ACA Counseling Corner Blog

Coronavirus has affected all of our lives in various ways. One of the most common is that it has raised the stress, anxiety levels for most of us, along with increased feelings of depression. While we can't control the outside factors that are causing such stress, we can take action to minimize the way such these things are affecting us. The following are some simple tips on using increased levels of physical activity to help improve mental health.

There are numerous reasons in recent days to be worried and to feel anxious about what life has recently become. Focusing excessively on such problems, however, is not a means of promoting good mental health. While the recent health crisis is mostly beyond our control, there are a number of things in all our lives that we can control, and that we can use to help maintain good mental health. Here are some suggestions on steps to take for a more positive outlook in troubled times.

The health crisis this nation has been facing has affected just about every aspect of our lives. While the media gives regular reports on the effects it has had on businesses and the nation's finances, one aspect often overlooked is the negative impact it may have had on the mental health of numerous individuals. Depression is a serious mental health issue, often triggered by major life changes as we are now facing. It's not a problem to be ignored. Here are some tips on recognizing major depression and steps to take if it does occur.

Current life is quite different for most of us thanks to the ongoing health crisis. But while, as adults, we usually can understand what is happening and can adjust to it, for our children the story can be quite different. Not being able to play with friends, having to do school work online, or just being bored stuck in the house can leave our children feeling angry, impatient and just plain frustrated. Here are some tips on how to make that at-home time a bit easier and more productive.

As the Covid-19 crisis continues to strike communities across the country and around the world, many of us are experiencing high levels of stress, even if no one close to us has actually been ill. A pandemic such as we are now experiencing can affect us in obvious ways, such as social distancing and working from home, but it also negatively affects our mental health, often making normal sleep patterns difficult and bringing on dreams that may be more numerous and stressful. Here are some ideas for helping improve those hours of rest.

In today's unsettled world there are numerous things that can leave us feeling upset and sad. Most of the time it's simply something short term - a promotion that didn't come through, a social event that fell short of expectations, or something else that didn't turn out as we had wished. But sometimes those feelings of sadness are much deeper and longer lasting. That can be a serious mental health issue that should not be ignored.

We all have days when we question ourselves. Have we made the right decision? Are things going to turn out the way we want? When the questions become too frequent and the fears driving them become overwhelming, our self-esteem, the value we see in ourselves, can begin to deteriorate. The result can be a growing fear to try anything new or even to continue with our regular activities. But there are actions we can take to improve and grow our faith in ourselves.

As adults we're probably well aware of the many questions and fears that the COVID-19 crisis has brought. But what may not be as clear is the stress and anxiety this health crisis is also causing for our children. Most have seen their schools close, have found contact with peers limited, and seeing the tension and stress it is often bringing to their parents. Parents need to be aware of what this crisis is doing to their children, whether toddlers or older teens. Kids need to be reassured as much as possible.

The current pandemic is affecting people around the world. Such a major and frightening health crisis brings with it not only the illness that is affecting so many, but also the high levels of anxiety and stress even for those who will never actually become ill. Stress itself can be a serious health issue, but one for which actions can be taken to minimize its effects on us.

Organized sports can be a lot of fun and provide great learning experiences for many children. Unfortunately, in some families those same sports can be a source of stress and problems. Some parents can become not just supportive fans for their children's sports activities, but can put a great deal of pressure on the children to participate and perform well, mainly to meet the parents' expectations and often at the expense of the children's positive experiences.