It is actually very common in our society to have been socialized with the idea that we should cover up emotional pain rather than confront it directly. STERBs are a perfect example of an indirect—and sometimes damaging—way of avoiding our real feelings. Sometimes the behaviors or activities we use as STERBs are things we wouldn’t…
We don’t always eat just to satisfy physical hunger. Many of us also turn to food for comfort, stress relief, or to reward ourselves. And when we do, we tend to reach for junk food, sweets, and other comforting but unhealthy foods. Unfortunately, emotional eating doesn’t fix emotional problems. In fact, it usually makes you…
Grief is the change or end of a familiar pattern or routine. There are more than 40 losses that can attribute to feelings of grief and pain. Grieving is never easy. It can be long and difficult and raw. But when life was “normal” before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were many social supports in place…
Suppressing your emotions, whether it’s anger, sadness, grief or frustration, can lead to physical stress on your body. And avoiding emotions can also “lead to problems with memory, aggression, anxiety and depression.” Repression involves the unwanted impulses or thoughts being unconsciously pushed out of awareness, suppression occurs when a person consciously tries to force these…
Let’s address the elephant in the room… Good Grief: What good can come out of this grief? Change. What you are seeing, experiencing, and feeling is grief. Yes, another blow of loss in the midst of a global pandemic. If you recall, grief is defined as the conflicting feelings caused by the end of or…
We want to encourage you to remain focused on your overall health and provide hope during this time. When we grieve, there are times where we might engage in pacifying behaviors. We call these STERBS (Short Term Energy Relieving Behaviors). I like to call them short-term emotional relieving behaviors. Most of these behaviors in and…
Self-care is crucial for our physical, emotional and mental well-being. You shouldn’t neglect self-care and here’s why: Self-care is important to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself as it produces positive feelings and boosts your confidence and self-esteem. Also, self-care is necessary to remind yourself and others that you and your needs are important too. Contrary…
False beliefs about mental illness can cause significant problems. Learn what you can do about stigma. By Mayo Clinic Staff Stigma is when someone views you in a negative way because you have a distinguishing characteristic or personal trait that’s thought to be, or actually is, a disadvantage (a negative stereotype). Unfortunately, negative attitudes and…
Grief is a fact of life. While there many articles and books that have been published on the subject of grief, very little is available on how to deal with it effectively. The church often plays an important role in helping with coping with a loss. During time of loss people in the congregation will…
Impact of Mental Health on Youth and Males Mental Health & Men: “We’re ignoring the stigma surrounding mental health that stops many men from seeking help when they need it most — and it’s literally killing them.” Leah Campbell While mental illnesses affect both men and women, the frequency of mental illnesses in men is…