A: Hereās the bottom line: you are not in control of other peopleās thoughts, feelings, or actions. You can only control your own thoughts, feelings, and actions. And you do not have to sacrifice your comfort to make someone else happy. Be firm, be brief, focus on your own decisions rather than hers, and don’t …
A: Welcome to the paradoxical feeling of acedia ā an old word used to describe that very now feeling of apathetic restlessness. Good news: There are evidence-based ways to fight back. Background: Early Christian monks called acedia the ānoonday demonā ā the tough feelings you feel where you are alone, feeling listless and wonder why …
Q: I have been drinking a bit more since this pandemic started. Many of my friends have too. I am having a harder time not drinking every day. What should I do? A: The first step is recognizing that you may have a drinking problem. Then: 1) Seek social connections. 2) Prioritize healthy coping mechanisms. …
Your daily dose of laughter can help decrease stress, relax your body, and increase endorphins (happy chemicals!). We hope you enjoy this little dose of Sunday laughter. If it helps, why not schedule some time for laughter every day (a favorite show, podcast, cartoons, laughs with friends, or even laughter yoga)? Share your favorite daily …
A: People who work in healthcare are at risk for getting COVID-19 on the job and are also under tremendous stress from the demands of dealing with the pandemic. In the US, over 173,000 healthcare workers have contracted COVID-19 and at least 742 have died. Our doctors, nurses, technicians, therapists, and support staff face increasing …
Q: Ekay from San Jose asks if it is safe to give or receive hugs? A: Hugs bring many psychological benefits AND can be done with relatively low risk. As you might guess, pandemic precautions still apply. If you plan on dishing out hugs, your SMART toolkit will help maximize the benefits which include happy …
Dear Pandemic is thrilled to introduce this weekās Nerdy Guest, Dr. Pamela Hurst-Della Pietra. She is President and founder of Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development. Using her medical degree, non-profit experience, philanthropic resources, and a long-standing interest in media and children, Dr. Hurst-Della Pietra has become one of the fieldās …
A: As weāve discussed in past posts, the pandemic and other stressful current events have taken a toll on many peopleās mental health. For some folks, this can exacerbate substance use issues. It can be really scary to feel like you donāt have control over your substance use, but there are places you can find …
Q: I think I need a therapist. Where do I start? A: We will walk you through it. Before we do, we want to acknowledge your bravery. Many of us are going through this and we thank you for asking openly and honestly about how to find help. In fact, approximately 40% of Americans report …
A: Yes! Dentists are seeing an uptick in cracked and damaged teeth that might very well be pandemic-related. As if we didn’t have enough to worry about! In a recent New York Times article, Dr. Tammy Chen, a Manhattan prosthodontist, explained how COVID-19 might lead to dental fractures. (Info here is excerpted and adapted from …