How To Improve Your Mood FAST by Changing Your Environment

Have you considered how your environment affects your mood?  Consider these factors as part of your overall emotional health:

Light:  If you are feeling down or sluggish, look around and see the lighting, are your curtains open?  Are your windows free of cobwebs and dust?  Could an outside tree be trimmed back to allow for more natural light?  See how it feels to allow more natural light into your living space.  

Fresh air:  Though the pollen is high this time of year, take some time for a short walk, sip some tea in a lawn chair and see who walks by--consider waving and greeting your neighbors.

Organization:  Tackling a cluttered space in your home can bring physical order which may also lead to a sense of calm and satisfaction within yourself.  Just start small… choose your dining room table or a drawer and try tidying up one area.  Step back and see how you feel.

“Green Space”:  All too often we wake up, get in our car or on the metro, walk in to a building to work, back to the car, and in our home.  Consider taking part of your lunch time for a ten minute stroll outside.  Pack a picnic to a local park with your family or plan a bike ride on one of the many trails in the area.  Sounds of nature and physical activity can be a piece to the puzzle of feeling better.  

Music: Music can prompt changes in mood.  For a practical example, take the common event of preparing dinner and having a family meal.  This time of day can seem daunting with small children under foot or children just home from school.  Tempers are short and hunger is setting in.  Try playing some fun, upbeat music or some silly childrens songs while giving each child an important task (taking silverware to the table, choosing cloth napkins and carefully folding them for each family member, or picking a few blooms off an outdoor plant to be placed in water as a centerpiece).  Observe how stress turns into a movement (dance even!), singing, and cooperativeness.  It may take a number of tries, but soon this can be a new habit for your home.

Keep a journal and see for yourself the concrete ways you have taken action to improve your emotional health.    

If these tasks seem too daunting or you are having trouble making changes on your own, consider exploring your mood and personal feelings with a therapist. Together, you can explore different areas of your life where you may wish to change.  For more information about the therapists at our center, contact us at 240-274-5680 or email us at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com with any questions or to get set up with an initial appointment.

Take Good Care,

Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP &

Abbie Mortimer, Executive Assistant

Another Look at Healing, LLC - Counseling Center for Women

The Keys to Happiness - Learning to feel good about you!

Last month we looked at  some suggestions on how to identify your strengths and how that can lead to more happiness and fulfillment in your life!

A few suggestions on how to identify strengths:

1. There are a number of free inventories on line that can be a great starting point (VIA, etc: https://www.viame.org/survey/Account/Register)

2. Call a close friend or invite your spouse and set a coffee date. Try this little exercise: Take 10 minutes and write down 3 situations in your life that you worked on or helped with and of which you are proud. Then, take 10 more minutes and tell those stories to your friend. Think about: What was it like to tell those stories?  How did it feel?

2b. To take it one step further, you can ask your partner or friend help you out. Ask your partner listen for different strengths that emerge through your stories and ask them to share with you about your areas of strength? You can also offer to do this exercise for them if they want to share stories of their proud moments.

3. Think about the last few weeks, and try to remember when you were feeling the most happy and fulfilled. What were you doing during that time? Who were you with? What did that activity (or inactivity) come to be happening? Then consider adding more of this particular activity into your regular routine.

Maybe these couple of exercises helps you feel more positive, grounded and balanced. Or maybe they leave you feeling stuck. Have you considered talking to a therapist or counselor about these issues?  At Another Look at Healing, Counseling Center for women, we can help with this search for greater self-awareness and finding those strengths to help you feel happier and more fulfilled. For more information, you can email us at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com or call us at 240-274-5680. Or for more information, visit www.HealingLLC.com.

Take Good Care,

Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP

Director, Another Look at Healing, LLC

www.HealingLLC.com

AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com

240-274-5680

What are you good at and does it make you happy? Identifying Strengths

Work, caring for small children, spouse or dating partner, “me time”, in-laws and other family members and the typical routines of life can feel exhausting at times. It can be so overwhelming that we just go through the motions, day after day without direction. It can be helpful to take some time to stop, evaluate and regroup to be sure you’re living the life you want! It can help to sort out the answers to some questions like…

What are my strengths?  

What am I good at?

What brings me satisfaction?

Of what am I proud?  

Taking time to identify some strengths and areas that bring you energy can be a rewarding exercise to pull through a slump or difficult time and get back on track to feeling happier and more fulfilled in your every day life. So, take a minute to answer these questions and spend some time feeling good about you!

Stay tuned next month for some suggestions on how to identify your strengths and how that can lead to more happiness and fulfillment in your life!

Take Good Care,

Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP

Director, Another Look at Healing, LLC

www.HealingLLC.com

AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com

240-274-5680

When life hands you lemons…

You don’t have to make lemonade. You can make lemon bars, lemon cookies, or you don’t have to make anything at all! You can hold them, look at them, throw them, squeeze them, juggle them, give them away, peel them, or anything else you might imagine! In this day and age opportunities may seem endless, and while that might sound wonderful to some, the abundance of choices may lead others to feel overwhelmed and stressed out. So if lemonade sounds good to you, then start squeezing! Others may want to weigh out other options before deciding what to do with their lemons.

The great thing about life and choices is just that: you have the choice! YOU get to choose! So if that choice feels more like a trap ask yourself what are the possible best and worst anticipated outcomes? Usually, life falls somewhere in the middle.

If the choices feel too overwhelming or you want support dealing with stressful times, counseling can help. Email us today for more information at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com.

Take Good Care,
Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP
Director, Another Look at Healing, LLC Counseling and Wellness Center for Women and Families

Holiday Health Tips, Holiday Survival Guide Part Two

Holiday Health Tips

1. Try to stay relaxed and maintain a positive outlook. While there are stressors, there is also much to be thankful for.

2. Be mindful of over commitment and overspending.

3. Balance work, home, and play.

4. Recreation and Social Connection: Plan fun activities with friends, family, partners and other loved ones. Attend a community event (theatre, music, lecture, etc.).

5. Get support: Having someone (family, friends, co-workers, sponsors, therapists, etc.) to talk to can really lighten the burden of the stress you feel.

6. Do something spiritual if that is important to you: Visit your place of worship. You may find comfort and perspective from your spiritual community.

7. Take care of your body:

8. Eat well and avoid alcohol or other drugs.

9. Exercise regularly & maintain a routine.

10. Make sure to get proper sleep.

11. Stay active: Volunteer or find another meaningful and satisfying activity in which to engage. Pick up an old hobby. Call an old friend. Bake cookies. Finish that home project you’ve been putting off.

12. If the holiday time is stressful for you and you want some extra support, you can always call of office at 240-274-5680 or email us at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com to set up an appointment to talk to one of our warm, caring therapists. Help is here.

Wishing you a Healthy, Happy Holiday Season and a very Happy New Year!

Holiday Survival Guide Part 1 of 2

The holiday season has nearly come and gone. All of a sudden, 2013 is right around the corner. For some, this time of year brings feelings of joy and gratitude. It can be a time of great celebration as well. For others, maybe even you or someone you love, this holiday season may be a source of great stress. So how is it that, during a time so full of wonder and love, some of us can feel more pain than pleasure?

Holiday Challenges

1. Holiday Cheer: Seeing others so happy during this of year time can make you feel pressured to be happy, which may be a challenging if that is not how you are really feeling. This might contribute to feelings of not being understood and depression. May be talking to someone could help.

2. Sending Cards & Gift Giving: Making the list, checking it twice, then shopping for, buying and wrapping the gifts can be exhausting. Also, finding the money to pay for the gifts can put a strain on your budget and your mind. This can be overwhelming and stressful so why not simplify this year?

3. Traveling & Time Off of Work: Between the high cost of transportation, large crowds, losing work hours, having to divide the holiday time with other co-workers, amongst other issues, the holiday season might be more stressful than you planned. Some of these things may increase your fear of travel and/or anxiety about your finances. You could think about celebrating the holidays at home this year or making one trip instead of many.

4. Emphasis on Food & Party: This can be particularly trying for many with eating issues or substance abuse issues. For example, being surrounded by large quantities of food and alcohol might make the temptation too great and the pressure to “be good” almost unbearable.  If you struggle with your eating or substance use, you can get support from loved ones by letting them know, or talking to a counselor can help.

5. Spending Time with Family: Finding a way to visit everyone can be overwhelming and nearly impossible. Sometimes being with family can resurrect unpleasant times or dysfunctional family dynamics. Often the most difficulty is in remembering the ones you’ve lost, causing you to experience great sadness or loneliness. You can plan and prepare for family time. You can enjoy what you have and when you have had enough, it is OK to say “no”.

Note that on any given day, the above challenges could be major stressors for just about anyone. So at the holidays, it is important to pay special attention to your health and wellness. Therefore, it is our hope that the tips in our next post to help to empower you to have the courage to change what is not working for you and embrace what is. 

If the holiday time is stressful for you and you want some extra support, you can always call of office at 240-274-5680 or email us at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com to set up an appointment to talk to one of our warm, caring therapists. Help is here.

A Mind at Ease - Finding Guidance For Life (Part 1 of 3)

Nothing eases the mind like having someone listen. Whether we’re in a peaceful moment or a crisis, talking and sharing ideas can help us feel understood, validated, and supported as we navigate through life. Feeling that connection is one of the reasons why our friends, family, and loved ones often are so important to our happiness and fulfillment.

There are times, though, when it’s helpful to talk to someone who isn’t involved in our everyday life and has a more objective perspective. We all sometimes feel misunderstood, guilty, insecure, disconnected, or judged in our relationships. Because of this, everyone could benefit from having someone who can listen without judgment or defensiveness; someone who wants to see us grow, encourages us to embrace our strengths, and helps us take charge of our own lives. The confidence we gain from receiving guidance and confirmation on our life’s bearings can be invaluable for navigating our future.

For too long, seeing a counselor or therapist carried an unwarranted stigma of struggling with mental illness. But we all go through challenging transitions and stressful situations, and it takes maturity and self-awareness (and a certain level of sanity!) to realize how beneficial a bit of therapy can be. A therapist or counselor can be a confidante and provide the kind of support we could all use, especially during the stressful times in our lives.

That’s because licensed therapists and counselors see their clients as whole people, not just a collection of “problems.” They can help uncover strengths buried deep within us and reveal insights we may never have known or acknowledged. They can aid our understanding of our beliefs and patterns of thinking and help us gain perspective on what is happening in our lives, clarify our dreams and goals for the future, and choose new ways of interacting with others.

What we discover in therapy guides us to change our behaviors, reactions, and choices in life. The counselor provides the tools; we choose how to use them in planning and building of our future.

For more information, visit www.HealingLLC.com/therapywork for details. 

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Spring Cleaning for Your Life.

As spring has arrived and the world outside is changing, what is changing for you on the inside? As the flowers bloom with their new beginnings, now is a perfect opportunity for you to consider how you want to grow. A few ideas of where to start…

Organizing Yourself
Write down a list of goals you would love to achieve, or things you would want to change in your life. Perhaps you want work on your spirituality, or your personality, improving your physical or mental health or the quality of your interpersonal interactions. Making a list of ideas you would love to change will give you a good starting point to create the life you want.
The next step is to write down what it will take to achieve these goals, we call these Objectives. What steps are involved in creating that life you want? Writing things down is more important that we think it is. Martha L. Chase, Ph. D., Executive and Career Coach, strongly recommends writing goals down, it forces us to clearly define what our goals are and specifically how to get there. Many therapists also recommend drawing or creating a picture of your goal to keep with the written goals. Since often our mental pictures of our goals are vague, drawing them can help you create a visual image and make the goals crystal clear and therefore easier to achieve

Remember, while it may seem that some goals are hard to achieve, you can do it. In order to make it easier and make it happen, remember to...
- Write down your plan.
- Set a due date for each event.
- Start working on it! It will become easier once you start.
- Make sure your goals are realistic. Making changes is difficult but with a good plan and some follow up, you can reach your goals.
- You can ask a co-worker, family member or friend to check in with you. Let your best friend call you weekly and ask about your weekly progress. That way you will feel accountable for your goals.
- And last but not least, it is important to stay optimistic on your way to becoming a new you.

And remember, turn obstacles into opportunities and celebrate your successes.

If you are feeling overstressed or overwhelmed with your life and want to start making some changes, call us today for a free consultation. You can call Amy directly at 240-274-5680 or by email at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com. For more information, visit www.HealingLLC.com for details.

More Ideas about Feng Shui and your Life

Defining the Ba Gua (map of energy) can help you understand how specific parts of your home are connected to specific areas of your life. For example, the Southeast Feng Shui part of your home connects to the money energy flow. After we defined all the sectors, it’s important to treat them accordingly, i.e. it would be counter indicated to have a dirty bookshelf full of unusable, old junk in our love/relationship sector because it brings us a useless and dull relationship that will not progress. Instead, try to clean your home, and decorate it with plants, flowers and water fountains as they symbolize life, growth and prosperity. Use statues and paintings of cherubs or lovers in your love sector. Fruit baskets, lucky coins, ducks, turtles, goldfish and lucky bamboos are the lucky elements in your home.

A few ideas of what to avoid: Avoid sharp elements in your home as they symbolize danger and bring out bad energy. Avoid using cracked or broken dishes as it brings bad luck as well as wearing old ripped cloths.

Study the Five Elements Feng Shui Theory. It will help you to balance the Feng Shui five elements in your home. For example, if you are working on attracting more prosperity, you will use the Feng Shui elements of Wood and Water in the Southeast area of your house or an apartment.

It is important to know your Feng Shui birth element. Knowing your element will assist you with improving your own energy. For example, if your own element is Fire, you will need to introduce symbols of Fire, which could be the Fire element colors (red, orange, purple, magenta, pink, yellow), triangular shapes, and so on. You will also need a strong Wood element in your home as Wood feeds the Fire in the relationship of five Feng Shui elements.

Feng Shui Tips for Your Home
(By: Amanda Collins, Feng Shui Consultant) http://www.take5moment.com/cgi/members.mpl?Action=View&id=279&media_type=blog
1) There should be no shoes or slippers lying around outside the main door of your house. Allow that space at the main door to be free and clear.
2) There should be no television sets in your bedrooms: If you cannot get rid of that habit then after watching the television, cover it with a plastic, not a fabric, table cloth.
3) There should be no mirrors opposite your bed or at the side of your bed. Mirrors opposite the bed can attract a third party to the relationship.
4) Place an indoor water fountain in your home, position in a favorable area to attract whatever you want in your life.
5) If you already have a fish tank in your house, be careful. A fish tank placed correctly can bring about greater fortune. But it can also cause you to have lawsuits, bankruptcy, work pressure, troubles and problems.
6) In your kitchen, ensure that opposite your stove there is no refrigerator, washing machine, washbasin and toilet. The fire and water crash causing family members to have disagreements.
7) Try not to allow children to sleep on mattresses on the floor as it causes young children to fall sick frequently. The reason is: chi is not able to flow underneath the bed.
8) For young children, try to have their back to the wall when they write. It is important there should be a solid wall behind a children's writing table. This allows the child to have support so that he can sit there and study longer.
9) Do not allow children to sleep on double bunk beds even if it means saving space. The child sleeping underneath will not have "fresh chi" and so his health might be weak.
10) Your bed should always have a solid wall behind you. This is important if you wish to have a good rest. A solid wall simply means that you can go into deeper sleep and therefore enabling you to have good rest so that when you wake up in the morning, you will feel fresh and well rested.
11) There should be no beam on top of your bed. The beam above causes chi to be pressured thus enabling you to have pressures in life.
12) If you have a lot of work pressure, maybe it's the marble table that you have in your dining room that causes you to have those problems. Remove that marble table and change to a wooden one or alternatively live with that work pressure!
14) Do not use a red sofa set: red represents the element of fire. For Feng Shui, some places simply cannot have red color in that sector. A red sofa sets gives rise to heavy work pressure, troubles and obstacles.
15) Always open your bedroom windows at least once 20 minutes a day to allow fresh chi to come in, we do this so that it allows fresh new chi from outside to come into your bedroom, if not you will be sleeping with stale chi every night.

For more information, visit www.HealingLLC.com for details. 

Spring Cleaning - How to Incorporate Feng Shui into your Life.

Have you ever wondered if there is a relationship between layout or design of your home and your life? The old Chinese art called Feng Shui was created thousands of years ago and meant to improve people’s lives by creating the right energy flow at home. Chinese people used laws of astronomy and geography and applied them to the orientation of rooms and objects in the house in order to improve their lives.

Feng Shui is a whole art and can be taught for days and days. In this blog we would love to talk about some basics of it. Making your home look cozy is not an easy thing to do and Rodika Thi, specialist in Feng Shui has a few recommendations:

Clear out your clutter! Try to get rid of everything you do not love in your house. It is, mentally and emotionally a very challenging process. Clutter clearing is a time-and energy-consuming process. Some people compare it to therapy as it helps you feel better.

It is essential to have Good Quality Air and Good Quality Light in your house. These two elements are in charge of good Feng Shui energy, called Chi, in your home. Try to open the windows daily for 10-20 minutes. It will let fresh new energy to come in to your house. Allow as much natural light as possible into your home, and consider using full-spectrum lights.
The most interesting part of Feng Shui is to define the Ba Gua, or the Feng Shui energy map of your house. In order to define it you shall use one of the two main Feng Shui methods - the compass or the BTB grid. Ba Gua is used to find out which part of your home correlates with a particular situation in your life. A compass will determine 9 geographical directions your home (North, North-East, East, South-East, South, South-West, West, North-West, and the center of your house). Every direction will correspond to a certain part of your life.


SE -Finances, Prosperity
S- Fame, Reputation
SW- Relationships, Love
W- Children/Creativity,
NW – Helpful People, Blessing, Travel
N- Career,
NE- Knowledge, Wisdom and Spirituality
E- Family
Center - Physical Health



For more information, visit www.HealingLLC.com for details.