Breast cancer takes a toll: The importance of emotional support and where to find it by Hannah DeWitt | Sep 27, 2023 | Community, Health Conditions, Mental Health Topics Breast cancer is well-known and widespread. It’s estimated that close to 300,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, making it one of the leading cancers in women. That said, a breast cancer diagnosis is by no means easy to accept or deal with. Battling breast cancer comes with…
How to be generous without losing a kidney this holiday season by Wistar Murray | Nov 23, 2021 | Community, Mental Health Topics, Self-Improvement A California woman decided to donate one of her kidneys without specifying who would receive the transplant. A male stranger subsequently benefited from her healthy organ. The woman, who was a writer, was definitely not seeking anonymity. She chronicled her “nondirected donation” through a special Facebook group. Then she confronted…
How to survive a viral punishment: Cancel culture stories of social sanctions and online shaming by Wistar Murray | Aug 17, 2021 | Bullying Awareness & Prevention, Community, Media Use, Mental Health Topics It wouldn’t surprise me if cavepeople worried about getting canceled. Steal someone’s share of the weekly mammoth meat and you’d probably be ostracized by the clan, forced to make your own fire in a lesser, lonelier cave. Until your people forgave your transgression and invited you back into the fold,…
You can eliminate stress from your life by maintaining healthy relationships: spend meaningful time with loved ones, communicate effectively, and be kind by Taylor Bennett | Apr 15, 2019 | Community, Mental Health Topics, Stress Stress is a normal part of life, but when it becomes too much it can cause you to suffer physically, mentally, and emotionally. The good news is we have power over many potential external stressors—including the quality of our relationships. We often experience stress when our relationships are suffering, such…
Don’t become a complete hermit in the winter—you and your loved ones need each other now more than ever by Taylor Bennett | Jan 11, 2019 | Community, Mental Health Topics Socializing plays a huge role in our health and wellbeing—unfortunately, many of us fail to fulfill our social needs in the cold days of winter. Why is socializing so important? Because it brings us pleasure, helps us stay active (which is also important to overall health and wellbeing), and fights…
Feeling forgotten by friends? Resolve your feelings by practicing compassion and digging deep by Taylor Bennett | Aug 22, 2018 | Community, Mental Health Topics Feeling isolated or forgotten by your loved ones is a terrible feeling, but it’s important to put things into perspective. First, consider why you feel isolated from your friends; then, think about expanding your social circle and also show compassion to the friends with a busy schedule. Once you’ve grounded…
Socializing: A Solution for Feelings of Loneliness and Isolation by Taylor Bennett | May 16, 2018 | Community, Mental Health Topics Not too long ago, I went through a messy breakup. One that left me feeling depressed and overwhelmingly lonely. Fortunately, however, after a month or so of sulking around, I decided to embrace the chance to rediscover my independence. I saw my friends and family every now and then, but…
How can volunteering help to combat feelings of loneliness? by Taylor Bennett | May 16, 2018 | Community, Loneliness, Mental Health Topics I have good news: you are capable of overcoming those feelings of loneliness that have been hanging around. And the better news is that you’ll reap additional benefits in the process. So, what does it take? It takes stepping outside of yourself and stepping up to help others. While there…
Why Is Connecting with Others Important? by Taylor Bennett | May 4, 2018 | Community, Mental Health Topics I’m guessing you’ve heard the term “self-care” before, right? And you probably associate it with a few specific images: sinking into a warm bubble bath, scribbling in a journal before bed, or maybe meditating quietly on a yoga mat. These are all accurate representations of self-care (or at least they…
You Are Not Alone In Your Struggles: Find Your Community by Taylor Bennett | Mar 22, 2018 | Community, Mental Health Topics The title says it all: you are not alone in your suffering. Every single person you encounter today—your coworker, your boss, the guy sitting next to you in traffic, the person you just passed on the street—is struggling with something. And more likely than not, they could all use a…
25 Easy Random Acts of Kindness to Perform on National Random Acts of Kindness Day by Taylor Bennett | Feb 17, 2018 | Community, Mental Health Topics Make the world a better place by performing random acts of kindness each and every day! This can be as little as buying the person behind you in line their coffee or tipping the barista an extra $20. Here’s a list of other random acts of kindness that will surely…
People Are More Likely to Change Their Behavior If They See That Norms Are Changing by Taylor Bennett | Oct 10, 2017 | Community, Mental Health Topics, Research In order to achieve some personal goals of mine, I decided to embark on a new health and fitness journey this past summer. It was nothing crazy, I just pledged to eat better and work out 5 days a week. Simple. Well, a few days into it, my good friend—who…