Mental Health Monday: Thankfulness

For many Americans, November & December traditions revolve around feasting, sports, and reuniting with family. Perhaps yours include a parade, baking, gift-giving or a shopping tradition. Our family Christmas traditions start in November with early gift-giving. Maybe your family doesn't celebrate holidays, but still enjoys the seeing each other during rare days off.  Traditions may be different this year. But the benefits of giving thanks have not changed.  Many end-of-year holidays focus on light--the holidays of Diwali, Hanukkah, the Winter Solstice, Christmas, and Kwanzaa all intrinsically celebrate light close to year's end. These…continue reading →

Mental Health Monday: Coloring is Good for You

Did you know completing repetitive motions in a craft, like pottery-making, sewing, carpentry, and more, can help alleviate stress? Coloring is one of the most accessible of all these crafts where the body can use repetitive motion to help re-focus and alleviate tension. In an article on NPR, Malaka Ghalib talks to various art therapists who use basic art techniques like coloring, clay sculpture, and drawing to help patients dealing with anxiety & stress (Ghalib 2020). Most of us can't visit an art therapist when we're stressed out or blue, but we can…continue reading →