​In order to train yourself to become healthier mentally it is not about setting one goal for yourself to accomplish in January.  Instead, train yourself by making a genuine commitment towards self-improvement. 

​Our mental health and our physical health both affect each other. When one of them is doing poorly, the other can also begin to deteriorate. When we are sick it is important to take care of ourselves not only physically, but mentally as well. ​

By: Kelly Graham, MSW, RSW

​If you’re anything like me, you love sleeping in and hate waking up early for anything. While this lifestyle was alright in my teenage years, the older I got, the more I wanted to wake up and be productive in the morning. While this is much easier said than done, here are some tips that can help you learn to rise with the birds and get stuff done.

​I regularly see clients who are struggling with day to day functioning because of their mental health, and are feeling emotionally overwhelmed. This happens to all of us at some point, and it often feels like making positive change can be impossible. I would like to remind you about the importance of ‘getting back to the basics’ as this can have a significant impact on your well-being and health. We frequently (as a society and as individuals) take these things for granted. ​

​Have you ever wondered what your dreams mean? We all spend about one-third of our lives dreaming, whether you remember them or not. Dream interpretation dates back thousands of years. However, there are still a variety of theories on how to interpret dreams. By trying to understand your dreams, you may be able to find out more about yourself that you may not know.
 
Dreaming occurs during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. There are a variety of factors that can affect your dreams. You age, gender, personality, and the events that occurred throughout the day, all have an impact on what dreams you have. Because we experience so many things in a day, we do not have time to process them all. This is where dreams come into play. They can help us process what we saw, felt, and thought during the day. Even what is happening around you while you sleep can also make it into your dream. This can include temperature changes, noises, sensations, even needing to pee. If you have strong feelings before you go to bed such as being anxious or worried, you will sleep lighter and have a better chance of remembering your dreams. However, this can also cause you to wake up before your dream is over. Dreams can also help us process many other events in our lives.
 
If you are worried, excited, traumatized, or have any strong emotions relating to a certain memory, then your brain uses dreams to help process the event and the feelings that occurred during, and because of, the event. If these memories and feelings are repressed, then they can still come out in your dreams. When you are awake, it is easier for your brain to repress unwanted thoughts, feelings, or memories. However, when you are sleeping these aspects can be less censored and make their way into your dreams. You may not always recognize them though.