Tag Archives: Cultivating healthy minds

10 Tips for Cultivating a Healthy Mommy Mindset

0 comments Healthy Living, Motherhood, Parenting , , , , , ,

Defining Mindset Mindset is an individual’s set of beliefs and attitudes that predetermine his or her interpretation and response to life’s circumstances, particularly challenges and difficulties. Stanford psychologist Dr. Carol S. Dweck has written extensively about mindset and how mindset predicts achievement and success. In her mindset theory, she describes 2 types of mindset: fixed and growth. With a fixed mindset, intelligence is innate and unchangeable. The primary goal is to appear smart. Challenges are avoided. Disappointment and failure leads to discouragement and giving up. Criticism is taken personally. With a growth mindset, intelligence is honed and developed. The primary […]

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This Valentine’s Day …

1 comment Faith, Healthy Living , , , , , , ,

February is the month of love. No one can escape the commercialism that is Valentine’s Day as images of pink and red hearts, bouquets of lush red roses, and delicious chocolates flood every media outlet and our social media newsfeed. But love – real, unadulterated love, has nothing to do with any of that valentine stuff.

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6 Mental Health Benefits of Exercise

0 comments Healthy Living, Mental Health , , , , , ,

1) Raise endorphin levels Endorphins are brain chemicals that create feelings of euphoria. Exercise releases endorphins as well as sex, certain foods (chocolate, chili peppers), stress, and pain. 2) Decrease stress and anxiety Exercise triggers the release of endorphins which generate happy feelings. Physical activity also increases norepinephrine, a stress hormone that strengthens the mind and body’s response to stress. 3) Improve memory and cognition Exercise raises levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein involved in learning and memory. Exercise also increases the production of new nerve cells (neurogenesis) in the hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in forming […]

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The 10 Commandments of Healthy Parenting, Part II

1 comment Children's Mental Health, Parenting , , , , , , , ,

4) Exercise the gift of choice Many days all I want is for each of my children to do exactly what I say exactly when I say it and to do it without grumbling, loud and heavy sighs, or 20 questions. This would make my life so much easier; but, oftentimes there are protests and rebuttals. To interrupt the brewing dissension, I offer my children choices. Do you want to wear blue or black shorts today? Do you want chicken or turkey burgers for dinner? Would you rather grab lunch now or go with me to the store to pick […]

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The 10 Commandments of Healthy Parenting, Part I

0 comments Children's Mental Health, Parenting , , , , , , , ,

I am the mother of 3 amazing children – 2 daughters ages 2 and 9 and a 6-year-old son.  Parenting is simultaneously the most wonderful and challenging experience of my adult life.  You might think I would have it altogether – I mean I am a board certified child psychiatrist, right? Well, these 3 have given me a run for my money and manage to do it every single day. While I know all about the science behind normal childhood development and strategies to manage temper outbursts, applying the knowledge and skills firsthand with my own children is brutal, especially […]

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Depression and the Believer

1 comment Faith, Mental Health , , , , , ,

Formidable, disabling, destructive. The word depression conjures up such negative descriptors; but, depression is also very common both in the United States and globally. According to the World Health Organization, 350 million suffer from depression; and, this mental disorder is the leading cause of disability.  The statistics are equally staggering for the United State where 9% of American adults have depression, depression is the leading cause of disability for individuals ages 15 to 43, and suicide is the leading cause of death among individuals age 15 to 29, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  Stated differently, 15 million American […]

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