The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By: Christine Hammond, MS, IMH Do you have a senior from high school or college who seems to have shut down and is no longer productive? Maybe they were productive in the past but now they are procrastinating, their grades are sliding, they don’t care about the things that mattered to them in the past and their tempers seem to be higher than normal. Or perhaps they seem to negatively obsess over a class, another student, or a family member. In short, your senior is different and not for the better. Change is difficult for most people and transitioning from a high school student to a college student or from a college student into the workforce can be more change than they are prepared to handle. Stress levels are high whenever someone moves but add to that a change in status, change in environments, change in friendships, and change in expectations. Now you have a recipe for one stressed out senior. So how can you help? By paying attention to their behavior and acting acco

By Christine Hammond, MS, IMH Imagine for a moment what church would be like if the Pastor or Announcer began church with, “Hello my name is ___ (fill in with name) and I’m a recovering sinner of ____ (fill in the sin)”. Would he or she be so bold to admit to their church not the mildest of sins such as a white lie but the grander sins of adultery, stealing, or a pornography addiction? Or perhaps he or she would admit to a personality disorder such as narcissism, borderline, or dependant. How different would church be if everyone was expected to be honest about their past and present and not pretend to have it all together? Record numbers of youth are leaving the church for precisely this reason with some estimates as high as 70% of America’s youth who was brought up in church does not return as an adult. For the youth, they know that they do not have it all together and they do not want to go to a place that expects everyone to act as if they do have it all together. This tren

By Christine Hammond, MS, IMH Sometimes the most meaningful moment as a parent comes in the middle of another conversation, has little to nothing to do with the topic at hand and is uncharacteristically transparent. Looking back on the moment you wish there had been a bright shining light calling your attention it so you could take it more slowly and savor every second. But time marches at the same pace and without reflection, the significance of those moments is often lost and the power to heal old wounds is unrecognized. I had such a moment with my fourteen year old son just this past week. The filter in his ADHD brain telling him not to comment on certain things is underdeveloped even for his age while his critical thinking skills far exceed his age. This combination makes for very interesting and frequently frustrating conversations and since he loves to talk there is no shortage of either. This week he shocked me with, “I’m glad that you are a working mom” and since he o

By Christine Hammond, MS, IMH You have believed, you have prayed, you have gotten wise counsel, you have checked that your prayer is consistent with Scripture and you have peace about the final outcome, yet nothing is happening. There are no small or large changes, everything seems to be still (almost to a stop) and then you wonder is this really the right thing? Is this thing that you have been praying for really going to happen or is it just another prayer on the long list of prayers that did not get answered or worse got answered in a manner opposite from how you prayed. So to distract yourself from the agonizing question, you become immersed in a project, in work, in church, or in a relationship. While the distraction works for a while, the underlying question looms and pops up in weird places like while driving, taking a shower, or sleeping. So you pray again but still no answer. You remind yourself of all of the blessings God has given you and give thanks but still no an

By Christine Hammond, MS, IMH Admittedly, the title of this article may cause you to respond with a “no duh” comment. Having to pack up all of your belongings, sort and organize them, label boxes, hope that nothing breaks, and then unpack everything while trying to find a new home for your stuff is stressful enough. Add to that whatever caused you to move in the first place: new job, new marriage, new house, new pet, more kids, divorce, foreclosure, loss of job, declining health, loss of a loved one, lifestyle change, change of schools, or expired rental agreement and you have a recipe for a full blown panic attack. It is no wonder why moving is so stressful and it should be stressful. Yes, you read right, moving should be stressful. One of the many contributing factors to increased stress and anxiety is unrealistic expectations. Unrealistic expectations that the move will go smoothly, that everything you currently have will fit neatly into your new space, that everything will