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The more normal we make conversations about thoughts, emotions, and life challenges the easier having these conversations will get.
Mental Health

Talking with Your Teenagers About Mental Health

Talking to your teenager (or a teenager you know) about, well, anything, can be difficult. As conversations around mental health become more common, we must consider the mental health of everyone – especially teens. The more normal we make conversations about thoughts, emotions, and life challenges the easier having these conversations will get. And we know that one conversation can be pivotal when it comes to getting a young person facing a mental health challenge the help they may need. Here are some tips to make having these conversations a bit easier: Be genuine. Use your words and actions to show them that you…
Learn to Live Team
April 27, 2023
6 Steps to Successfully Quit Smoking: A Guide to a Healthier Life
Stress & Anxiety

6 Steps to Successfully Quit Smoking: A Guide to a Healthier Life

It’s hard to quit smoking, but it is one of the best things you can do for your health. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide. It also causes a lot of health problems like lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. If you're ready to quit smoking, here are some steps you can take:  Set a quit date: Pick a date and commit to it. Use this date as motivation to prepare yourself mentally for the challenge. Take the time you need to make changes in your life that make it easier to quit.  Make a plan: Choose…
Learn to Live Team
April 17, 2023
Calm your mind when you feel stressed.
Stress & Anxiety

Learn to calm your mind when you feel stressed.

April is Stress Awareness Month We usually feel stressed when we’re afraid of something that might happen at work, home, or in general. These non-life-threatening triggers fool our body into believing we’re under attack. We might respond by pulling back and withdrawing or fighting back. When this happens, it’s helpful to remember that you are safe. You don’t need to solve the problem right now. Your only job is to help your body calm down. Here are a few ways to calm down when you begin to feel stressed: Go somewhere quiet. This allows you focus and hear what’s going…
Learn to Live Team
April 11, 2023
Learn about what really causes your feelings and what you can do about them.
Stress & Anxiety

Breaking Down Emotions and Facing Negative Feelings

How Learn to Live Delivers CBT: Part 2 Have you ever wondered why you are having a pleasant emotion like happiness or peace? Most have not. We just accept those emotions and move on. But everything changes when we are feeling discouraged, fearful, or angry. I'd like to share with you a CBT strategy that has been helpful to many people who face negative feelings. I call it the STEPP model. One of the key concepts of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the idea that our thoughts affect how we feel. Many people struggling with depression or anxiety say that…
Dr. Russ Morfitt
April 3, 2023
Insomnia

Sleep Better: Tips for Managing Insomnia

Did you know that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is recommended as a first line treatment for adults experiencing sleeplessness? Whether you are suffering from severe insomnia or a series of bad nights, CBT-I works by helping you address the underlying psychological and behavioral factors that contribute to sleep challenges. This makes CBT-I a more holistic approach that can have a longer-lasting impact than using medications. Finding experienced providers of CBT-I services can be difficult but Learn to Live’s online Insomnia program makes access easy from any device. There are tools and strategies to help you manage any stressors…
Learn to Live Team
March 24, 2023
Woman struggling to sleep
Insomnia

A Recipe for Insomnia

How Learn to Live Delivers CBT: Part 1 Here's a recipe that too many people try: Add one part poor sleep environment, Two parts pressure to sleep, Three parts going to bed early to try to catch up on sleep. What's the result? A big batch of insomnia! An Underused Tool for Insomnia Insomnia is widespread. Studies show that more than 30% of us have markers for insomnia at least some of the time. One of the best kept secrets in insomnia and health care is that there is an entirely natural solution. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTi) has…
Dr. Russ Morfitt
March 1, 2023
Corporate and family events can cause mixed feelings including social anxiety

Managing Social Anxiety With the Shift From Virtual to In-Person

Corporate and family events are back in full swing, which comes with mixed feelings. The isolation of social distancing has continued to induce social anxiety for some while enhancing those emotions for others. If you can relate, take time before a social event to think through exactly what parts of the upcoming experience make you anxious, then strategize and think about what factors you can control. Strategies to Calm Your Thoughts Before Social Events Social anxiety can hinder our ability to connect with others, leaving us feeling alone and unfulfilled. Fortunately, there are ways to overcome it and attain a…
Learn to Live Team
February 7, 2023
Be Active to Better Your Mental Health
DepressionMental Health

Be Active to Better Your Mental Health

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy model that is known for getting people to change their thoughts in order to affect their feelings, freeing them up to reengage in the activities they used to enjoy. Research shows that the reverse is also true. Reengaging in these life activities can also positively impact our emotions. This means that changing our thoughts is important over the long term, but there are other things we can do to see immediate results.
Dr. Russ Morfitt
September 27, 2021