Category: <span>Support</span>

Mental Health Stress Support By Danielle Shelton 0 Comments

Keeping Centered in Challenging Times

Photo by Ester Marie Doysabas on UnsplashAs the Corona Virus keeps more and more of our clients close to home, it’s a good time to review the stress management strategies in your toolbox.

Get Outside: Taking care of your “marvelous machine” strengthens your immune system and can have a huge positive psychological benefit. Keeping “social distance” in mind, outside time, can renew the spirit and give you some natural Vitamin D.

Fuel: Stick with your meal plans and follow the advice of your BLS therapist. It’s easy to fall into bad habits when cabin fever sets in. The right fuel can be a huge contributor to your emotional well-being and can protect you from illness, too.

Control Your Social Media Intake: With the free time forced upon us by unexpected time at home, it will be easy to focus on the frenetic and often un-substantiated information that flies at us on Twitter and Facebook. Seek out trusted resources, like the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. Vette everything you see and hear. Bad advice is just as contagious as COVID19. Don’t feed the trolls by getting into on-line debates. Use websites like Snopes.com to double check what may seem like conventional wisdom. It’s often not so.

Focus on Your Breath: Research has shown that “breath-focused attention” can actually lower your stress and anxiety levels. The mindful exercise of simply focusing on the mindful process of inhaling and exhaling is a simple, powerful tool to bring you back into the moment. The breath is the foundation of meditation, another skill that can help you stay centered. Consider exploring a meditation practice, if it’s not already part of your tool box.

Consult a Professional: At Better Living Solutions, our licensed, accredited therapists can help you create a personalized game plan to manage anxiety and stress. Contact us to learn more.

“This, too, shall pass.” As frightening as the current situation can be, remember that all things are impermanent. Whatever today’s challenge may be will float into memory tomorrow. Do your best to live in the present moment, but never lose faith that you will prevail. The world’s greatest achievers share this paradox in common: They are able to deal with the unpleasantness that may exist in the now, but keep the faith that the ultimate outcome will make them stronger, more confident human beings.

We become what we think about. In every season of your life, think productive thoughts, focus on the opportunities that lie at the center of every challenge, and have faith that you can make the toughest moments in your life the defining moments.

Did You Know: That Better Living Solutions therapists can meet with you in person or “virtually” in your home? Being homebound doesn’t have to get in the way of healing. Call Better Living Solutions for information about how we humanize technology to provide individualized care, wherever you may be.

Support By blsedits 0 Comments

The Power of Intention

With the new year comes lots of excitement. The feeling of new beginnings and new opportunities, with the buzz about resolutions everywhere. But how positive are these New Year’s resolutions that we make? Sometimes, making these resolutions can lead to guilt and shame if they are not carried out in the allotted time we allow ourselves to achieve these things. Or maybe we make resolutions that are just simply not attainable due to things like work, school, family, kids, ability, or just life in general. Just the pressure to make a resolution is enough to make someone feel guilty or not good enough. That’s why we’ve decided this year to make New Year’s Intentions! 

 

A New Year’s Resolution creates this idea that you are not good enough and that you must achieve something to be better and worthy of the year. This is simply not true! Intentions are created on the premise that you are enough, and that you can generate a better life for yourself. One that you are worthy of where you can prosper and grow! 

 

A New Year’s Intention is an intended concept. An intention to increase the number of supportive relationships in our life. An intention to increase self awareness. An intention to find mindful moments throughout the day. Little reminders and ways to create more positivity and enjoyment in your life without holding yourself to unachievable numbers. Concrete resolutions can be limiting and could prevent you from deviating or exploring other options! Intentions can be used for just that: exploration. Exploring the possibilities of what it means for you to live positively. This could be intending to become more comfortable with where you’re at, or it could be finding the courage to do that one thing you’ve been scared to do. Whatever your New Year’s Intention is, know that if it’s not achieved, it’s okay, and that you can set more throughout the year! Intentions are not just for New Year’s Day. 

 

From all of us at Better Living Solutions, we wish you a happy and healthy 2020! Happy New Year! Remember to Be Well, Be Real, and Be YOU!

 

Don’t forget to follow us on FaceBook and Instagram, and review us on Google!

Recovery Support By blsedits 0 Comments

Managing Stress While Struggling with an Eating Disorder

 

We are definitely in the midst of a high stress time in our lives. Add struggling with an eating disorder to  the mix and it can feel almost impossible. We’ve provided five simple ways for you to continue to practice recovery and stress management in challenging times.

 

  1. Work with your treatment team to come up with concrete coping tools. Discuss with them some situations that might arise or what you are worried about when connecting with family and friends. Then, find ways to cope during these situations! Whether it’s walking away for a mindful breathing moment or sitting down with someone to talk about the way you’re feeling, there are endless ways to regroup your thoughts and feelings during a trying moment. Talk to your treatment team about what is best for you!
  2. Figure out healthy boundaries for yourself and how to set them. You can get help to determine where your personal boundaries lie for each person you’re nervous about encountering and how to set them! Setting these boundaries might not always be talking directly with a friend or family member about what makes you uncomfortable, but could be ways to diffuse a conversation that makes you feel like they are crossing that boundary for you. Your treatment team can help you find the appropriate boundaries to set and how to set them!
  3. Continue to practice mindfulness in your everyday routine. Mindfulness is a wonderful coping skill that can be used in all kinds of situations! If you’re in an overwhelming environment, making use of a mindful moment can bring you back to yourself. Taking an hour one day to explore nature might be another way to decompress during a stressful period. Take some time to think about which mindful moments are important to you and how to keep up with them throughout the holiday season!
  4. Stay true to yourself. The BLS motto is to ‘Be Well, Be Real, Be You.’ This is an important part of our treatment programs! Staying true to who you are, your dislikes and likes, your passions and hobbies is a crucial part of recovery. Remembering who you are, especially during the holiday season, can be a wonderful guiding force for managing stressful situations. 
  5. Practice self-love. Easily the most important one to remember! If you’re unable to practice the other four tips, practice self-love! This includes doing things that are good for your treatment and recovery, things that will decrease your stress levels, and ways to decompress! This practice rolls all of these other coping mechanisms into one. If you would like some examples for ways to practice self-love, talk to your treatment team about what would be appropriate for you! 

 

For more information and resources, you can take a look at our website (www.blscounseling.net) or give our office a call (850.765.6769)! You can also follow us on Instagram (@betterlivingsolutionstally) and FaceBook (@BLSTally) for daily posts and resources!

 

The Better Living Solutions Team would like to wish you a happy and healthy holiday! We will close early on Christmas Eve (1:30p) and New Year’s Eve (4:30p) and will be closed all day on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Feel free to reach out to us on any day if you are in need of support. And don’t forget to Be Well, Be Real, and Be You!

 

Mental Health Support By Danielle Shelton 0 Comments

Supporting Loved Ones With an Eating Disorder

One of the most frequently asked questions we get is, “How can I support a loved one with an eating disorder?” Our Certified Eating Disorder Specialists have come up with 10 tips to give you the tools you need:

     1. Take part in non-food focused activities.

While special meals are what we often associate with special occasions, there is a lot more to family gatherings than food! Spotlight customs that are not food focused like game nights, movie nights, driving around to look at lights, or other outdoor activities!

   2.  Revisit enjoyable traditions!

Think about some traditions that you’ve had in the past that were enjoyable for everyone and participate in them again! This is a great way to remind everyone of good times together and distract from food-focused traditions.

     3. Create new traditions.

This can be a fun family activity! Have everyone come up with traditions and try all of them! Families we know volunteer, decorations crafts, ice skating, silly family photos, attending a performance, and more! Invent your own creative traditions and share them with us on instagram using the hashtag #BetterLivingTraditions!

     4. Be mindful of potential triggers.

Being aware of what might be a potential trigger for your loved one can aid in reducing stress. For example, if your loved one is triggered by decorating cookies, you can focus on other artistry instead! It’s possible to get the same family enjoyment without creating stress for your loved one.

5. Avoid the role of “food police.”

Unless your loved one’s treatment team has asked you to keep track of meal plans and accountability, it’s best to avoid monitoring and portioning food. Trying to take over this role can induce more anxiety and actually make things more difficult.

6. Decide on a code word to prompt a check in or a change in mood.

An effective tool is to agree on a “code word” that your loved can use in times of distress. When they would like to check in with someone or if they feel a shift or change in mood, feelings, or actions, they can use this code word to alert you.

      7. Look for resources throughout your community.

Be aware of support groups and other resources in your area in the case that your loved one may need some extra support. The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness is an organization that provides free support groups for those struggling with an eating disorder. Find a list of their local groups here:

 8. Ask if there is anything you can do to help them through a difficult situation.

Being open and honest with your loved one can be crucial for managing stress. Asking them what you can do that will make mealtimes and family times easier is a great way to start an honest conversation about how you can help them on their road to recovery.

 9. Be respectful of their recovery process.

Respect that each person’s recovery process is different. Some people progress through recovery quicker than others, some require different interventions, and some find different techniques more useful than others. These differences don’t mean that there is failure. These differences are common, and recovery and treatment are processes that are individualized for every person.

10. Accept and validate their feelings – offer support and words of encouragement.

Support, validation, and encouragement are important aspects of recovery. At the most basic level, offering empathy instead of advice will help in validating the difficult feelings that they may encounter and can encourage them to keep pushing through!

 

For more information about eating disorders, visit the National Eating Disorder Association official website or our website at www.blscounseling.net.

 

We are also pleased to announce that Better Living Solutions Recovery Center is now accredited with the Joint Commission! For more information, read our full press release here.