The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By Dwight Bain,  LMHC, NCC & Certified Coach      "Life should be easier this summer, so what am I doing wrong?"  Was the hectic plea of a stressed out mom I talked to recently. She was facing what millions of other moms go through. It’s the middle of the summer without set schedules or routines, yet it is still one of the most stressful times of the year. Ever wonder why extended family time away from school or work can lead to greater conflict and tension?       First, realize you are not in a Disney movie. Summertime is like any other season of the year. It has a different temperature pattern, but that doesn’t mean it will be any happier. In fact, if you are facing financial challenges it can be harder since there are increased childcare costs, summer camp tuition fees and more meals eaten in the car between events. The traditional school year isn’t easy, but it is predictable, and from a budget perspective is often less stressful than...

  By: Dwight Bain, LMHC, NCC    Community Care After a Crisis- Identifying Emotional Warning Signs and Trauma Symptoms   A community crisis can terrorize an entire community in just a few minutes, while the recovery process to rebuild from a major critical incident may take weeks or months to sort through. The more you know about how to survive and rebuild after the crisis, the faster you can take positive action to get your personal and professional life back on track.   Since community crisis events like shootings at schools, malls or churches, bombing or terrorism are unpredictable, it requires a different course of action than the crisis brought on from natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, fires and floods. What can you do right now to cope with the psychological impact of a major community crisis brought on through violence?   1. Deal Directly with Your Emotions   This will reduce the tension and stress on you, which allows y...

By: Dwight Bain, LMHC, NCC  When your brain is refreshed from a good night of sleep your mind and body perform better. Sadly, over 25 percent of Americans report trouble getting to sleep according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 10 percent of those experience insomnia. Research shows chronic sleep deprivation takes almost 16 years off your life while ruining your quality of life (QL) in the process. Continual sleeplessness leads to a higher risk for chronic illnesses like heart disease and stroke. If you want a better life it starts with better sleep. Here is a checklist of 26 factors to get you started.   ___ Keep a sleep schedule of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day ___ Practice a bedtime routine to get your body and mind prepared to sleep ___ Take a break from work tasks an hour before bedtime to let your mind wind down ___ Avoid talking about stressful issues or conflict right before bedtime ___ Keep y...

 By: Lucas Olan, IMH  One of the most interesting phenomena of the human experience is the inquisitive desire to get to the heart of the matter. The “heart of the matter” is an expression that leads us to inquire about results and meaning. Simply put, “We always want to know WHY?” “Why is this happening?” “Why am I feeling this way?” “Why did I not see this coming?” All of these very real questions bring us to a place of anxiety. This preoccupation with a future, whether known or unknown, encases us into a mental and emotional struggle. We yearn for a locus of control which we find in our present days is fluid at best. The combination of futuristic worry and the intertwined fear subsequently results in a mass of probable outcomes which now puts a strain on our hearts figuratively and biologically. In the days trailing the precedent of the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more inhabitants have walked into professional mental health consult concerned with irregularities i...

  by Dwight Bain, LMHC, NCC Understanding how AQ can reduce fear and help you build post-covid normal. When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced they were relaxing the guidelines on wearing facemasks for fully vaccinated people you might have thought most people would feel relief. Surprisingly, you would have been wrong. Half of those surveyed about returning to their pre-pandemic lifestyles told the American Psychological Association they felt uneasy or even scared about going back to in-person interactions as the pandemic ends. Attending concerts, movies, dining in restaurants, dating, going to a sporting event or worship service, travel to visit aging relatives, or even return to their workstation inside an office building caused many to feel a sense of panic.   Why would Americans be afraid to take off the facemasks they have been required to wear over a year? It has to do with understanding what the word ‘normal’ meant to them during...