Author: Wendy Wisner

Contributor

Everything You Need to Know About Online Counselling

Author By Wendy Wisner, Contributor
Posted:
People looking at their phones

Online counselling may sound like a relatively new, modern concept, but patients have been communicating with their therapists via phone, electronic messaging, and video for decades. Now that we are all walking around with electronic technology at our fingertips, modalities like online counselling have become even more popular — and with good reason.

In this busy, stressful world, it can be tough to feel like you have the time or ability to address your mental health. Yet it’s so vital to do so. For many of us, online counselling — which offers flexibility, anonymity, and key financial advantages — is the missing piece when it comes to finally getting the help you are seeking. Continue reading Everything You Need to Know About Online Counselling

Why Parenting is the Biggest Challenge to Maintaining My Mental Health

Author By Wendy Wisner, Contributor
Posted:
Little girl playing video games

This morning, I was woken up at 5:13 am by my six-year-old, who desperately needed a drink of water — and who apparently needed to whine at the top of his lungs to tell me so. This would not have been such a big deal had I not been up half the night with a bad head cold…the same cold my son had kept me up all night with two days prior.

Needless to say, I spent the morning with a pounding headache, a full day’s work ahead of me that I couldn’t put off, and a good deal of resentment.

This small snapshot of my life is not unusual. As a working mother of two, there is always a lot on my plate. It seems as though someone is always sick, in need of food or drink, or emotional support. And because they are my children and I love them to the moon and back, I find myself putting my children’s needs about ten miles ahead of my own. Continue reading Why Parenting is the Biggest Challenge to Maintaining My Mental Health

Am I Depressed?

Author By Wendy Wisner, Contributor
Posted:
Girl sitting

All of us feel sad and upset at times. When that sadness seems to last longer than usual, or feels more extreme, you might ask yourself, “Am I Depressed?”

The question doesn’t always have a clear-cut answer, especially because the symptoms of depression can vary from person to person. But it’s a question worth considering, especially if your emotional state is making it difficult for you to function in your day-to-day life. Continue reading Am I Depressed?

Understanding the Stages of Grief

Author By Wendy Wisner, Contributor
Posted:
A woman cries while looking into the mirror.

There are few things more devastating in life than losing a loved one. Unfortunately, in our hectic culture, many of us don’t get much time and space to deal with the aftermath of loses like these. Yet it is inevitable that we all go through a process of grief after losing someone we cherished; in fact, psychologists have identified some universal stages of grief commonly experienced after loss. Continue reading Understanding the Stages of Grief

10 Quotes About Resilience For When Life Gets Rough

Author By Wendy Wisner, Contributor
Posted:
Fallen t-rex

As difficult as it is to accept, we are all going to be faced with hard times — moments where “life happens,” little is under our control, and we feel as though we might not be able to make it through. Some say that the key to surviving times like this is a little thing called resilience. And sometimes all it takes to get kick started is perusing some inspiring quotes about resilience.

But what is resilience, really? And how do you go about cultivating it, especially when it feels like the rug is being pulled right out from under you?

Continue reading 10 Quotes About Resilience For When Life Gets Rough

5 Ways to Deal with Loneliness

Author By Wendy Wisner, Contributor
Posted:
Girl sitting in chair

All of us get lonely at one time or another. In fact, loneliness is a normal reaction to feeling disconnected from others either physically, emotionally, or both. But that doesn’t mean that it is an easy emotion to live with. And loneliness can sometimes be a trigger for other mental health issues like depression. Learning how to deal with loneliness as an occasional feature is an important skill that can greatly improve the quality of one’s life. Continue reading 5 Ways to Deal with Loneliness

How to Have an Awesome Existential Crisis

Author By Wendy Wisner, Contributor
Posted:
Man sitting in heart room

I recently turned forty, and as soon as I blew out the candles, I waited for “the thing” to happen. You know what I’m talking about, right? The infamous “midlife crisis.” The mother of all existential crises. A force to be reckoned with.

Knock on wood — I seem to have gotten only a mild version of a midlife existential crisis. Well, at least so far. I do find myself asking all kinds of questions I never asked before, like “Is my life now the best it’s ever going to get?” and “What if I die never accomplishing anything better than this?” Continue reading How to Have an Awesome Existential Crisis

Should You Schedule Your Anxiety?

Author By Wendy Wisner, Contributor
Posted:

I am a worrier. I fret over little things, like my never-ending to-do list, and over big things, like whether global warming will render the earth uninhabitable for my grandchildren.

I worry at night before bed. I worry while washing the breakfast dishes. I worry when things in my life are stressful — and when they aren’t stressful, I brace myself, expecting the worst to transpire at any minute.

I’ve always been this way, and I’ve grown to accept that this is just who I am, for better or worse. But that doesn’t mean that it’s easy being someone who worries like this.

Too much anxiety is not healthy for anyone, especially when it takes over your life, or makes you unable to function. Anxiety can also take a huge toll on your physical health, resulting in symptoms such as gastrointestinal issues, respiratory disorders, and even heart disease.

Continue reading Should You Schedule Your Anxiety?

Is it Okay to Hold Grudges?

Author By Wendy Wisner, Contributor
Posted:
Angry parakeet

When someone has wronged you in some way, anger is a natural reaction. If what happened is especially painful — or if the person who hurt you is unwilling to take responsibility — you may start to form a grudge against that person.

Many of us hold grudges for a limited time, and are able to let them go after some healthy processing. Others hold onto them for years, and may even have grudges stemming from their childhood. Most of us will only hold grudges against a few select people; others seem to collect grudges readily and with vigor. Continue reading Is it Okay to Hold Grudges?