August 2024
August 3 is National Sunflower Day
August’s Health Quest is Mindfulness
Mindfulness is at it’s very core, the ability to be present in the moment without judgment. While it may seem like a simple concept, the effects of practicing mindfulness can be profound. Research has shown that mindfulness has many psychological benefits such as reducing stress and rumination, boosting memory and focus, less emotional reactivity and more cognitive flexibility. There are also many physical benefits such as improving sleep, and decreasing pain and blood pressure.
Mindfulness is something that needs to be developed and strengthened through regular practice, and luckily for beginners, it’s easy to get started. There are many ways to learn how to become more mindful for people who have never tried before. A couple of books to check out are “Mindfulness for Beginners” by Jon Kabat-Zinn, “Mindfulness in Plain English” by Bhante Bhante Gunaratana, and “Mindfulness: A Practical Guide for Awakening” by Joseph Goldstein.
Mindfulness is not just about meditation, or sitting quietly. There are many types of mindfulness practices that will help you become more aware of your present moment. One of the best ways to get started is to keep a gratitude journal. When we are grateful, we are not thinking about what we don’t have, what we wish to have in the future, or what we’ve missed out on in the past. Gratefulness anchors us in the present moment because we focus on what we have and who we are right now. When we are anchored in the present moment, we don’t have much room left for anxious thoughts. Keeping a gratitude journal is easy, all you have to do is write down 5 things each day that you are grateful for. Once you start keeping the journal, you will find that it becomes easier, and you will start to find moments of gratitude during the day that you may not have recognized before.
As you look back at your journal overtime, you may discover that you have found new things to be grateful for that you didn’t recognize before. You may find ways of becoming more mindful and find more ease in your life. So, give it a try, you have nothing to lose :)
Meditation is a practice that has been used since ancient times. Recently, meditation has become very popular in the United States, but what is meditation all about? Here are some common questions that beginners often ask about meditation.
For many young people, August marks the end of the summer and the beginning of a new school year. It’s normal during any period of transition to feel apprehensive, excited, or overwhelmed by the big changes that are occurring. This is why it is so important for students to not forget to prioritize their wellbeing amongst the disruption of these changes.
Fall D&D Groups!
We will have more applied gaming groups starting up this fall!
Dr. Connell will be starting up her Self-Rescuing Princess girls appleid gaming groups on Thursdays. Middle school group will run from 4:30-6:00 and high school from 6:30-8:00. Groups will start on September 12th. For more information email Dr. Connell at MConnell@HQPsych.com
Michael Garrett will be running a virtual group for those age 18-25 and will be a non-therapeutic transformative group focused on mindfulness and social skills. This group is open to anyone in the US! The group will be on Thursday from 4-6pm Eastern. For more information email Michael Garrett at MGarrett@HQPsych.com
More mixed applied gaming groups will be starting in October! Presently we are accepting people on the wait list for those groups if interested please email info@HQPsych.com
Dr. Jonathan Anslow’s Men’s Groups
Join Dr. Anslow’s Men’s Group!
One group focuses on helping young men (age 18-29) on the transition to adulthood and providing support through the early stages of ‘adulting.’
The second group is for 30+ year-old men to process and support one another.
For more information or to register email Dr. Anslow at JAnslow@HQPsych.com
To join a session of our Gender Junction meeting, or for more information email Dr. Wolfe at GWolfe@HQPsych.com
Dr. Ryan Kelly will be running the Kids Thrive Therapy Group. For more information email Dr. Kelly at RKelly@HQPsych.com
