By Jim Duncan, MA

Is stress keeping you down, exhausted, anxious, or depressed? Research shows us that, to cope with stress, exercise might be the answer!

It is just as important to take care of your body as it is to take care of your mind, and studies repeatedly demonstrate the important links between physical fitness and mental health.

By Sylvia Beligotti, MA

If you’re like many people, you may have assumed that relationship counseling is reserved only for those already in a relationship. Although relationship counseling is typically focused on couples, it is beneficial for single people, as well!

You have a unique history of romantic relationships; perhaps you have a list of simmered out flames, ghosting stories, or even a romantic void.

Many people google therapists, read articles like this one, and even drive around the parking lots of potential therapist’s offices…but they don’t schedule an appointment and follow through.

Often, people struggle far too long with concerns they would like to talk about with a counseling professional because they are worried about the risks, the process, and how they’ll be perceived by loved ones or even the therapist they see. Fear, stress, and anxiety can get in the way of treating our fear, stress, and anxiety!

The relationship you have with yourself is the most important relationship you’ll ever have in your life. It sets the standard for all others. Even so, it’s often the most overlooked relationship.

Having a healthy relationship with yourself can make your life better in a multitude of ways. The greatest thing about establishing this relationship is that it’s all up to you!

If you’re curious about the value of this unique relationship, here are seven benefits just for starters.

Looking for ways to motivate yourself?

You thought you knew what you wanted. The drive and ambition were there. You could feel them in your bones and your heart. Whether it was completing a degree, working on a project, or implementing a new fitness regime, you were dedicated to your goal.

Yet, somewhere along the line, your ambition began to waver. You lost focus and things just stalled out.

Now you feel stuck, struggling to bring up the drive to get started again.

From New Year’s Eve forward, we tend to jump into a myriad of resolutions and goal setting activities that fuel to-do lists, which may grow exponentially throughout the year. Resolutions focused on relationships, sadly, tend to get the least amount of attention.

You know how it goes.

Something major happens in government, media, or on the global stage. Then, the next day (after a night of cable news and scrolling through Facebook headlines), you may find yourself with coworkers, or out for a drink with friends, or having dinner with your partner or another family member, when the political topic comes up and the conversation starts to get heated.

Everyone has their own mantras for meditation. Words and phrases you tell yourself routinely. Some serve you well…others, not so much.

What about you? How well do speak of and to yourself?

Are you a friend to the rumpled person in the bathroom mirror? Do you soothe your inner employee after a misstep at work? Are you kind and supportive to your inner self when a friend or loved one lets you down or walks away?