Mental Health Topics

Think back to when you were a kid: what’s the one thing your parents demanded time and time again? The phrase that haunts you to this day? You can probably still hear them yelling, “Clean your room!” or “Get to bed!” but that’s not the answer we’re looking for here….

Everybody can benefit from some time spent alone—most even desire some peace and quiet to themselves. Too much alone time, however, can result in feelings of loneliness and negatively impact our mental health, as a healthy and happy life demands we maintain loving interpersonal relationships: with friends, old and new;…

An abundance of research has shown that spending time in nature—even just 5 minutes—can yield amazing benefits, such as: stress reduction, mood improvement, increased concentration, and a boost in overall wellbeing. And you don’t have to go to any extremes to reap said benefits either, you can simply go for…

What is Mindfulness? Have you ever found yourself unable to shake the past? Or maybe you’re anxious about the future, and you can’t focus your attention elsewhere. In both regards, practicing mindfulness will bring you back to your center and to the current moment. Mindfulness is all about focusing on…

The hustle and bustle of Christmas is officially over. You know what that means—it’s just about the new year! Just a few weeks ago, you were writing down inspired resolutions for this very occasion. But now that the new year is on your doorstep, you’re just not sure how to…

Depression Portrait: Seasonal Affective Disorder Emily’s mood darkened. She lost touch with her closest friends. She mixed up the names of the kids she worked with. And at home, she found herself watching way too much television: not her old favorite smart dramas and Comedy Central programs, but reality shows…

I don’t know about you, but the holidays are certainly creeping up on me. It feels like just yesterday I was clearing the table after Thanksgiving dinner—and now we’re just days away from the new year! And it’s about time to have those resolutions locked in. I’ve never been one…

Some of my favorite memories from grade school wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for P.E. class: tackling Holiday-themed obstacle courses, learning how to play my soon-to-be favorite sport (soccer), and crab-crawling across the floor in a fit of laughter alongside friends. I had a blast in gym class and looked…

When people go off to college, they’re essentially “leaving the nest.” For the last 18 years they’ve lived in arm’s length of their parents, and then suddenly… it’s time to fly solo. This rang mostly true for me: upon moving into my dorm, I embraced a newfound independence. But I…

If you live in the city—or even a slightly urban area—you can probably look to the sky and point out a cloud of smog: funneling from factories or just hanging out on the rooftops. This is the most obvious and familiar form of air pollution… but it’s not the only…

On New Year’s Eve, many gather with friends and family to raise their bubbling glasses into the air, shout Hooray! as the ball drops, and bask in colorful confetti for the rest of the night. It’s truly an extraordinary event—some may even say it’s their favorite holiday. But once all…

The National Sleep Foundation makes very clear sleep recommendations, depending on an individual’s age: toddlers (1-2 years) should get 11 to 14 hours of sleep each night; preschoolers (3-5 years) should get 10 to 13 hours of sleep; school-aged children (6-13), 9 to 11 hours; teens (14-17 years), 8 to…