We all get stressed out and overwhelmed. Some days are better than others. In times of stress, it is easy to let our emotions take the drivers seat and steer our behavior especially during extreme emotional reactions.

Happy International Women’s Day! Are you the wonder woman in your own life or do you have a wonder woman in your family, friends or mentors? Today is a great day to celebrate those phenomenal women in your life and community that rise to challenges everyday even when they cannot find their capes!

There is always time to set a new goal for yourself, dream a new dream or start a new adventure. Once you reach an accomplishment…celebrate!

Irrational thoughts are persistent, untrue internal messages that you tell yourself. Even though these thoughts are untrue, they can feel very real and can even contribute to your underlaying belief system about yourself, others and the world. It is very common in mental health therapy that we work together to undo old maladaptive irrational thoughts and replace them with healthy, accurate messages.

Northern Star Counseling is turning 10 years old in February 2021! We want to take moment to say thank you for your support over the past 10 years. You have helped grow Northern Star Counseling to 9 licensed mental health staff, 4 psychiatric nurse practitioners, and numerous amazing support staff.

According to the World Health Organization, mental wellness is defined as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”

We all make mistakes. Taking responsibility for our missteps is difficult but is always needed. Resolution, course correction and healing can only begin once we acknowledge our responsibility in the mistake and take sincere ownership of our own actions.

So many times, I hear people talking about always putting everyone else first. Some even wear this trait a badge of pride, but often times this constant focus outwards leads to burnout, irritability, imbalance and resentment. You are busy.

As we enter 2021, many begin to think about how to improve and reach new goals in the new year. Some call this process setting New Year’s resolutions but a refreshed way of looking at it centers around intention. Be intentional with your time, your money, your health, your relationships, your reactions and your habits.

The New Year is typically ushered in with fresh goals from a new perceptive. It is a natural start to a new chapter in your story. I believe that we all agree that 2020 presented many unique and unprecedented challenges. However, opportunity lies in every difficult situation.

Anxiety is a characterized by frequent intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Anxiety disorders involve repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks).

Developing good sleep habits is essential to maintaining mental wellness. Good sleep habits are also referred to as sleep hygiene. Use these tips to establish a sleep routine to help you get a great night’s rest!

“Smooth seas never made for a skilled sailor” - Franklin D Roosevelt. I have always loved this quote especially in correlating it to mental health.

It is important in times of undo stress to focus on healthy ways of relieving that energy. Be intentional with your stress management techniques. Use them often rather than waiting for intense feelings to become bottled up and then bubble over.

Have you ever been h-a-n-g-ry? So hungry that you become a bit cranky; like in those snickers commercials? That is a good example of a physical need causing an emotional reaction.

Seasonal Affective disorder is a type of seasonal depression that is triggered by the change in seasons. Individuals with SAD typically notice a depression returning yearly around the same time of year; most likely beginning in the fall and lasting through the winter months.

Goal setting is a valuable tool to keeping you on track toward reaching your personal and professional milestones. While goal planning be sure to keep goals reasonable, measurable and obtainable.

The grief and loss cycle is a commonly used illustration in mental health clinics. It depicts the complicated, rollercoaster journey toward healing and acceptance after we experience loss. Some small loss, like the car keys for instance, have a quicker cycle than traumatic losses and completed grief the foundation is the same.

Autumn is fast approaching and it is time to consider what the changing season offers to your self care routine. Many activities that we enjoy are not available for all 12 months of the year (especially true for those of us living in Wyoming) so we must capitalize on them when we can.