3 Simple Ways to Overcome The Fear Of Change & Uncertainty
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

3 Simple Ways to Overcome The Fear Of Change & Uncertainty

In a nutshell, anxiety is the fear of uncertainty. It is simply human nature to feel anxious when we do new things. Whether this is a new relationship, a new position at work, a new skill that we are building, and even when our plans change when we didn’t expect them to. Anxiety will show up because these things matter to us and it can feel quite threatening if they don’t turn out how we hope they will. In order to overcome this fear of uncertainty, we must build resilience towards new experiences and the discomfort they bring. Here are 3 simple ways you can overcome your fear of change and uncertainty starting today.

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What You Need To Know About Intrusive Thoughts
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

What You Need To Know About Intrusive Thoughts

Intrusive thoughts are basically unwanted thoughts, images or memories that come out of nowhere and cause us some type of distress. Sometimes they spike anxiety, sometimes they lead to feeling shame or guilt. Intrusive thoughts often lead to this distress because their nature kind goes against our core self. Meaning that they likely make us question ourselves and why we had the thought.

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Spring Cleaning For Your Mental Health
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

Spring Cleaning For Your Mental Health

A chaotic environment leads to a chaotic brain. You can find relief from anxiety by tidying up and getting organized. This helps our brains to feel more in control and safe in our surroundings.

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Breathing Techniques For Stress Management
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

Breathing Techniques For Stress Management

The good news is that there are so many different ways to regain control of your breathing, therefore increasing feeling calm and grounded. One of the options you have is to practice something called Belly Breathing. Basically this is simply a practice of sending your breath all the way down to your lower abdomen, rather than breathing solely into your chest.

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Coping - How to Keep it Simple</a>
Katie McLaughlin, LPC Katie McLaughlin, LPC

Coping - How to Keep it Simple

I had a conversation recently in which I had used the term “coping” numerous times – A common occurrence in a counseling related discussion. This time, however, I provided an explanation of what “coping” actually means - Finding ways to feel better while learning to overcome problems. I immediately saw relief wash over the individual I was speaking with, as “coping” moved from a vague concept to learn and into a simple understanding of how to feel better.

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Change your Life with 5 Minutes a Day
Katie McLaughlin, LPC Katie McLaughlin, LPC

Change your Life with 5 Minutes a Day

Research studies continue to show the benefits of mindfulness based practices on decreasing anxiety and improving our moods. When we give ourselves even just a few minutes per day to practice this skill, we are giving our brain the best opportunity to think clearly and rationally so we can go about our days feeling our best. Not only that, but this practice also helps our nervous system to improve regulation, meaning that we can calm down faster and with greater ease.

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