During the holiday season, one of the most talked-about topics is holiday shopping. Many people who struggle with anxiety find it to be overwhelming. Before I started my holiday shopping, I feared that some people would not like my gifts. I also worried about how much money I would spend. Now that I have finished shopping for two people, I do not feel as anxious. Here are some tips that helped me start my holiday shopping.

Thanksgiving gatherings trigger feelings and emotions for everyone, but not all of those feelings are of peace or gratitude. Some people have wonderful memories of celebrating with childhood friends and relatives. Many of these people feel excited to reunite with loved ones they have not seen in a long time. Other people have unpleasant memories of the holiday. Many of these people feel stressed out, sad, lonely, angry, etc. If you feel anxious or depressed around Thanksgiving, it can be hard to find peace and gratitude. Here are six tips to help you feel better during Thanksgiving.

My therapist helps me with anxiety and depression by providing me with a safe place to talk about my struggles and process my emotions. Over the summer, my therapist recommended that I try therapy groups. I have been attending the groups for about two months now. Here are some ways therapy groups have been an effective supplement to individual therapy.

Anxiety is like the aftermath of vivid dreams or nightmares. Most of the time, you recognize the physical symptoms of anxiety right away. Other times, worry builds gradually and then morphs into anxiety and/or panic attacks. Anxiety can last for a short time, or it can extend into obsessive thoughts that last for a long time. Thankfully, I've found that affirmations can help to reduce (and even release) the power of anxiety before it gets worse. To learn about these affirmations and why they can help, continue reading this post.

If you experience intense mood swings and start behaving out of character, it might be easy to blame it on a mood disorder. For instance, if you have skipped classes several times, you might say that it was because of your anxiety. While that was probably a huge reason for it, there could be more specific reasons as to why your anxiety increased. The things that stimulate a negative change in your thoughts, behaviors, and actions can be loosely thought of as your triggers. Identifying your triggers so that you can deal with them is important for you to manage your mood disorder symptoms and increase your quality of life. To learn how to recognize and deal with your triggers, continue reading this post.

While common responsibilities include working, raising families, going to school, and doing household chores, practicing self-care is just as important. Yet, we often do not make it part of our priorities. One reason is that we are busy thinking about other things and helping other people. However, we need self-care to function well in life. To learn more about self-care and two analogies that represent its importance, continue reading this post.

Anxiety is a common struggle for people who undergo major stress. However, anxiety becomes paralyzing when it intensifies so much that a person loses the ability to function. In this post, I share my description of paralyzing anxiety and information about my experience with it. I also discuss coping methods that helped me get through paralyzing anxiety.

Have you ever wished you could take back something you said to someone? Maybe after a stressful day, you took out your frustrations on a family member, friend, or partner. Maybe you said something inappropriate to a colleague or teacher. In any case, saying things you regret can have negative consequences and cause lasting feelings of guilt. Here are five ways to avoid regret from your words.

Friends come and go in life. Some friendships end after fights or abuse. Other friendships simply fade due to busy lives. The good news is that you might get a chance to rekindle a friendship. Social media makes it easy to reconnect. You could also encounter a former friend by being at the same place at the same time. The question becomes whether rebuilding a friendship with someone is healthy. If you struggle with anxiety, the decision to rekindle a friendship can seem overwhelming. Read this post to learn about questions you should ask yourself before you decide to rekindle a friendship.

While difficult seasons in life are painful, the journey through them can teach us many important lessons. Navigating hard times can help us develop strength, courage, resilience, and empathy. In addition, we receive opportunities to look for hope. To learn about my personal experiences with hard times and what I learned from them, continue reading this post.