May 2021

By Rose Ibarra, Seattle Children's, May 24, 2021 For many of us, the past year has been uniquely stressful. Have you felt especially exhausted, struggled to focus or been more irritable than usual? Maybe you’ve found yourself wondering why you can’t cope with the stress better. “There are very real, biological reasons why we’re finding it harder than usual to perform,” said Dr. Shannon Simmons , a psychiatrist at Seattle Children’s and medical director of the Psychiatry and Behavioral...

Some of you may have heard my “call to action” story while I was at a WA state conference on ACEs with Dr. Rob Anda in Winthrop, WA on October 3, 2007 (yes, I remember the date!). Although I had already been active in using the ACE Study locally, in a research project at our Juvenile Justice Center (JJC), it was Dr. Anda looking straight at me (or so it felt), pointing his finger at me (at least I thought he was) and saying, “Go home and make something happen!” I almost saluted, reacting to...

How has your self-care evolved over these past few months? This past year? Your self-care is valid, no matter what it looks like. Each step you take to nurture yourself is a radical act of community care. Check out this fun self-care bingo sheet offering a few new ways to spice up your wellness journey!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we want those who need support to know that You Are Not Alone . The last year has seen a 93% increase in the number of people taking anxiety screeners and a 62% increase in the number of people taking depression screeners. [1] Many of us could use a little more support right now. Fortunately, there are many practical resources available. And we've put together a curated set for you.. Drawn from the library of resources we've gathered for the Ready4K...

Over the past year, grief has permeated all our lives. There’s grief over lost loved ones, as well as grief over missed connections and milestones . And levels of loneliness and depression have skyrocketed as a result of our collective suffering, according to recent research published in the online journal Nature. There is no right or wrong way to work through grief, clinical psychologist Jennifer Ramlo Ph.D., tells Thrive — the important thing is that you work through it. If you’re...

By Gretchen Reynolds, The New York Times, May 12, 2021 Our exercise habits may influence our sense of purpose in life and our sense of purpose may affect how much we exercise, according to an interesting new study of the reciprocal effects of feeling your life has meaning and being often in motion. The study, which involved more than 18,000 middle-aged and older men and women, found that those with the most stalwart sense of purpose at the start were the most likely to become active over...

There is no doubt that the coronavirus has taken the world’s collective breath away. People are getting sick by the thousands, with many not surviving. The governments around the globe have mostly shut down their countries to help prevent Covid19 as it kills even more people. As a result of these government measures, people are being either encouraged or forced to remain at home. For some, this means isolating alone. How should a person, especially if they live alone, handle the inevitable...

By Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, MIT Sloan Management Review, June 17, 2020 Research shows us that even in normal times, constant exposure to negative news can have a heavy impact on our mental health . In the midst of an unprecedented health and humanitarian crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, people are not only faced with new challenges in their work and personal lives but also subjected to a constant barrage of troubling headlines. Among other things, negative news increases the level of...

I have always loved horses. When I was a young girl I collected plastic Breyer model horses, read books about horses, and even watched television shows that had an equine theme. I think it is their exquisite beauty, their inherent wild nature, and the vulnerable and trusting relationship between horse and rider that is the attraction. I purchased my first horse when I was twelve, spending a year cutting lawns, weeding, and babysitting, eventually raising enough money along with my parents’...

“The most important thing you can do with your children is play with them!” said Dr. Bruce Perry, noted child psychiatrist and author. He was answering the question, “How do we prepare our children to go back to school next fall?” Perry, a brain expert specializing in how children are impacted by trauma, gave a presentation on his neuro-sequential model of brain development to more than 800 people at an Austin Ed Fund event Monday evening. The co-author, with Oprah Winfrey, of the new book...

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Join Melissa McPheeters of Rise to Resilience with special guest and parent, Janise Cross, for this interactive workshop! Click here to register! Schedule: During this 3-hour interactive workshop, Melissa and Janise will facilitate a presentation, time for personal reflection, and voluntary activities to solidify learning and growth among participants. Two fifteen minute breaks are provided. There is no expectation that you have your camera to participate. We encourage you to show up in...