Why Dogs are Good for Your Mental Health Dogs can reduce stress levels, help us stay active, and encourage us to meet new people. Stress Reduction The simple act of petting a dog can relieve stress by increasing levels of the stress-reducing hormone oxytocin and … Continue reading
Tag Archives: stress
The beginning is the most important park of the work. – Plato Many students are beginning school at this time. The beginning of the school year can be a daunting time, but it is an important time of the term. … Continue reading
Progressive Muscle Relaxation is a good technique for easing anxiety. It relaxes the mind and body by progressively tensing and relaxing muscle groups throughout the entire body. This helps to release muscle tension and fosters mindfulness. How do you do … Continue reading
Dear Teenage Self, It saddens me to see how you hurt yourself. There are no good reasons for you to do this. I wish that you would take care of yourself. Be better to yourself. Eat You think that you … Continue reading
Major depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, affecting 6.7% (more than 16 million) of American adults. Approximately 20 percent of teens experience depression, and between 10 to 15 percent suffer from symptoms at any one time. Depression is more than feeling … Continue reading
Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. You might feel anxious when faced with a problem at work, before taking a test, or making an important decision. However, anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For a … Continue reading
The World Health Organization estimates that over 800,000 people die by suicide each year – that’s one person every 40 seconds. Up to 25 times as many again make a suicide attempt. In America, the statistics are worse — someone … Continue reading
Often the mental pain caused by your injury and the temporary or permanent loss of your sport can be far more devastating than the physical injury. This type of pain must be addressed and managed in order to recover quickly and … Continue reading
Do you feel dread about performing? Do you feel stage fright before a presentation or anxiety before the big game or test? Athletes and students often experience performance anxiety. The anxiety not only influences their performance, but it can also … Continue reading
Teaching Children and Adolescents to Manage Mistakes We want our children and teenagers to perform well, and so do they. However, the pressure of perfectionism can lead to the fear of making mistakes. When there is so much pressure to … Continue reading
About six months ago, I adopted Zoe, a Portuguese Water Dog (see photo below). I knew that having a pet is a lot of responsibility, but there are many health benefits to pet ownership as well. Zoe has been my … Continue reading
It is the things that we cannot control in life that can be the most frustrating. You may feel frustrated with a teammate on the sport field, someone with whom you work, or a loved one. When there is not a … Continue reading
Excessive stress, injury, being burnt out, along with other negative aspects of youth sport can be avoided. Here are some simple ways to avoid putting too much stress on athletes and creating problems. The thrill should be competition, not winning. … Continue reading
A pre-game speech can influence athletes’ performances and motivate them. A well-produced pre-game speech motivates athletes because it directs their thoughts appropriately, often from distraction to focus, from anxiousness to excitement. So what makes a pre-game speech a good one? … Continue reading