Photo by sydney Rae on Unsplash

Hello,

Just, wow... Who knew that when we began 2020 that EVERYTHING in our lives would change in just a few short months? COVID-19 was definitely not anywhere on my goals and plans for the year. However, I am incredibly grateful that, so far, my family and loved ones have been healthy. 

As of the publication date of this blog post, I continue to see all clients through telehealth. Please see my previous blog post (1) for more in depth information on current telehealth services. I will post when any changes to services occur, and when I will see clients in the office again. ​​A huge thank you to all of my clients who have been so patient, understanding, and flexible during this time. You rock!

With the far reach of COVID-19, I have often been thinking about all my clients and their loved ones. As therapists, we go into this field because we really do care about people. I hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy right now. Not just physically, but psychologically too. We ALL need a little extra TLC and support during this time. That is why today I pulled together a list of 5 articles to help you manage the increased stress from COVID-19.

Like I say to my clients, read the articles but focus on the light bulb moments. We cannot possibly apply everything we read (or watch), but laser focus in on the golden nuggets. What are these light bulb moments you say? Well, think about what solutions in the articles apply to your situation right now. What has been on your mind a lot lately? Use your emotional pain points as a filter whenever you are learning about psychological or relationship concepts.

I think this approach of scanning for solutions to specific problems is beneficial for several reasons. It really helps you to get the most out of the time and effort spent on reading growth articles (or reading books or watching videos). This approach is also a great way to better remember what you have learned. Finally, it helps you to avoid getting overwhelmed and attempting to change everything all at once (which is dooming yourself to failure).

​Just pick one small area to work on. Consistent small changes lead to big results in your mental health and in your relationship health! Then, after you make those changes, focus on maintaining them. Don't just skip to the next thing; ignore any itches to add more changes. Maintaining progress IS progress!

5 Articles To Help You Manage The Increased Stress From COVID-19

Can Your Relationship Survive the Togetherness of a Pandemic? Here Are 11 Things Couples' Therapists Recommend (2) - Article from TIME (3)

Keeping Your Relationship Healthy During the Coronavirus (4) - Article from Psychology Today (5)

How to Protect Your Mental Health During the Coronavirus Outbreak (6) - Article from NAMI (7)

Parenting During Coronavirus: You Are Enough (8) - Article from PBS Kids for parents (9)

Keeping up kids' mental health during coronavirus (10) - Article from National Geographic (11)

During times of increased stress, we all (us and our kids) tend to regress to earlier stages of functioning and lean on unhealthier coping habits. Like the article from PBS Kids says, "you are enough." Some days, and some moments are really hard; we are all struggling in different ways.

​It's okay to admit that you are having a tough time. It's okay to say, "I'm having a hard day." Reach out to your loved ones, your friends, or anyone you trust for support. You can get the love and support you need, and you might even inspire someone to be vulnerable too, and share what they are really going through. Let's do what we can to take care of ourselves and each other.

Stay healthy and well friends! I know this has been so hard, on so many of levels. To my clients, I will see you soon online. And, you might see my cat too... Do you know how many I have??? I sure have enjoyed meeting your pets.

​Have a great weekend everyone!  

All the best,
​Holly ​

PS - Can I send you an email about once a quarter? The email will have a link to my latest blog post in case there is a topic you are interested in. As the business grows and I add more products and services, I will mention in the email what has been added.

References and Links
(1)https://moxiepsychologylegacy.com/blog/current-clients-please-see-important-updates-and-changes-due-to-covid-19
​(2) https://time.com/5811146/coronavirus-married-relationship/
(3) https://time.com/
(4)https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/love-lies-and-conflict/202003/keeping-your-relationship-healthy-during-the-coronavirus
(5) https://www.psychologytoday.com/us
(6)https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/March-2020/How-to-Protect-Your-Mental-Health-during-the-Coronavirus-Outbreak
(7) https://www.nami.org/home
(8) https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/parenting-during-coronavirus-you-are-enough
(9) https://www.pbs.org/parents
(10)https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/in-the-news/coronavirus/kids-mental-health-coronavirus/
​(11) ​https://www.nationalgeographic.com/

Photo by Studio Republic on Unsplash

Hi there! Hope you are having a wonderful Thursday. So glad you are joining me today.

For you Lega-Leaders (Relationship Legacy Leaders) out there I have a new resource I'd like to share with you (1). So far in my blogs I've mostly explored how Lega-Leaders can make an impact on their romantic relationships, kids, friends, and family members. Today I am shifting the focus to our workplaces. Most of us spend a huge portion of our lives at work, so why not make it a great place to be? But how can Lega-Leaders make a difference? Where can they look for ideas that work? Well, I'm sure you have heard of the field of psychology, but have you heard of the field of positive psychology??? The research from the field of positive psychology gives us a ton of applicable habits, tools, and ideas.

​So, what is positive psychology? Here is a nice video summary (2): 

As you can see from the video, positive psychology was developed because it's not enough to only understand what is going wrong with people, but we have to also know what is going right in order to help people thrive (and not just survive). I think that Relationship Legacy Leaders can definitely benefit from understanding how people flourish, because being a Lega-Leader is all about being a positive role model, and encouraging people to thrive at home, in their workplaces, and in their communities.  

Alright, let's get to the recommended resource! I absolutely love the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast (3) by by Michelle McQuaid (4). These are short, weekly, 25-40 minute podcasts where Michelle interviews key researchers in the positive psychology field. In the episodes they directly apply the research findings to people's lives individually, as well as explore how the research findings apply in the workplace. As always, I love simple, practical, and actionable habits that anyone can do, and this podcast always supplies tons of great research-based ideas that you can start right away.  

​For example, in this podcast episode embedded below you will hear about ways you can personally manage your emotions, rumination, and runaway anxiety. This definitely applies personally, at work, and in our relationships (5). 

​If you have now been bitten by the psychology bug and now are super curious about this awesome field of positive psychology, you can also check out the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, and it's associated links and resources (6). Dr. Martin Seligman (a leader in the field of positive psychology) is the director of the Positive Psychology Center and is also a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania (7). You may have heard of Dr. Angela Duckworth (8)? She wrote the book Grit and is also a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania (9). She too works with the Positive Psychology Center. Click here to access a readings and videos list recommended by the center (10). Right now people are really digging YouTube videos, so click here to go straight to the positive psychology video links that the center suggests (11). 

I hope I've sparked some interest in you on this super neat and helpful field of research. Talk to you next week! 

All the best,
​Holly 
​
PS Can I send you an email about once a week? The email will have a link to my latest blog post in case there is a topic you are interested in. As the business grows and I add more products and services, I will mention in the email what has been added.

References and Links
​(1) https://moxiepsychologylegacy.com/blog/what-is-a-relationship-legacy-leader
​(2) ​https://youtu.be/1qJvS8v0TTI
(3) https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/making-positive-psychology-work​
​(4) https://www.michellemcquaid.com/talks/michelle-mcquaid/
(5) https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/making-positive-psychology-work/e/63249615
​(6) ​https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/
(7) https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/people/martin-ep-seligman
(8) https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/people/angela-duckworth
(9)https://www.amazon.com/Grit-Passion-Perseverance-Angela-Duckworth-ebook/dp/B010MH9V3W?ie=UTF8&qid=1462832602&ref_=tmm_kin_swatch_0&sr=1-1
(10) https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/learn-more/readings-and-videos
(11)https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/learn-more/readings-and-videos/video-lectures-leading-scholars

Found this blog helpful? Other posts you might enjoy:​

• Great Resource Alert! Ever Wanted To Understand Your Brain's Happy Chemicals Better?​
• 17 Tips To Encourage Healthy Parent and Child Communication
• 5 Easy Way To Start Being A Relationship Legacy Leader Right Now
• Statements And Links Discussing Mass Shootings Published By Psychological Associations
• Level Up Your Mealtime Game For Your Family's Health And Overall Connection