Music is powerful Music has existed from the earliest of times to the streaming services of today. Many of us can think of a song connected to something important in our lives. It could a vacation, a fun day with friends, or graduation. When we hear that song again, it often brings back memories of people, events, and […]
The snow is melting and we can breathe in the fresh air once again. It’s a time for new beginnings, renewal, fresh energy, cleansing, and new habits. The natural world around us is going through a change and we can also go through some internal changes with it.
It can be overwhelming and confusing when you are the victim of name-calling. This article helps you to better understand and respond.
There have been many tragic events in the news lately. Whenever we even look at headlines, we are alerted to heartbreak, both locally and abroad. Because of the 24-hour news cycle, messages about shootings, plane crashes, assaults, abuse and human rights violations are always present.
The news can be violent, depressing and emotionally-charged. It may feel like our world is deteriorating quickly, even when it’s not.
Getting angry is a part of life. None of us will live a life free of stressors, and sometimes, whether we want it to or not, anger bubbles up as we try to deal with our stress. Anger is natural, but the behaviors that come out of anger can be scary, hurtful, and harmful. Below […]
Values are not always something that we consider. Many of us go through our lives, doing the best we can, doing what we think we need to do. Many of us had parents that taught us how to behave, and how to think about the world. But values are more than that. Russ Harris states, “Values […]
“Hey idiot, what are you doing reading a book?” A classmate asked my 9 year-old son as he ran by on the playground. It had been my son’s first day at a new school, he didn’t know anyone, so he took a book out to recess. “I didn’t even know what to say,” my son reported. […]
Marissa opened her Facebook page, and saw a picture of her college roommate with her family. Her college roommate was celebrating her 15th wedding anniversary, and shared a picture of herself and her family on a Disney cruise to the Caribbean, with a hashtag of #itsawonderfullife. Marissa groaned, and then started to cry. Not only […]
“I should be able to do this better,” thinks April. “I just can’t get this project to go well. My work is so hard!” April, like many people, is feeling frustrated and upset about a task at her workplace. As a result, she blames herself, which likely increases her stress, sadness, and job satisfaction. Some […]
“I am so stupid, I can’t believe I did that!” Cathy yelled out loud and hit her steering wheel. Unintentionally, she just backed her car into a fire hydrant. Her car was damaged, she was going to be late, and her stress was high. Worst of all, at some point, she had to tell her […]
Here in eastern Iowa, we have had a huge March snow, with a likely April snow ahead. The winter has been long, and many of us are feeling it. Given that we can’t control (or even reliably predict) the weather, especially here in Iowa, here are a few tips for pushing through until the warmth […]
SO, YOU’VE HAD A TOUGH DAY….. Tough day step 1: Ask yourself, “Have I taken care of my body today?” On the hardest of days, many of us typically miss a meal. Some of us eat only foods that make us feel good right away (think: sugar). We can also overload on caffeine to get […]
