In the past few days, more than a dozen historically Black colleges and universities have received bomb threats. The students, staff, and faculty on these campuses have experienced fear, frustration, and the need to bolster their physical, emotional, and mental defenses. This cycle, repeating threats from throughout history, has existed for far too long for […]
Hello January with your cold, long days and less light than we are used to. Are you over yet?! Many people start the calendar year with a lot of hope for a fresh start, only to hit what feels like quicksand when it comes to motivation and activity. You may have heard the mental health […]
This first month of the year can bring such hope for a fresh start. Maybe you are hoping for a new health routine, a reset on your financial goals, maybe it’s a new approach to self-care or relationships. Perhaps it is that long-awaited goal on the horizon but, you know it’s going to take some […]
The holidays can be an emotionally charged experience for many people. However, for college students and staff, there is an added layer of difference because we take such an extended break from our normal routine. While most people take a few days to a week from their day-to-day routine during the holidays, colleges often close […]
While the news is always a somewhat tricky thing to navigate, there are currently some particularly difficult stories. With regard to ongoing concerns, the emergence of new COVID-19 variants is creating uncomfortable unknowns. And, more acutely, the Ghislaine Maxwell and Duggar trials along with the escalating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan can serve as triggers for […]
Last year, we offered an article about the strangeness that surrounded the holidays due to the pandemic. And, while we are certainly still working through this public health crisis to a degree, our trips back home from school during the holidays this year may look a little bit more “normal” than they did last year. […]
With Thanksgiving on the way, it seemed an appropriate time to talk about gratitude. There are so many opportunities and social media campaigns around gratitude this time of year. But, practicing gratitude only in November won’t give you the results you need to think gratefully regularly. Gratitude must be “practiced” to become a habit. Why […]
Years ago, I had a friend who was facing a very difficult time. Her marriage was struggling, and she was also having some challenges at work. As we sat together, she would share a bit of what was bothering her, stop, apologize, say something like, “But other people have it so much worse than I […]
At the end of October, with all the spooky themes and Halloween fun, it seemed like a good time to talk about dreams, nightmares, and how sleep plays into our mental health. It is generally recommended that adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep a night. During the time we are asleep, our […]
During this “spooky” month of October, it seems appropriate to talk about fear. Specifically, how fear can affect decision-making and/or interactions with others. To begin, let’s chat a little about brain development. In utero, our brains develop from base to front, inside to outside. After the brain stem (which controls automatic functions like breathing, heart […]