When it comes to stress, it’s actually not all bad. There’s actually three categories of stress.
Some stress and anxiety are part of coping well with everyday life. Healthy stress gives us the impetus to get out of bed in the morning, stumble towards our caffeine source, and pass days in a relatively productive way, building our lives and relationships.
Prolonged stress, like a really challenging job or a difficult family relationship that just never seems to get better, is hard on our bodies and our mental health; however, with support and resources we can generally cope.
Toxic stress, like living through a pandemic while also juggling preexisting health issues, mental illness, isolation or unhealthy relationships, bearing a marginalized identity, or other chronic stress has the potential to impact mind and body long term, BUT these effects can be minimized by leaning into our social connections (or making a new supportive connection via a counselor or psychotherapist) and through finding ways to move, create, express ourselves, self-care, and play – even in the midst of intensely stressful times.
Explore the resources below to find ways to both understand and manage stress:
3 Types of Stress & Strategies to Cope with Them
Some stress and anxiety are part of coping with everyday life. Prolonged stress is hard on our bodies and our mental health, but with support and resources, we can generally…
Bullet Journal Mood Tracker: A Mental Health Therapist’s Take
Although bullet journaling is about saving time and space, when it comes to a mood tracker, research suggests that slowing down may have benefits. In this article, learn how I used my training as a mental health therapist and my personal experience as a bullet journaler to reimagine a new mood tracker layout for 2021 and beyond- based on peer-reviewed research exploring the intersection of journaling and mental health.
4 Bullet Journal Layouts to Support Mental Health
Bullet Journal blogs and hashtags are filled with mental health and self-care focused templates, but are these layouts actually effective for maximizing the mental health benefits of a bullet journal? In this article, I explore existing research on how journaling and expressive writing can benefit mental health and, from that research, outline three ways to maximize the mental health benefits of your bullet journaling practice. Along the way, I’ll show you a few of my worksheets and resources that are perfect for adding to a bullet journal.
Creating a Crisis Plan: A Free Printable Worksheet for Safety Planning
The best time to do good crisis work is when you (or your client, child, partner, friend, etc.) aren’t currently in crisis. Take some time out during the good times…
Self Care in the Age of Working from Home
Even before the pandemic, working from home presented unique challenges to the work-life balance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these challenges have become even more pronounced, as many of us have…
Allostatic Load, Chronic Stress, and Burnout
Recently, my illustrations have been exploring Chronic Stress and Burnout. One way of understanding this slow process of burning out is through the concept of allostatic load. Allostatic load…
Abstract Emotion Cards | Art Deck by Kate Creech
Shortly after completing my Mindful Grounding Activity Card deck, I had an idea for a deck of visual emotion cards, each card containing an evocative abstract image for use as…
Mindfulness Card Deck for Trauma-Sensitive Grounding Activities
Perfect for parents, teachers, and those in the mental health field, this simple card game is designed to be a fun and engaging way to invite kids, adults, and groups…
Isolation Mental Health Wellbeing Daily To-Do List Worksheet
Our lives changed significantly as COVID-19 spread around the globe and into our communities. In the space of a month we shifted from life-as-usual to- if our jobs and lifestyles…
Using A Countdown Timer As A Tool for Grounding
Often, it can feel like time has stopped when we are in a high anxiety or much-dreaded situation. Having a countdown on your watch or phone that shows that hours,…
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