When distance and circumstance prevent us from being with those we love during the holidays we may find ourselves sad and lonely. And if we’ve lost someone close to us, the holidays will likely feel less bright this year. When others are celebrating, we may experience emotions that include resentment, anxiety, emptiness and grief. How can we manage these normal reactions and find ways to soothe [...]

The holiday season is a time for high expectations of ourselves and others. The trouble is, real life rarely measures up to the movie scenes and magazines. We all know this on some level, yet year after year, we put undue pressure on ourselves. Pay attention to stress triggers. When you are feeling the pressure stop and ask yourself… [...]

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, the nation and the world has seen significant changes to daily living. While social distancing, quarantine and isolation help prevent the spread of infectious disease, these same practices may impact your mental health in a negative way.  Common reactions Everybody reacts differently to stres [...]

We all carry on a continuous internal dialogue with ourselves. This is known as “self-talk” and it impacts how we perceive situations. Sometimes, people use self-talk to say things to themselves they would never say out loud to someone they care about. This is called negative-self talk, and is common with people experiencing depression. But you have the power to change negative self-talk and re [...]

At the end of the day, many people have trouble turning off their mind. In fact, it seems all of the things they were too busy to think about during the day (i.e. relationships, money, work) hang over them and cause their mind to race when they should be going to sleep. When this begins to happen repeatedly, it can become a vicious cycle of anxiety and sleeplessness. Experts note there’s signif [...]

When talk of a virus outbreak hits close to home, it’s normal to feel stressed about a potential pandemic and emerging health crisis. No matter how you're feeling, New Directions can help. Visit ndbh.com à Resources à Self-help tools for the latest on COVID-19.  Access the Health Resou [...]

It’s February – the season for love notes, flowers and heart-shaped chocolates. Maybe that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, or maybe it makes you want to fast-forward to March. Instead of putting pressure on your significant other or your relationship status, try treating yourself to some self-compassion this month. Be kind to yourself. Show yourself the same e [...]

Whether you’re kicking a bad habit or hope to crush your personal and professional goals in 2020, you are capable of staying track with the right focus and commitment. Here are some tips to get you started on the right foot:  Be willing to take baby steps. If you decide to make big changes too quickly, you can derail your goals for behavior change. Small successes [...]

Loneliness is a tricky emotion to understand. Maybe you feel like you’re lacking attachments you once had, or you’re facing something new like an unfamiliar school, town, job or other life change. Perhaps you feel like you don’t have anyone to share your feelings and experiences with. Or you feel unlovable – even if others don’t think so – and aren’t sure why. However it presents itself, loneli [...]

If you’ve every browsed the shelves at health-food store, you’ve probably seen the super vitamin pills, grape seed extract and other tablets and tonics that promise renewed zest and energy. Not surprisingly, medical experts urge caution when using these products. Instead of popping a pill to restore long-lost vigor, here [...]