The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By Megan Brewer, IMH Anxiety is a growing epidemic in America. The National Alliance on Mental Health confirms that 18% of Americans struggle with anxiety, making it one of our most prevalent mental health issues.  It is not surprising then that many have anxiety-related sleep issues and stronger symptoms of anxiety when trying to fall asleep. Many factors can get our anxiety going. Anxiety may be noticeable during certain points of the day such as when experiencing the pressure of a meeting at work or the tension of doing well on a test at school. Some notice their anxiety constantly running alongside them throughout the day regardless of their activities.  But anxiety can seem easier to cope with when we are distracted from it. We may even think we have moved past it when we notice it subside around a trusted friend or occupying activity, but when we get home and crawl into bed, there it is - anxiety that is now more detectable in the absence of distractions! We l...

By: Megan Brewer IMH   On calm sunny days, when we are free to go about life as we wish, many people tend to spend their hours moving from one activity to another. Our constant need to be doing something, going somewhere or engaging something different is often a strategy we use to cope with anxiety, sadness and frustration. But what happens when we are forced to stay indoors in the midst of raging winds and newscasts that make us feel more anxiety and more frustration, and yet limit our mobility? We watch Netflix and YouTube of course! (as long as the electricity holds out). But this activity limits our capacity to expel the anxiety that can and will build up inside of us.  When we are anxious, our anxiety produces in us the means to take action, to move in the direction of resolving the source of our anxiety. Movement matters. So when you find yourself at home with nowhere to go, think of creative ways to move in the space you have. Encourage others to ...

By: Megan Muñoz IMH Sophia was upset. She felt hurt after an argument with her husband that had left her feeling misunderstood, frustrated and small. It had helped a little when she and her husband talked through the misunderstanding, but somehow she could not shake what felt like a rollercoaster of emotions building inside of her. On her way to work, Sophia played the argument over in her mind to the background tune of emotions that had been triggered earlier that morning. As she drove, her thoughts began to move from the argument with her husband to past negative relationship experiences. She began to think of all the times she had been misunderstood and felt small. “Why does this always happen?” She thought. “I’ll probably always feel small and misunderstood. What is wrong with me?” As she continued to drive, her thoughts drifted further back to arguments with her father that had left her feeling misunderstood and small. Memories of loud arguments and subsequent verbal ...