Our Latest Blogs

40 Affirmations for Self-Care and Mental Health

triumphant person above the clouds.

In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to forget about our most important relationship – the one with ourselves. Self-care isn’t just about treating ourselves better. It’s about caring for our mind, body, and soul. A great way to deepen this self-care is through affirmations. These positive statements can change our mindset, boost self-love, and support […]

Out of the Clouds: Managing Anxiety-Induced Dissociation in the Age of Social Media Overload

woman on a mountain in the clouds

Every time we open our laptops or phones, we are bombarded with information: the latest crises at home and overseas, falling financial trends, eco-disasters, and the personal lives of hundreds of online friends and strangers. A study done in 2020 found that more than half of U.S. adults get their news through social media. What’s […]

Reclaim Your Mental Health: Twenty Practical Tips To Take You From Broken To Better

Mental Health Tips

Have you ever felt lost, hopeless, and overwhelmed? When you are in a dark and lonely headspace, you can feel desperate, and the scariest part is not knowing if it will get better. Hope, coupled with dedication, can light the path to a healthier mental state. Mental health recovery involves a process of healing, adaptation, […]

The Crucial Role of Nutrition in Mental Health

family preparing healthy food

In the pursuit of better mental health, various factors come into play. One often overlooked aspect is nutrition. The food we consume can significantly impact our mental well-being, influencing mood, cognition, and overall mental health. This article will explore the vital connection between nutrition and mental health, shedding light on how a well-balanced diet can […]

Emotional Intelligence and Intellectual Health: Integrating Empathy and Rationality

women with braided hair at window

In our fast-paced and interconnected world, Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Intellectual Health (IH) have emerged as crucial elements for personal and professional growth. Emotional Intelligence refers to understanding and managing emotions effectively, while Intellectual Health encompasses critical thinking, open-mindedness, and intellectual humility. Striking a delicate balance between rationality and empathy is essential for fostering healthier […]

Help, My Child Is Cocooning and Stuck! How to Help Teens and Young Adults Who Have Been Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic Behaviorally and Emotionally

teen girl on bed with smartphone

Adolescents and young adults are experiencing the highest rate of anxiety and depression ever reported in the US. According to a report from the COVID States Project, “…nearly half (49%) of respondents reported symptoms of depression, with 26% reporting moderate symptoms or worse, the level at which follow-up care would typically be recommended in a clinical […]

Disclosing Your Mental Health Diagnosis at Work: 3 Persistent Drawbacks and 3 Surprising Benefits

In 1987 when I was 22 years old, I was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Scared and alone, I had no role models to guide me. Hospitalized and given pills, I was sent out into the world to find my way without a map. In June 2000, I obtained a Master’s in Library and Information Science. That […]

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign: Promoting Mental Health Awareness in Our Schools

The numbers are in, and for those of us who have worked with teens for years, what we feared would happen is finally happening. Teen mental illness, self-harm, and suicide attempts have risen dramatically. Educators, mental health practitioners, and researchers connect this sudden upsurge to social isolation and loss of structure caused by the COVID-19 […]

How to Improve Your Life with Mental Health Activism

three friends clapping

There is no doubt that mental health activism positively impacts those with diagnoses, but you may be surprised to learn that doing activism can improve your own physical and mental health. So why not do both—help others and yourself? When people think about activism, they often get stuck on stereotypes of protesting or calling elected […]

7 Benefits of Gratitude and How Being Grateful Can Make You Happier

grateful blessed sign

Thanksgiving is a time of year to show gratitude for all your blessings in life. Sometimes we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle that we forget to take a moment to reflect and give thanks for everything we’ve been given. Being grateful can provide many benefits to overall well-being, which can help […]

11 Potentially Life-Saving Suicide Prevention Resources

woman in orange on floor

Suicidal ideation is a term that describes a range of complications, wishes, and preoccupations with death and suicide. In some cases, these thoughts lead to planning and attempts on one’s own life. In 2019 alone, there were around 12 million Americans who seriously thought about attempting suicide. This figure only accounts for reported thoughts, so […]

Quiet Your Distressing Thoughts: 7 Mind Games to Distract You When Your Anxiety Is too Much

magnetic poetry word tiles

We all experience anxiety. That feeling of creeping fear is an integral part of being human. For millennia, it’s alerted us to danger and ultimately kept us alive in the face of predators and other threats. In the 21st century, city-dwellers are seldom faced with hungry wild animals. Yet, people seem to be experiencing greater […]

Exam Stress: How to Recognize and Deal With It

student at desk writing on paper

Stress is a state of the nervous system at times when something unusual happens to a person. It can be positive (eustress) and negative (distress). Nothing needs to be done about eustress because it usually has positive effects on a person’s mental state. Distress is associated with negative emotions and harms health. How do I […]

LGBTQ+ Mental Health Resources: Barriers and Disparities in LGBTQ Mental Health and Healthcare

gay couple head on shoulder

The last few decades have seen numerous signs of progress for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) community. But even as equal rights continue to expand, there are numerous issues the community faces that have historically been difficult to address. LGBTQ+ mental health disparities still exist within the healthcare world, but it’s important […]

Preparing for a Job Interview When You Have Anxiety

two women at a table

Job interviews can be nerve-wracking, especially when you struggle with anxiety. The experience of having to prove your worth and being evaluated by people can be really difficult and are major triggers of anxious feelings. This is completely normal and very common, although that doesn’t mean you should have to put up with it. You […]

Why You Should Be Journaling on Your Lunch Break (and Why Bullet Journals Are the Way to Go)

laptop and bullet journal

Spending just 15-20 minutes each day writing down your thoughts in a journal can dramatically improve your mental and physical health. Coincidentally, this is a chunk of time that can easily be slotted into your lunch break at work or school. There are many benefits to keeping a journal. Sometimes, though, it can seem daunting […]

7 Self-Care Rituals for Students You Should Know About

students at a desk

When a student laments about being tired or overwhelmed, people often brush it off as normal student life. Even though students are usually young and healthy people, this doesn’t mean they can always bear the world’s weight on their shoulders. Going through college or university is no easy feat, and if you add family and […]

Top 10 Ways for LGBTQ Students To Flourish In Freshman Year of College

LGBTQ rainbow

The prospect of the first year of college is daunting for anyone. Add to that the complications and difficulties inherent to the LGBTQ experience and you might be wondering if you’re in for a really difficult year. With some perspective and a little guidance, things which once appeared like mighty mountains to climb will become […]

10 Useful Tips to Overcome Presentation Anxiety

presentation anxiety

Being nervous before any major presentation is a normal thing. However, some people end up having a panic attack by merely thinking of standing in front of a crowd. Read these effective presentation tips and learn how to overcome your anxiety. 1.      Get Familiar with the Room and Its Setup Familiarize yourself with the surroundings […]

Healthy Diet, Healthy Brain: 15 Foods for Better Mental Health

The foods you eat can affect the health of your mind and body in a number of ways. Your diet can influence everything from your energy level to your body fat and even the appearance of your skin and hair. So it should come as no surprise that the foods you eat can also have […]

Evaluating Outcomes: 5 Signs Cognitive Therapy is Working for Someone with Schizophrenia or Other Mental Illness

happy-in-therapy

When someone has a serious mental health disorder such as schizophrenia we always seem to know when things aren’t going well. It can be much harder to tell when things are going right. This final installment in our series on cognitive therapy looks at the results of treatment and how to know whether it is working. […]

Cognitive Therapy for Treatment of Psychosis: Choosing the Right Provider

teen-in-therapy

  Often when young people and their families visit Laurel House, the top question on their minds is how a “psychiatric rehabilitation” program like ours can help people with serious mental illness have a better life. The concept of mental health rehabilitation can be hard to understand at first. But people usually get it when […]

7 Signs You or a Loved One Can Benefit from Cognitive Therapy

men in therapy

In my first article in this series on cognitive therapy, I explained Why Cognitive Therapy Works for People with Schizophrenia and Other Serious Mental Illnesses. In Part 2 of the series, I give some examples of problems cognitive therapy can help with and who can benefit. Key Points from last week’s post on Why It […]

Why Cognitive Therapy Works for People with Schizophrenia and Other Serious Mental Illnesses

female-student-struggles-to study

Part One in a four-part series on the benefits of cognitive therapy for people who experience psychosis. Forty years ago, there were two basic treatments for schizophrenia: medication and long-term hospitalization. Traditional psychotherapy was not usually offered because it did not help people with the most obvious and disturbing symptoms of psychosis: paranoia, delusions, and […]