Fret Not

  The Terrible Twos and puberty have many similarities. Our kids learn fun new things during both stages, but they also push the boundaries of acceptable behavior (thus pushing their parents' buttons) and throw tantrums. Both peer groups had the same primary developmental task: the child had to learn to separate from their parents and begin to develop their own sense of autonomy. Naturally, they sometimes act as if they were the center of the universe. It’s their movie, and you are the background extra at best, and the antagonist at worst. It makes parenting harder, especially when teens start making choices about things that have real consequences, like school, friends, and driving, not to mention drug use and when and how to engage in sexual activity. Teens are more likely than adults to make rash decisions and take unnecessary risks because they haven't fully developed their emotional self-control. This shows that maintaining healthy, trusting relationships between parents a...

  What is Seasonal Affective Disorder? Major depressive episodes that begin at a certain time of year generally precede the onset of seasonal affective disorder. People with SAD generally report that they have good mental health the rest of the year. Depressive episodes associated with SAD usually occur in fall or winter, but also occur less frequently in spring and summer. Seasonal depression and winter or summer depression are other terms for SAD (depending on the season in which it occurs). The National Institute of Mental Health first officially recognized Seasonal Affective Disorder as a mental health condition in 1984. It is categorized as a recurrent major depressive disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), but becomes a given "seasonal condition". Symptoms Late fall or early winter is usually when symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) begin People with the opposite pattern will have significantly fewer symptoms in spring o...

  Almost every adult wishes they could travel back to the “stress-free” days of childhood, but we often forget that those days were riddled with anxiety as well. Although anxiety is common in children and adolescents, there is a difference between ordinary anxiety and chronic anxiety. Between school, family situations and their social life, teenagers have a lot more to worry about than you might think. Knowing these differences will allow you to help your child manage their symptoms. Understanding how to deal with anxiety in children and young adults As parents, we always desire the most for our children. We want them to be able to overcome obstacles in their lives and grow into strong, happy people. With all the daily commitments and parenting responsibilities, that's often easier said than done. Anxiety is commonly experienced by children, adolescents and young adults at various stages of development. According to a recent survey: ·  32% of American teenagers suffer from anx...

  https://books2read.com/u/b6Q02y "Of course, motivation fades with time. But again, so does bathing; you should take one on a frequent basis." - Zig Ziglar Within six months, most gyms lose 50% of their new members. They don’t have enough space for all their members to attend at once and fund their operations with unused subscriptions that people forget to cancel. In other words, they count on you to quit on your goals. Although there are other elements at work, such as the availability of equipment and staff attitudes, for the most part it is because of the dwindling excitement connected with adhering to a training schedule. It's simple to become inspired to start working towards a goal, but it's much harder to stay motivated to complete it. What is motivation? "The term "motivation" refers to elements that initiate, guide, and maintain behaviour with a purpose. The needs or desires that underlie behaviour and provide an explanation for what we do are...

  From Labor of Love to Burnout The biggest curve-ball  in life is ironically the most inevitable one: failing health. We know it’s coming, but it’s always a surprise when it does. When the chips are down, we look to those closest to us to pick up the pieces and nurse us back to health. Family and close friends willingly give of their time and resources to help – it is a labor of love. However, providing care can be demanding and exhausting work. Over time, it takes a toll- on your physical, emotional and financial well-being , resulting in burnout. There are steps in this article you can take to manage stress and restore balance, joy, and optimism. What is caregiver burnout? While caring for a loved one can be incredibly rewarding, it also involves many sources of stress. The emotional cost of care-giving  also increases over time, as it is often a long-term task. Someone may need your care for years or even decades. It can be especially frustrating if you feel like you'...

  Everyone has heard a version  of the following statements: “Don’t worry about it.” “It’s perfectly normal to be anxious about this kinda thing.” This seems to imply that there are things that are okay to worry about, and things you should just let go. If that’s so, then who is the arbiter of what’s worth stressing yourself over? In most cases, we thrust that authority upon ourselves. After all, who better to know which danger is most imminent to you? This “danger”, whatever it may be, is subjective to the individual in distress. A teenager about to ask someone out for the first time might feel as though the world could end if they are unsuccessful. As adults, we now cringe when we think back to those memories, but the anxiety we felt at the prospect of rejection was justified in the moment. A lot of negative emotions, like anger, feel justified in the moment. You feel justified to be angry when someone cuts you off on the freeway, just like you’d feel justified to worry abou...