Adult Mental Health

This holiday season is often called the “season of giving” where we focus on sharing physical gifts, our time, and the spirit of care and compassion. While the act of giving is exciting for many people, and actually boasts physical and mental benefits, it can also be a huge source of stress. How do we get into the mindset of giving without letting stress take over? 

For many in today’s fast-paced world, the holidays are not story-book perfect. Long distances, poor health, and finances keep some families and loved ones apart. For others, the holidays are filled with financial pressures and multiple stressors. While many negative emotions can be felt leading up to and during the holiday season, there is equal opportunity and promise for positive emotions, too. Here are a few positive thoughts to help make the holidays better.

For those suffering from seasonal depression, or ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder’ (SAD), the oncoming of fall and winter can negatively impact their lives more than just the inconveniences of cold weather, snow, and icy conditions. Here are some at-home solutions you can try.

Gratitude can reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, improve sleep, and make us more resilient. It also fosters our relationships, even difficult ones. It floods your heart with warmth, changes the way you think, and allows you to let go of tensions. Focusing on gratitude will shift your perspective on life, and with practice, becomes a gratitude mindset.

People who are thinking of ending their life often exhibit one or more warning signs, either through what they say or what they do. There usually is not one clear reason for why someone may feel suicidal or that suicide is the only answer to their problems. Suicide is preventable and knowing the warning signs allows us to help those around us who may be feeling hopeless.

This one-pager outlines the early stages of escalation. Download this PDF to help you interrupt the process, flatten the curve, and respond effectively before it's a crisis.

Give your brain a break and find some inspiration with our "Works of Heart” coloring pages. Download, print, and share our four hope-filled designs.

Recognizing the different stages we move through on our way to a crisis, and beyond, is critical in helping to avoid a crisis in the future.

What is the correlation between depression and suicide, and when should you be concerned?

Seasonal depression, or SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), is when someone experiences depressive symptoms during cold winter months. However, some people experience this in reverse and feel symptoms of depression during the summer and spring time. While fun for some, summer can trigger depressive symptoms or make people feel melancholy. So how do you know if you have “summertime blues”, summer SAD, or something more?