front of a screen all day isn’t the healthiest or most productive way to spend the day. If you are looking to make your next snow day screen-free, or at least include less screen time, check out some non-screen-related snow day activities below.
Read MoreA few weeks back, someone asked me to do a post on what my favorite apps are. I had to stop and think about that, as I honestly do have a love/hate relationship with my phone. I try not to be on it unless I REALLY need to, but there are some pretty awesome apps that I use at times. To be upfront, I use all the free versions of these apps, but many of them have paid features as well.
Read MoreLet’s talk about devices and screen time. This is a hot topic that I frequently discuss with the parents of my patients. Since COVID-19 and the summer vacation being here, I have discussed it even more often lately.
Various studies have shown that screen time can impact eyesight, mood, impulsivity, and self-esteem. That short list isn’t even exhaustive either. Many parents I work with ask me what is an appropriate time for their child to be on devices and how early is too early for children to be exposed to devices.
To further assist in setting appropriate boundaries with devices, here are some tips:
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