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I Can't Relax: Here's Why It's So Hard to Relax & Some Tips to Relax When You're Feeling Stressed | Iowa & Arkansas Center for High Functioning Anxiety | Hayden Finch, PhD

I Can’t Relax: Here’s Why It’s So Hard to Relax & Some Tips to Relax When You’re Feeling Stressed

Anxiety, Burnout, Panic Attacks, Stress /

You know when you’re anxious or stressed that you’re “supposed” to relax. But when you slow down and try, your mind keeps running, you feel tense, and you spend the whole time not relaxing. It seems like such a waste. Today, we’ll dive into why it’s so hard to relax, and I’ll give you some tips for relaxing when it’s hard. In this week’s article, discover: – Why it’s so hard to relax – Why you should practice relaxing, even when it’s hard – How to relax when you can’t relax – Free resources loaded with strategies to relax when you’re stressed – What to keep in mind as you get started relaxing Dive in here!

I Can’t Relax: Here’s Why It’s So Hard to Relax & Some Tips to Relax When You’re Feeling Stressed Read More »

How to Organize Stressful Thoughts | Iowa & Arkansas Center for High Functioning Anxiety | Hayden Finch, PhD

How to Organize Stressful Thoughts in 7 Steps

Anxiety, Blog, Stress /

You know how it feels stressful to walk into your kitchen and see dishes piled up? It’s similarly stressful to be living inside a head that’s cluttered with anxious or stressful thoughts. Our thoughts can become just as disorganized as our physical space, and just like tidying up our house can help us feel relived, learning how to organize our thoughts can provide a similar respite. Here’s a quick 7-step process to tidy up your mind. In this week’s article, discover: – An easy 7-step process to declutter your mind – Strategies for uncovering what your stressful thoughts are – Resources for sorting through and addressing your stressful thoughts Dive in here!

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How to Manage Stress in Two Steps Iowa & Arkansas Center for High Functioning Anxiety | Hayden Finch, PhD

How to Manage Stress in 2 Steps

Anxiety, Blog, Burnout, Depression, Stress /

No matter what type of mental health symptoms you have, more stress = more symptoms. This is true for anxiety (more stress = more anxiety), depression (more stress = more depression), and just about every other mental health condition. So, a big component of managing your mental health in general is to manage stress. “Stress management” can seem like a vague concept, so this week I’m breaking it down into a two-step process to simplify the process. In this week’s article, discover: – How to know if you’re stressed – The two-step process to manage stress – How to put each step into practice – A TON of free resources for putting the two-step process into action Dive in here!

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10 Strategies to Stop Self-Sabotaging | Iowa & Arkansas Center for High Functioning Anxiety | Hayden Finch, PhD

Sick of Getting In Your Own Way? 10 Strategies to Stop Self-Sabotaging

Alcoholism & Substance Use, Anxiety, Blog, Burnout, Depression, Panic Attacks, Procrastination, Self-Criticism & Perfectionism, Stress /

In this week’s article, discover: – How to figure out what behaviors you’re using to sabotage yourself – How to replace those behaviors with healthier alternatives – 10 strategies to stop self-sabotage – Tons and tons of resources for putting those strategies into practice

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What to Do During a Social Media Detox | Iowa & Arkansas Center for High Functioning Anxiety | Hayden Finch, PhD

6 Things to Do During A Social Media Detox

Leave a Comment / Anxiety, Burnout, Depression, Stress /

If you’ve been following along with my articles, you’ve been working really hard to de-stress your life. In the past few months, you’ve – Practiced using mindfulness to reduce anxiety – Purchased a weighted blanket – Started silencing your inner critic – Developed a night-time self-care routine – Created a gratitude journal habit, and -Picked up some new stress-relief activities Now, you’re ready for another challenge. Time to detox from social media. In this week’s article, discover – Why you need a social media detox – Why it’s so hard to do – What to do during your social media detox

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6 Research-Proven Stress Relief Activities | Iowa & Arkansas Center for High Functioning Anxiety | Hayden Finch, PhD

6 Research-Proven Stress Relief Activities

Leave a Comment / Anxiety, Burnout, Depression, Stress /

Last week, you got your gratitude journal started with a month’s worth of gratitude journal prompts. You’ve also been working on your night-time self-care routine. Now, it’s time for even more stress relief activities. In this week’s article, discover the two-part formula for relieving stress and 6 research-proven strategies for stress relief. In this week’s article, discover The two-part formula to relieving stress 6 research-proven strategies for stress relief Resources for putting them into practice

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A Month of Gratitude Journal Prompts | Iowa & Arkansas Center for High Functioning Anxiety | Hayden Finch, PhD

A Month of Gratitude Journal Prompts

Leave a Comment / Blog, Purpose & Meaning, Stress /

Last week, you learned a step-by-step night-time self-care routine, which included a reference to keeping a gratitude journal. Ever have that sensation that your life is actually pretty great, but you still feel unfulfilled? Besides doing a complete overhaul of your life activities, there are some other ways you can find more meaning in your life. One simple way is to keep a gratitude journal. In this week’s article, discover – Why you should keep a gratitude journal – How gratitude improves your physical and mental health – How to start a gratitude journal – 31 prompts to complete a full month of gratitude journaling with no repeats! Dive in!

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1-Hour Step-By-Step Self-Care Night Routine | Iowa & Arkansas Center for High Functioning Anxiety | Hayden Finch, PhD

1-Hour Step-By-Step Self-Care Night Routine

Leave a Comment / Anxiety, Burnout, Depression, Stress /

A couple of months ago, I gave you some ideas for non-cliche ways to take care of yourself — out with the face masks, in with more creative ideas. Most of you are probably already convinced that a little more self-care would be good for you. But it’s hard to know where to start. To take some of the guesswork out of self-care, I’m here today to present a night time self-care routine. Just follow step by step. In this week’s article, discover: – Step by step what to do tonight to start taking care of yourself – How much time to spend on each step – Ideas about what to do in each step – What time to start your routine – How to modify the routine to fit your life Dive in here!

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5 Things to Know About Weighted Blankets for Anxiety | Iowa & Arkansas Center for High Functioning Anxiety | Hayden Finch, PhD

5 Things to Know About Weighted Blankets for Anxiety

Leave a Comment / Anxiety, Stress /

Last week, you discovered three mindfulness exercises to practice as a natural strategy for managing your anxiety (or amplifying the benefits of your medication). Today, we’re diving deep into weighted blankets. You may have heard about them and wondered whether they actually work. Today, I’ll review the research for you with 5 things you need to know about weighted blankets for anxiety. In this week’s article, I’ll share with you -5 things you need to know before you try a weighted blanket -How weighted blankets work -Links to research articles reviewing the evidence — see for yourself!

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8 Non-Cliche Ways to Practice Self-Care (for teachers, nurses, stay-at-home moms, students, and others who are drowning in stress)| Hayden Finch, PhD | Psychologist/Therapist | | Des Moines, Iowa | Little Rock, Arkansas

8 Non-Cliche Ways to Practice Self-Care (for teachers, nurses, stay-at-home moms, students, and others who are drowning in stress)

Anxiety, Blog, Burnout, Depression, Stress /

Many of my clients are convinced that some “me time” is important for their mental health, and sometimes they’re even able to carve out a few minutes for that purpose.  But then, I hear some of them say they’re not really sure what to do with their “me time.”  What’s the best way to practice self-care?  If time is limited, what gives you the biggest bang for your buck?  In this week’s article, I’m bringing you 8 proven self-care strategies that don’t include cliche things like getting a facial or a manicure.  If you’re ready to actually start taking care of yourself, this article is for you.

 

In this week’s article, I’ll share with you 

  • Why self-care is important
  • How to fit self-care into your life
  • 8 evidence-based techniques to actually take care of yourself, without cliche things like bubble baths
  • Links to resources to put those strategies into practice

8 Non-Cliche Ways to Practice Self-Care (for teachers, nurses, stay-at-home moms, students, and others who are drowning in stress) Read More »