Individual Counseling

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a turbulent situation? It might have been a literal storm or a challenging situation that made it nearly impossible to go about life as usual. One common challenge that many people face is anxiety. This is not only the everyday anxiety that affects us all, but crippling anxiety that makes it hard to function. Taking self-care for anxiety seriously is one way to cope well with anxiety in its many forms. When you’re feeling anxious, it can feel like you’re in the middle of a storm, tossed about by racing thoughts, a pounding heart, carrying the feeling of dread, and a knot in your stomach. Anxiety is a common struggle, but it is one that’s often misunderstood and not attended to properly. Through effective support, you can bring your anxiety under control. You’re not alone in your anxiety Being anxious is a deeply human experience. We’ve all felt anxious at one point or another, and there’s a place for anxiety in our lives. Being anxious is a physiological response to danger, and that response can be lifesaving in certain circumstances. When you feel anxious about your first day at work or school, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing if it helps you prepare adequately. Anxiety can even help you as you do something simple like cross a busy street. Many folks experience anxiety of the kind I’ve described above. It’s one of the many mechanisms in our bodies that allow us to navigate our world successfully. It is helpful to a point as it keeps you alert to your environment and enables you to prepare. However, anxiety can often become something more. Instead of being a help, anxiety can become a burden, keeping you up at night as your mind [...]

There’s a phenomenon in psychology called psychological responsibility that describes the situation that you might be in right now. If you’re a woman in a heterosexual relationship, chances are that you’re the partner who carries the majority of the mental baggage in the relationship. Research shows that in traditional families, the wife or woman is the one who is in charge of the logistics of the household. Our society has universally accepted that fact for generations. This responsibility, while it’s culturally acceptable, can lead to overwhelming anxiety. Historical Context of Overwhelming Anxiety A few decades ago, this model of the woman being the overseer of the home worked more seamlessly than it does today. While women did work outside of the home back in the 1970s and before, their numbers were much lower than they are today. It’s amazing and noble that women have fought and are continuing to fight for equal rights in the workplace and political spectrum, but there’s still a disconnect when it comes to home life. Many women today are taking on dual roles. While women are working just as many hours in the workplace as their husbands or male counterparts, they’re disproportionately responsible for the home life, too. Cultural attitudes about women being in charge of housework, cooking, and managing schedules haven’t updated with labor laws. Many women in our modern culture are tasked with working outside the home and also carrying a heavy workload once they’re done with their full-time job. Psychological Responsibility In addition to doing chores and working a full-time job, women often carry the psychological responsibility for multiple people in their lives. Their mental responsibility is complex and generally consists of three exhausting phases. Phase 1: Anticipation As a woman, you’re likely the one who sees your family’s needs before anyone [...]

Some people feel anxious when things go wrong. Others feel anxious when things go quiet. If you’re someone who fills every gap in your day with tasks, errands, or distractions, it’s worth asking why. Think about the last time you had nothing to do. Did you relax, or did you reach for something to fill the space? If the idea of being alone with your thoughts makes you uneasy, staying busy might be your way of coping. Feeling anxious about what might surface when you’re alone with your thoughts is more common than people admit, and it’s one reason the hustle never stops. Why This Pattern Becomes a Problem Filling every hour with tasks may seem harmless enough, but it’s not if it keeps you from processing emotions that need attention. When you avoid quiet reflection, you miss the chance to understand what’s driving your stress. Instead of finding peace, you train yourself to depend on activity as a shield. Over time, this habit can leave you drained, disconnected from yourself, and unsure why you’re restless even when everything looks productive on the outside. Signs that your busyness is covering up anxiety You feel uneasy when there’s nothing scheduled, so you quickly add something to do. You keep multitasking even when one task would be enough. You struggle to relax without checking your phone or planning the next step. You avoid sitting alone because it makes you feel anxious about what you might think or feel. Such reactions may not just be your quirks, but could be signals that constant activity is being used as a coping mechanism. When you’re constantly busy, it doesn’t only affect you. It changes how you connect with others. You may find yourself distracted in conversations, rushing through interactions, or feeling guilty when you’re [...]