Category: Therapy Utah

We are all of our own worst critics, which can lead us to talk down to ourselves, judge our bodies, judge our mistakes more harshly, and feel down about our rough days. Self-compassion is an important part of having quality mental health and living a happy life. It can be difficult to unlearn these unhealthy patterns and believe that we are good enough, but doing so will help you to have a better human experience and feel your best. In this blog, we will look at what self-compassion is and how you can practice better self-compassion.

What Is Self-Compassion?

Self-compassion means treating yourself with kindness, gentleness, and compassion. Speaking to yourself with caring words and seeing your actions with an understanding attitude will help you see your shortcomings and mistakes as a normal part of life. Self-compassion involves considering all your experiences as necessary to your development and the human experience. Being present with your feelings, understanding complex emotions, and still being non-judgmental to yourself is all part of self-compassion.

Write A Letter To Yourself

If you are struggling to think of positive things to say to yourself or struggle to speak them out loud, try writing a letter to yourself or journaling some affirmations. Writing a letter to yourself doesn’t mean you have to ignore other feelings or struggles, but writing down all of your thoughts will help you acknowledge them and turn toward acceptance. Set aside time to look deep within yourself and think about all the good qualities you possess.

Listen To Guided Meditations

Instead of relying on yourself to think of positive affirmations or ways to practice self-compassion, try guided meditation apps or videos. Many meditations include a focus on mindfulness and self-reflection, which can be linked to better mental health and self-compassion. These meditations will help you focus on the present moment, maintain perspective, and balance your emotions. Listening to these guided options can be helpful when you are just getting started, until you can avoid wandering thoughts on your own.

Regain The Perspective Of Common Humanity

While looking inwards is beneficial for self-compassion, looking outside yourself can help remind us that we are connected to others, the earth, and other creatures around us. Common humanity, which is the bigger picture of all of our lives, can be hard to picture. Choosing not to tie our happiness to outside influences and reaching out to others, even in our struggles, will help us gain a new perspective on common humanity. Many of our negative thoughts come from thoughts on how others perceive us. All humans feel similar emotions and have similar struggles, so you are never alone in feeling discouraged.

Spend Time With Others Who Lift You Up

The people you surround yourself with can directly affect your mental health and how you perceive yourself. If you want to be more self-compassionate, you should surround yourself with people who complement you, encourage you, and push you to be your best self. It is easier to see the good qualities about yourself when family, friends, or co-workers are able to remind you. Good quality friends who support you can also help encourage self-compassion and hold you accountable.

Take Care Of Your Physical Body

When we don’t feel good about ourselves, it can be hard to follow self-compassion practices. If your physical health is lacking, try focusing on movement, healthy eating, or a refreshed exercise routine to boost your confidence. Optimal physical health is directly correlated to mental health, so if your emotions have taken a dip, it may be connected to your physical habits. While self-compassion can be practiced at any stage of your life, feeling more energized and healthy can help make the process a little easier.

Treat Yourself How You Would Treat A Friend

The way we speak to ourselves is never how we would speak to a friend. Using harsh language or putting someone down is not the way to be a friend, so we should try to apply this same concept to ourselves. If you want to increase self-compassion, try talking to yourself and checking in with yourself like you would one of your friends. Tell yourself you are proud of them, celebrate the small victories, and use kind language when speaking or thinking about yourself.

Counseling From Red Willow

Our counselors and specialists are committed to providing compassionate care and non-judgmental therapy to help improve your life. Our services can help improve your quality of life, boost your mood, or help you have a more successful future. Red Willow Counseling and Recovery offers help for substance abuse, mental health therapy, outpatient programs, help with grief, or support for LGBTQ+ patients. We can help you find a well-balanced life through skilled therapy and compassion. Let us help you with our proven methods and caring staff. Schedule an appointment by calling today!

Suicidal thoughts don’t just form out of nowhere, but family and friends may not notice a loved one is suicidal until later. Those who have thoughts of suicide may exhibit signs before openly talking about taking their own life, which can help you provide help or resources before it is too late. Watching for the warning signs of suicide can help a person feel seen, help them find support, and keep them from making an irreversible decision.

If you or someone you love is experiencing these signs or thinking about suicide, call the suicide prevention and crisis lifeline at 988. 

Expressing Hopelessness About The Future

One of the first signs of depression or suicide is typically hopelessness or worry about the future. When someone starts to express worry or hopelessness about the future, this could be a sign of spiralling thoughts, which could lead to suicidal thoughts. Thinking their life is over after getting laid off, after a breakup, loss of a loved one, or once they complete a major life stage is something loved ones should look out for. While they may not come right out and say it, making comments about being unsure, depressed, or wondering how they could keep on living are indicators. 

Mood Swings

Another beginning sign of depression and suicidal thoughts is frequent mood swings, irritability, or random outbursts. Mood swings may not be immediate either; one day can be a very happy and calm day, while the next is filled with rage or extreme fatigue. Mood swings can vary from person to person, so a loved one will know best if someone is not acting like their usual self. 

Withdrawal From Activities Or Social Groups

It is common for those struggling with their mental health to withdraw from friends, family, or social obligations. Avoiding get-togethers or standing group events could be a sign that someone is considering suicide. While not all people who experience depression or suicidal thoughts will withdraw from loved ones, this is still an important sign to look for. If you notice other signs on this list, but someone is still going out with friends, talking to them about suicidal thoughts, or if they need additional support, is still a good idea.

Changes In Sleep Patterns

Mental illness can often affect your sleep patterns, causing extreme fatigue or insomnia. More frequent sleep or sleeping at odd times of the day is not always cause for concern, but when it happens frequently or is not their norm, it could be a sign of severe depression. Quality sleep is important to our overall health, so when our routine or schedule is thrown off, it can make it more difficult to feel well. Energy levels, focus, and digestive health can all be impacted by sleep. If other mental health symptoms are worsening, try encouraging better sleep patterns.

Talking About Being A Burden

Feeling like a burden to others or not wanting to ask for help is another sign of suicide. When someone frequently brings up thoughts of being too much, feeling like a burden on others, or saying everyone would be better off without them, you should take action immediately. Someone speaking these thoughts is not just trying to get attention; they may be severely struggling with their mental health and be looking for support in a roundabout way. 

Making Comments Or Openly Talking About Suicide

One of the most obvious signs of suicidal thoughts is openly talking about taking their life, or not wanting to be around anymore. Even if it is sprinkled into normal conversation or made as a joke, these should be taken seriously. Reporting these comments to a school counselor, HR, or talking to the person face-to-face about these comments is necessary to stop them from taking that drastic step. Someone who makes consistent comments about suicide has often considered it or is exploring ideas.

Does Talking To Someone About Suicidal Thoughts Make It Worse?

No, in fact, openly talking about it may help them rather than hurt. If someone is working to understand mental health struggles or is constantly checking in, this can help people feel less alone. Talking about mental health, suicidal thoughts, or normal struggles can help release stress and move towards a healthier outlook on life. Being a shoulder someone can lean on is more helpful than people may realize, but if you feel overwhelmed about talking to someone about suicide, seek insight and help from a professional or adult as well.

Mental Health Resources From Red Willow

Our therapists at Red Willow are here to help those who are feeling hopeless, lonely, or depressed. Our team works with a variety of mental health issues, typical life stressors, or drastic life changes, all of which can cause stress or lead to suicidal thoughts. Red Willow Counseling and Recovery uses evidence-based techniques and controlled environments to help people heal and manage their symptoms. 
We specialize in addiction recovery, EMDR therapy, anxiety, OCD, depression, unresolved grief, unresolved abuse, and more. If you are looking for a better way to heal and want to move through life with confidence, contact our team at our Salt Lake, Park City, or Murray locations.

About 3.4% of US teenagers struggle with alcohol use, and at least 36.8% of teenagers have misused drugs by 12th grade. Teens are overly exposed to alcohol and drugs during their teen years, so implementing prevention techniques and discussing the dangers of underage drinking and the dangers of drug use is crucial. If you have a teen who is struggling with alcohol addiction, substance abuse, or the temptation of alcohol, this blog will provide some resources and tools to fight the pull of drugs and alcohol.

What Parents Can Do To Help With Underage Drinking

Parents and guardians are the first line of defense when it comes to drug use and alcohol consumption. Teenagers are often pressured by their peers or irresponsible adults, so it is crucial that you are a person they can trust. Parents should be a safe space for teens to discuss their concerns or ask questions about new challenges they will face. 

One of the best ways to help prevent teen alcohol addiction or lower the risk of teens trying illicit drugs is to model healthy behavior. If your teen sees excessive drinking at social events or turning to alcohol for every stressful situation, they will probably make similar choices. Modeling healthy coping skills and promoting other ways to have fun in social settings is a great way to reduce underage drinking. 

Offering practical help can be helpful when preventing teenagers from spiraling into unhealthy habits or trying to fit into a new group of friends. While parents shouldn’t encourage underage drinking, they can offer to be a sober driver if teenagers do become intoxicated, or allow them to reach out if they are in a dangerous situation. 

Signs Of Teenage Drinking

Looking for signs of underage drinking or substance abuse is the best way to stop it before it escalates. If your teen exhibits multiple signs, it could be a sign of teen alcohol addiction. These are common signs of changes in your teenager’s behavior and consumption.

• Changes in sleep patterns
• Neglecting responsibilities, chores, or obligations
• Frequent mood shifts
• Loss of interest in hobbies and interests
• Unexplained tremors and nausea
• Decrease in school performance
• Changes in social circles or dropping friends

Talking to your teen about challenges in their lives, your concerns about alcohol, and how this can impact their health is a good place to start if you want to prevent further addiction. 

Discussing The Health Risks Of Alcohol Addiction

Teens need to know how alcohol and drugs affect their brains and bodies. Discussing these risks with them early on in their teen years can help them understand how damaging these substances can be when they abuse them. Underage drinking can stunt the growth of an adolescent’s brain and can cause several physical ailments in the future. 

Alcohol can impair your judgement, making it hard for teens to excel in school, sports, or communicate effectively. Not only can alcohol affect their growth and development, but it can also stunt their emotional growth and prevent them from achieving their goals. Drinking and driving, missing school or sports practices, or having drunk texting conversations can all have negative effects on what a teen is trying to achieve.

Treatment Or Rehabilitation Options

While a teenager can attend a rehab center or treatment facility, this may not be the best option for them. If your teen has taken up frequent drinking or is struggling with substance abuse, you will need to take action to limit temptation and stop the addiction from spiraling further. 

Therapy or group discussions can be an effective treatment for someone who is struggling. Worsening mental illness or emotional turmoil is often common when someone struggles with an alcohol addiction, so having someone to discuss with can help improve emotional regulation and promote coping strategies. 

Inpatient and outpatient programs help provide a more stable environment for teens struggling with addiction. These programs either house teens or allow them to live at home while going through treatment to stop addictive tendencies. These programs will limit temptation, provide therapy, and provide support while a teen is navigating a challenging world. 

Finding Support As A Parent, Teacher, Or Guardian

There are many online forums to support parents or other adults helping a teen with addiction. Learning as much as you can about substance abuse and teen addiction will help you find the best treatment options for your teen. 

Some other resources you can go to for support include:

• Teen Safe
• SAMHSA Teen Fact Sheets
• NIDA for Teens
• College Parents Matter
• How To Talk To Teens About Drugs and Alcohol

Addiction Intervention With Red Willow

Red Willow Counseling and Recovery offers multiple options for those struggling with addiction and substance abuse. Our multiple locations offer outpatient treatments, group therapy, intervention and consultation, and more. We are here to help teens, parents, guardians, and adults through every step of the sobriety process, allowing them to take better control of their futures. Red Willow looks forward to working with you and improving your physical and emotional health.

More and more people are turning to a sober lifestyle for the health benefits, mental health concerns, or wanting to be more present for important moments. If you are hosting a gathering or holiday dinner, it can be essential to provide options that help sober guests feel comfortable and stick to their sober commitment. With the busy holiday season approaching, getting together with friends and family can be intimidating to someone who does not drink alcohol. Here are some tips on how to be a safe friend and a great host for those in your life who have struggled with addiction or want to adopt a sober lifestyle.

1- Choose A Memorable Theme

A lot of holiday gatherings or friendly get-togethers are centered around food and drinks. Instead of just planning to have people over for a late drink, try planning a party with a full theme with activities, fun appetizers, and eye-catching decorations. A themed party allows you to focus on more than just drinking to fill the time, and can provide ideas for safer drink options like tea, hot chocolate, or mixed sodas. Make sure to choose activities, games, or conversations that aren’t based on alcohol so that everyone feels included. 

Some exciting themes that exclude alcohol include:

• Homemade spa night
• Cooking class/competition
• Game night
• Classic movie night
• Garden tea party
• Arts and crafts

2- Serve Creative Mocktails

Having a fun drink doesn’t have to be limited to alcoholic beverages. Many people enjoy seasonal coffee, sodas, or mocktails, so including some of these in your gathering can make your sober guest feel safe. Creating fun mocktails can be a safe and fun way to limit alcohol consumption, but still allow those creative drink makers to shine. 

There are many different mocktail recipes online that can be customized to fit your theme or the current season. Fruit spritzers, virgin pina coladas, frozen soda slushies, shirley temples, or frappuccinos are some great options that can keep the fun going without the risk of a hangover. 

3- Be A Buddy/Accountability Partner For Your Sober Guest

The best way to ensure you are a great sober host is to have clear communication with your friend or family member, allow them an out, or help them stay accountable if they are tempted to drink. When someone who is starting out on their sobriety journey has another person who is also avoiding alcohol can help them feel less alone. Stay side by side with your friend and help them steer clear of peer pressure or provide distractions from drinking. Accountability partners can help encourage you during tough times, so if you are a host who is inviting sober guests, allow them to bring a sober friend or their designated accountability partner if you want them to feel safe at your party. 

4- Provide Flexibility And An Easy Out

It can be anxiety-inducing for a recently sober person to attend a party or be in social situations with those who are drinking. If you want to be a good host, allow the sober guest the opportunity to back out without judgment. Be flexible with your expectations and don’t make a sober guest feel bad for leaving early or declining the offer altogether. Oftentimes, being invited to an event is just as important as going to the event itself, so if a friend declines your request, it doesn’t mean they didn’t appreciate it.

Especially if your gathering features alcohol, you should provide the opportunity for a sober guest to back out at the last minute. Sobriety and recovery are not linear journeys, so your friend may not feel confident enough that day to resist the temptations.

Addiction Recovery From Red Willow Counseling And Recovery

Red Willow offers a variety of services to help with mental health struggles, grief, substance abuse, or addiction. Our team approaches every situation with care and compassion while also providing the resources needed to help you improve your life. Red Willows specialists will help you develop a well-balanced life full of happiness, coping skills, and trusted therapeutic relationships. There are many benefits to seeking help from a professional, especially for those who are unable to break their addiction on their own. Reach out to our Salt Lake City, Park City, or Murray location to learn what we can do for you.

While we spend a lot of our lives working, adults should not sacrifice rest, time off, or hobbies because of their jobs. Work-life balance will help you provide for yourself while also allowing you to experience the small joys in life. Many people dedicate their time to a job that does not appreciate their contributions, leaving them feeling burned out, worthless, or stressed. Achieving a better work-life balance will improve your mental health, be a better parent/partner, and enjoy life while you are at your healthiest. Let’s look at some tips to help you balance work duties and other adult tasks with ease. 

1- Set Boundaries

One of the biggest tips for achieving better balance in your life is to set boundaries. Ironically, this is what people struggle with the most. Setting boundaries in all areas of your life will help you create time for the hobbies you love, time for your loved ones, and brain space for things that bring you joy. Setting boundaries at work will keep you from overworking and help you enjoy your time off. 

Ways to set boundaries include:

• Define your work hours and stick to them
• Don’t answer or read emails and messages outside of work hours
• Communicate your workload and availability clearly
• Only take on tasks or projects you can fit into your defined schedule
• Use the PTO, breaks, or holidays provided to you

2- Set Blocks Of Time For Similar Tasks

Better time management is a great way to achieve work-life balance. To protect your mental health, time management can reduce stress and procrastination during the workday. Challenge yourself to complete certain tasks within a specific window to maximize your time. While you should grind when you have the most energy, don’t let the grind overtake you and cut into your personal life. 

Multitasking can drain your energy and cause your quality of work to dip. Making time blocks not only maximizes your energy, but also gives your brain only one major task to focus on. This approach reduces decision fatigue, makes your day feel more structured, and sets aside time for breaks and meetings. 

3- Learn To Say No

Committing to your boundaries and refusing to overwork can be difficult, but when it comes to your goals and mental health, saying no is crucial. Protecting your mental stamina and inner peace requires you to say no to certain things. Saying no to projects that are out of your wheelhouse, telling yourself not to look at emails while you are at home, or telling your manager no when they ask you to change your hours or workload. Saying no in the workplace can be stressful, especially if you want to keep your job and be a good employee. Setting clear boundaries and refusing to do more than you can emotionally handle should never cost you your job.

4- Don’t Take Work Personally

Your job can feel personal, especially when you are dreaming of achieving a certain promotion or a meaningful outcome. Taking work personally can impact your mental health even if you have boundaries around work. You must learn to detach yourself from your role in order to save yourself from attaching too much of your worth to what happens at work. Criticism and lack of recognition can flood your thoughts and make you defensive. Take feedback objectively instead of as a personal attack on your character. Avoid taking your work baggage home or losing your personal identity, work is just one piece of your life. 

5- Prioritize Rest And Different Breaks

The best way to ensure you stay emotionally stable and reduce stress is to prioritize rest and relaxation. Whether it is through meditation, vacation, sleep, therapy, or social outings with friends, doing something for your mental health is crucial. It can be tempting to push through illness, burnout, or another internal struggle when you work a full-time job. Breaks and time off are essential for those wanting to obtain a work-life balance. Putting off taking your PTO days or necessary breaks at work can affect your work. 

Many adults work while they are on vacation or work when they are sick. To get the full benefit of your time off, it is important to fully commit and push work off until you are back in the office. Silence notifications, log out of your email, and give yourself the space from the office without guilt. 

6- Avoid Overworking

Taking breaks during the work day can also help you achieve work-life balance, especially if done effectively. Breaks should be a change of scenery or a change of brain power to really be productive. Enjoy your lunch break outside, chat with co-workers, or take a walk around the building to give yourself something to look forward to. Experts recommend that you take a break every 1-2 hours to improve your focus and energy levels. 

How Work-Life Balance Helps With Overall Mental Health

Achieving work-life balance is essential to your quality of life. Working 24/7 can take a toll on your emotional and physical health, making it hard to enjoy anything in life. While working to provide for yourself is a worthwhile pursuit, it is also important to prioritize family, friends, hobbies, and education. 

Red Willow Counseling and Recovery helps patients of all backgrounds and types to achieve a better quality of life. Our counseling and recovery specialists can help improve your habits, behaviors, and emotional intelligence. Seeking mental health help can also help you achieve a better work-life balance by improving your coping strategies. Seeking therapy can improve your life in multiple ways, especially when you are struggling with work. Reach out to our counselors to start achieving better mental health today!

The challenges of daily life, work, finances, relationships, and social obligations can become overwhelming quickly. Navigating complex emotions that you may not fully understand can result in frustration and anxiety. Many of us have learned about the basic emotions in our childhood, but many emotions have multiple levels or can coexist. Here are some tips to navigate emotional challenges and learn more about how your brain and body react to different situations. 

The Emotion Iceberg

While many major emotions often are used to describe other emotions, there are actually underlying words that could better describe what you are feeling. For example, the top of an iceberg may not look that large, but there is often more ice below the water level, this also applies to emotions. We may label our emotions as “anger” but under the surface, there are other emotions like loneliness, depression, scared, jealousy, disappointment, fearful, or triggered. 

1- Journaling Your Current Thoughts

When a major event occurs, someone wrongs you, or you are feeling overwhelmed you may have trouble articulating how you feel. Journaling or doing a brain dump can help clear your head and help you move forward with a rational mind. Some questions that you can ask yourself to help make journaling more effective include:

• What happened?
• What was the trigger or event?
• What did you feel?
• How did you react?
• Could your thoughts or behaviors have been different?
• How can you change your thoughts or reactions in the future?

A brain dump of scribbles, random words, and complaining can be just as beneficial as a structured journal prompt. Don’t restrict yourself when a challenge or life-changing situation has occurred. 

2- Identify And Accept Your Emotions

The first step to better emotional regulation is to identify what emotion you are feeling. Even if you may not have a name for the emotion, writing down a few can help you come up with a new word or better understand how emotions can co-exist. Observing your emotions will also help you accept your current situation and be present. While emotions and anxiety can be overwhelming, they don’t last forever. Accepting and fully feeling the emotions will help you continue to move forward, despite a challenging situation. 

3- Practice Mindfulness

Staying in the present moment is important to help navigate complex emotions. Mindfulness and meditation focus on breathing, noticing your physical sensations, and grounding yourself in the current moment. Mindfulness helps you create a space where you feel safe and provide you with control over your body. 

4- Set Boundaries

Healthy boundaries will help protect you from family, friends, or situations that can cause you physical or emotional pain. Setting boundaries is important to emotional regulation and will help you limit unnecessary emotions from taking over your day-to-day life. While it is important to regulate your emotions when a challenging situation arises, frequent issues and repeated harm to you are a clear sign you should set boundaries.

5- Focus On Physical Activities

When our brain is clouded and emotions are heavy, participating in physical activities can help to clear this brain fog. Exercise, walking, or service can take your mind off of complex emotions while still helping you feel productive. Movement will bring relief over pent-up emotions and is a healthy way to let go of stress. 

6- Remember Feelings Are Complex

After a world situation, financial stress, loss of a loved one, or lower mental health it is important to remember that it is normal to feel conflicting emotions. During a stressful time, it is ok to feel sadness over the specific situation, while also being happy about a text from a friend or time with family. 

7- Don’t Forget Self-Compassion

Everyone should give themselves grace when they are experiencing grief, mental health issues, life changes, political unrest, or a tragedy in the community. Giving yourself compassion as you navigate what has changed or what you have lost is perfectly ok. While you will eventually need to move forward and face the future, taking a nap, taking some time off work, reaching out for help, or avoiding people for a short time is a great way to calm your brain. 

8- Notice Patterns And Distortions

Life is stressful and could cause multiple instances of emotional distress. However, tracking your emotions and mental health will help you notice if these emotions are distortions. Some strong emotions in situations could be an indicator of mental illness. Noticing patterns and keeping track of instances that send you into a spiral can help you regulate emotions while in the situation. 

9- Speak With A Professional

Depending on the severity of your emotions and how it affects your daily life, speaking with a therapist can help. Therapists are able to listen to all of your concerns so you can get them off your chest, but they also can provide coping strategies. Therapy will help you navigate situations with more grace and can help you understand why you may feel certain emotions. A quality therapist will validate your feelings, break down the situation, and provide you with tools to calmly handle a future situation. 

Abstaining from alcohol can provide you with a clearer mindset and better health for the future. One of the many popular New Year’s resolutions is to have a dry month, abstaining from alcohol throughout the month of January. Cutting out alcohol for a whole month can provide many benefits for your health, relationships, mood, and more. If you are ready to prioritize your health in the new year, here are some ways that no alcohol can boost your overall health. 

1- Liver Recovery

Drinking large amounts of alcohol will cause damage to your liver. The liver breaks down alcohol but can become damaged by the substance. If your liver has been damaged from excessive drinking, taking a break will give the organ the time to regenerate cells and heal. Since it is self-healing, the liver could recover in just a few days without alcohol, however, more severe cases could take a few months. 

2- Better Hydration

Alcohol can dehydrate you quickly because it is a diuretic. Even just a few sips of alcohol can have you running to empty your bladder. If you are not diligent about replenishing your body with water while drinking alcohol, you could experience dehydration or more intense hangover symptoms. Reducing alcohol consumption will help your organs, skin, and digestive system get the water they desperately need.

3- Decrease Diabetes Risk

Reducing alcohol will reduce insulin resistance and lower your blood pressure. Both of these instances will contribute to diabetes. Those who participated in dry January reported a 25% decrease in insulin resistance. Diabetes puts your body at risk of other things, especially when alcohol is involved. Blood sugar spikes are common when consuming alcohol. 

4- Higher Quality Sleep

Alcohol can disrupt your body’s normal rhythm and process, including your sleep. Alcohol interrupts your REM sleep, which could lead you to feel groggy even after getting 8+ hours of sleep. Even if a glass of wine can make you sleepy, most alcohol has been linked to lower-quality sleep and less efficiency, because it causes framented sleep. Drinking alcohol can affect your deep sleep by reducing cortisol production. Heavy drinking can cause you to wake up frequently throughout the night because of the lack of hormones.

5- More Energy

When your sleep is balanced, you will have more energy throughout the day. Participants who have completed Dry January reported being more energetic and improved focus. Limiting your alcohol consumption can improve concentration, work productivity, and chore completion. 

6- Balanced Mood

Most people feel that alcohol can lift their spirits, but only for a short period. Alcohol is a mood depressant which could lead to higher anxiety and depression. Cutting back can help avoid emotional slumps and mood swings. While you may think that your mood is fairly stable, changing your alcohol consumption could elevate your energy and make you less irritable. You can avoid the slump that comes after a night out and improve your overall well-being when you attempt dry January.

7- Weight Loss

Puffy faces and bloated stomachs can come after a night of drinking. Lowering your alcohol consumption will reduce inflammation in the body and aid in the digestion of food. While you may not drop tons of weight at first, limiting extra alcohol will lower the calories you consume and inflammation in multiple parts of your body. Inflammation can lead to bloating and criticism of your body when it may not fit into certain clothes.

8- Clear Skin

Long-term consumption of alcohol can cause multiple skin issues like acne, hyperpigmentation, rashes, dryness, and more. Getting flushed during drinking is normal, but long-term drinking can lead to dehydration and flare-ups of certain skin conditions. For those who have existing skin conditions like psoriasis or rosacea, alcohol can worsen symptoms or make your skin itchy and dry. 

9- Increased Focus

Drugs and alcohol can slow down your brain and fine motor skills. Another health benefit of limiting alcohol consumption is the ability to improve focus at work and school. Focusing on tasks like homework, writing, phone calls, and driving can all be impaired by alcoholic beverages. 

10- Immune System Improvements

All of the chemicals in alcohol can damage your immune system. Those who are consistent alcohol users could experience more severe colds, nausea, infections, and more. Our immune systems need to fight environmental pollutants every day, so having a quality immune system will keep you from spending days in bed or in the hospital. Boosting your immune system by limiting alcohol and taking vitamins can keep you healthy throughout the year. 

Participating In Dry January

If you want to take better control of your health and participate in dry January, Red Willow is here to support you! Check out our resources or schedule an appointment with us to help you have professional support throughout the upcoming year. We know that addiction can be a scary thing, so let our compassionate team help you live a higher quality life. You’ve got this!

During the holiday season, it is expected to attend multiple family gatherings and associate with difficult family members. We all can think of at least one family member who questions our choices, has their nose in our business, or is just plain rude. Navigating these hurtful situations during the holidays can dull the magic. Here are some tips to help you have a better holiday and keep arguments with family at bay. 

Set Boundaries

The first step when dealing with family or friends is to set boundaries. Boundaries help you to stay calm and also know when to remove yourself from a toxic situation. Communicating your boundaries to family members in a clear and safe way will yield better results. Try saying “I do not want to talk about X with you. Can we talk about X instead?” or “I came to see grandma today. Please don’t hug/talk/pester me today.” “I am not drinking today, please stop pressuring me.”

Trying a less is more approach with this family member can also be a healthy boundary. You don’t have to be rude, but you also don’t have to give in to their antics. Avoid conversations with them and be pleasant when they are around. 

Manage Your Expectations

Expectations can be a trap set by yourself when you are ultimately faced with reality, especially when it comes to dealing with difficult family during major holidays. We often try to change others and manage others’ feelings or actions and this doesn’t often end well. If you have a difficult family situation, consider the best, worst, and average case scenario to help ground yourself. Often, the worst-case scenario will not occur while at your holiday gatherings. Anything better than the worst outcome you can come up with will be a win.

Find Common Ground

Many of us have more in common than we think. Those family members who seem to want to argue about everything, try to find something that you both love or are passionate about. This topic can be a safe conversation for holidays going forward and help you avoid talking about other sensitive topics. Try talking about your favorite holiday movie or a sport you like watching. Be open to listening and put out the vibe that you want to receive. 

Avoid Triggering Topics

Topics like weight, politics, pregnancy, pronouns, war, and finances can be sensitive topics that are often discussed during the holidays. While you may not be able to stop others from talking about these things, you can control how you react and what you say about your personal life. Three P’s not to talk about, the Past, Personal life, and Politics. 

Focus on the fourth P – the present – talk about the food, ask others right there how they’re doing, in general, and keep the focus on others by asking a lot of questions. 

When difficult family situations arise, remember that a short answer is still a pleasant response. Avoid bringing up difficult topics or mentioning names that could trigger arguments. 

Have A Signal

If you have a partner or are attending a holiday party with a friend, have a code word or a signal that you need their help. Having a code can help bring you emotional support or give you an excuse to leave the function. Your signal could be playing with your hair or adjusting your glasses, or you could have a code word that you text to let your safe person know you are ready to leave. 

Remove Yourself When Possible

While it may feel like a requirement to go to every holiday party, dinner, and gift exchange, that isn’t true. Feeling guilt around missing family events can be a complex thing to navigate, but your mental health is always more important than others’ feelings. Difficult family dynamics can make it difficult to attend events, so when possible remove yourself from a potentially awkward situation. 

If you can not avoid the event altogether, remove yourself from rooms where the conversation is not safe or avoid talking to specific members. Even if you have to walk away in the middle of a conversation, it will protect your peace.

Services From Red Willow Counseling & Recovery

If you are feeling the stress of the holidays, seeking professional help could give you new coping skills and take the weight off your shoulders. Red Willow offers couples counseling, individual counseling, trauma therapy, and more. No matter your struggles, seeking professional help should be seen as a strength. When you better yourself, you are better equipped to handle future challenges. Reach out to any of our 3 locations to set up your appointment today!