Carroll Counseling Center of Maryland

What makes you feel like you’re on top of your life? A little extra money in your pocket? Crossing off all your to-dos? All good, for sure. Even better: Knowing that you’re doing everything you can to stay healthy for years to come. 🏋️♀️ Health habit #1: Stay active 🌿 Getting regular exercise is one of the best things anyone can do for their health. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. That’s about 30 minutes, five days a week. Health habit #2: Eat a healthy diet 🌿 A nutritious diet can lower your chance of getting sick. That means adding more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy and protein to your diet. It may also help prevent diabetes and heart disease. But it can be tough to make a lot of changes at once. Instead, try to make one small change a week to your diet. Health habit #3: Keep up with your health screenings 🌿 Regular screenings, including mammograms, blood sugar tests and colonoscopies, are important. They can help detect early signs of serious health issues, such as breast cancer, diabetes and colon cancer. Your primary-care provider will remind you when you’re due for a test. Health habit #4: Mind your mental health 🌿 As a woman, you’re almost twice as likely as a man to get depression and anxiety. If you have anxiety, that might mean you experience physical symptoms like: Dizziness Hot flashes Nausea Upset stomach Plus, women’s mental health symptoms can be a little different. Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health & U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health

What is self-esteem? 😀 Self-esteem is a journey, not a destination. It’s normal to have ups and downs, but taking small, positive steps daily can make a big difference. (Swipe to read the rest) #selfesteem #mindset #selflove

Each year, the world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8 to promote women’s rights, health and wellbeing. Offically, the day is meant to mark the progress made toward gender equality, while raising awareness of the challenges women continue to face around the world. 🤗 Mental health One of the challenges women face is mental health, including emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. Many factors beyond genetics can affect a person’s mental health and wellbeing. Social determinants of health The conditions in which a person is born, grows, works, lives and ages — all contribute to their overall health and wellness. These social determinants of health encompass gender norms, roles and relations, as well as your financial wellbeing, and access to quality education and health care. In most cultures around the world, women continue to face greater challenges than men in each of these areas. Women are more likely than men to: • Experience physical and sexual abuse and violence • Live in poverty • Be unemployed or underemployed • Be in lower-paying, high-stress jobs • Hold fewer political, economic, social or cultural leadership and decision-making positions • Have mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder This is all to say: While you likely cannot solve global systemic issues alone, you can help support the women in your life. ♥️

Snack smarter, not harder! ✨ When life gets busy, grab snacks that fuel your day and keep you feeling amazing: ✅ Apple slices for that natural sweetness 🍎 ✅ Hard-boiled eggs for protein power 💪 ✅ Rice crackers for a light, crispy crunch ✅ Hummus + carrots = the ultimate creamy & crunchy combo 🥕 ✅ Jerky to keep you energized on the go

We’ve all had days where we eat or drink too much. We inhale a whole bag of chips while we watch a movie. Or we pour one too many glasses of wine after a long day at work. In the summer, there are cookouts. In the winter, office parties and holiday meals. We often indulge without thinking. It can be out of habit. Or it can be driven by our emotions. And that can happen whether we’re feeling happy. Or just checked out. Stress is a big spark for many people. 🤕 According to a recent poll, 33% of adults said their eating habits take a negative turn when they’re stressed. (Source: Stress in America October 2022 Topline Data.) 🥕 Get to the “why” There are often a few reasons people fall into a pattern of eating or drinking too much. Some are physical. Some are mental. Food and alcohol can both trigger cravings. They can also be common coping tools when dealing with hard emotions. Next time you find yourself reaching for alcohol or food, get curious. Think of it as simply checking in with yourself. Here are some questions you could ask yourself: Am I stressed? Am I angry? Am I bored? Am I frustrated? 🍉 Ways to cope Connect with people. Reaching out to others can ease heavy feelings. Think about a loved one you haven’t seen lately. Or a group that lets you discuss shared interests. Pick up a hobby. Is there a skill you’ve let lapse? Or a new one you want to try? Channeling your creative side can lift your mood. Move your body. Being active boosts feel-good hormones. They can help when we feel stressed or anxious. Go for a walk. Or hop on your bike. Even stretching can work wonders. Focus on your breath. Breathing in and out allows you to slow down. #FoodandHealth #GutHealth #MentalHealthMatters

How nutrients support you 🥒 🥕 It’s important to note — despite the claims of ads, trends and friends — no one food or drink (or supplement for that matter) can uplift a down mood or cure a mental health condition. Generally speaking scientifically, your brain and body regularly need a balance of proteins, fibers, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, (unsaturated) fats and water to fuel them properly. Each one plays a role. For example: -Protein helps your brain produce the chemicals it uses to regulate your thoughts and emotions. -The healthy omega fats found in salmon, avocados, nuts and seeds, among other sources, support your brain function. -Your body turns carbohydrates into glucose (a kind of sugar) that travels through your blood to feed your brain. Carbs can be simple or complex. The complex ones found in whole grains, for example, produce slow and steady sugars to keep your brain fueled. Without them, you may experience low blood sugar, which can make you feel tired, irritable and depressed. -The foods you eat also help promote a healthy gut — stomach, intestines and colon — with the right amount and kinds of bacteria to process and break down your food. Fiber aids in the digestion process. So do foods with probiotics, like yogurt, sauerkraut, tempeh and kimchi. -If you don’t drink enough water, you can become dehydrated. Dehydration makes it harder to focus and think clearly. It also can depress your mood and energy level. Those are just a few examples of the benefits of a nutrient-rich, varied diet. On the other hand, foods low on nutrients can make you feel mentally worse. For example: -The trans fats often found in highly processed and packaged foods have been linked to bad moods. Similarly, highly processed, sugary and fried foods have been linked to hyperactivity, aggression, poor concentration, depression and anxiety in children and adolescents. -And the caffeine so many people rely on for a boost of energy can actually overstimulate you, causing feelings of irritability, anxiousness and depression. It also can keep you from sleeping soundly. -Diets low in nutrients also affect gut health. As noted above, this system helps you digest your food properly and eliminate waste. If it’s off, so is your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and feed your brain. #FuelYourBody #foodrelationships #NutrientSupport

Assessing your relationship 🥗 🥕 To get a better understanding of your relationship with food, consider journaling for a week or two to uncover potential patterns. Each time you eat or feel hungry, jot down: • Where you were and what you were doing • How you were feeling in the moment and why • What you ate or why you didn’t eat • How you felt afterward Only use this exercise as a way to objectively review your relationship with food. Once you know the triggers, it tends to be easier to change your behavior. For example, if you find: • You tend to eat to soothe your emotions. Think about other things you can do — such as going for a walk, texting a friend, taking a few deep breaths — the next time you’re overcome with emotion. Also consider ways to reduce your stress in the moment and long term. • You’re so busy you end up skipping meals throughout the day, but usually feel tired and cranky. Consider prepping or buying nutritious meals and snacks in advance so you have them on hand. • When you’re not hungry, you eat mindlessly out of boredom or habit when doing a passive activity, like watching TV. Next time you’re looking for something to do, skip the food in favor of another activity you enjoy. And, if you do want a snack while you’re watching TV, avoid bringing the bag of chips or pint of ice cream with you. Instead, serve yourself a portion and don’t get a refill. • You feel pressured to eat or not eat a certain way in specific situations. The next time you’re in that friend group or family gathering, do your best to focus on and honor your own needs. Maybe it means eating before you show up, politely saying no thank you, or splitting a meal. It might also mean limiting your time spent in those situations

If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed about a busy holiday social schedule with family and friends, take a deep breath. 😤 Focus on your health routine 🍃 Many holiday traditions revolve around food. During the holidays, you may stay up late telling stories around the dinner table. You might eat less healthy foods and drink more than you usually do. That can be tough on your body. Solutions: Just because it’s the holidays, it doesn’t mean you need to drastically change your habits. But here are some healthy ones to keep in mind: Keep your sleep schedule intact. Make sure you’re getting at least seven hours of sleep each night. Being well rested is great for your physical and emotional health. Sneak in some exercise. If you go away for the holidays, pack your sneakers so you can go for a walk or a run. Or, if you’re sticking around, see if your gym has a holiday class schedule. (You can even exercise without leaving your home.) Or plan a fun activity that gets your whole family moving. Good options: Play soccer in the yard, go bowling, take a hike. Know your limits 🕰️ Figure out what to do when your stress level spikes. Give some thought to exactly what it is that makes a moment stressful. Know when you need to walk away from family members, friends or your spouse to keep the peace. Solutions: Ask yourself the following questions before family (or friend) gatherings: How do I want to handle stressful situations with my loved ones? And how do I want to feel? #holidaystress

Here are 8 healthy ways to help youth safely navigate the digital world: 👉 Define boundaries. One of the simplest ways is to limit their use of social media. Consider which sites, if any, you’re comfortable with them using and how. Clearly communicate your expectations, including the consequences of not meeting them. 👉Monitor their activity. There are several ways you can do this. For example, you might require them to add you to their social media groups so you can see their interactions. For social media accounts, ask them to allow you to follow their feeds to monitor their activity and potential trolls. It’s also helpful to require them to be in a shared area of the home when using the internet. Also, consider blocking sites that may cause them distress and let them know it’s OK to ask you questions. 👉Be realistic. Adolescents often find ways around parental rules and controls, such as keeping more than one social media account. 👉 Teach them security. What you post or say online can be difficult to take back. Many people can read, screen-grab, share and forward it. Encourage them to think carefully before posting or sending anything. 👉Set friend guidelines and privacy settings. Encourage them to use privacy settings to limit who can see their content and contact them. They should accept requests only from people they know and trust and keep their passwords private. 👉Be responsible and respect others. Help them understand anything they search for, share or post digitally can be tracked, copied, saved and shared. Make sure they know messages, videos and posts on any digital platform can be easily copied and shared. Encourage them to pause before they send, post or share anything, especially if they’re feeling strong emotions at the time. A good guideline is if they wouldn’t say it in person, they probably shouldn’t post or send it. 👉Share information. If they do come across something unsettling, talk to them about it in an appropriate way. Listen and answer any questions they may have. By staying calm and compassionate, you can help them process and move forward. 👉Help prevent cyberbullying. Make sure they know what cyberbullying is — using email, text or social media to purposely embarrass or hurt someone — and encourage them to tell you or another trusted adult if they are targeted or if someone else is. Set clear consequences if they participate in bullying behavior. (See “Bullying

Imagine you’re walking down the street on a tough day. Suddenly, a butterfly flits across your path, making you smile. As you start walking again, you realize you feel a bit lighter. Then, as you head into your favorite coffee shop, someone holds the door open for you. Maybe you let out a breath you didn’t even realize you’d been holding in. A little more weight lifts off your shoulders. 🏋️♀️ That’s the power of gratitude. The more we take time to notice the small things that make life worthwhile, the more we end up appreciating. 🧠 Ideas: Keep a gratitude journal Focus on the little things Try a meditation Send thank-yous Make gratitude a habit #gratitude #mindful #meditation