Are you living the life you’ve always wanted, or are you settling for less? If you’re feeling stuck or you’ve hit a plateau, know that it is never too late to make changes. You can reprogram your mind to give you the focus and determination it takes to design your dream life. When it comes to what we deserve in life, most of us have a vague perception of what that is. When things don’t go our way, we often get frustrated or upset.

Your lifestyle can play a part in how your anxiety affects you. If you’re staying up late, eating poorly, and stressed. Then you’re contributing to how your anxiety affects you. Our lifestyle choices are a simple yet powerful tool in combating anxiety and depression. Paired with professional help, healthy lifestyle changes can help relieve anxiety. It puts you in a better position for managing your anxiety. Your anxiety doesn’t have to control you, instead, you can control it by living a healthy lifestyle.

Letting go of the past is breaking free from what was. It’s breaking a free from a cycle to move forward from dwelling on what you used to have and moving on to something new. Finding yourself stuck in the past is a part of being human. We aren’t perfect and make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes haunt us for days, months, and even years. Let’s explore what drives us to get stuck in the past and ways we can move forward.

When it comes to mental health, one thing that isn’t mentioned often is hygiene. To most people, going days without brushing your teeth, showering, or combing your hair is disgusting. But for those who struggle with their mental health, it’s the norm. Living with mental illness is a challenge, and even on the best days. It’s a struggle to get out of bed most days let alone take a shower. You start telling yourself you’ll do it later, but keep putting it off. It feels like a fog is hanging over you and it becomes harder to find the motivation to care for your hygiene. You know you need to take care of yourself, but it’s easier said than done. Tasks that seem simple to most are a challenge to take on with a fog hanging over you, and crawling back into bed seems like the best option.

With winter comes cold and shorter periods of daylight. And for some, the shift from fall to winter brings seasonal affective disorder (SAD). A type of depression that’s related to the changes in seasons and begins and ends at about the same time every year. Those who experience seasonal affective disorder tend to feel unmotivated, depressed, or changes in their appetite. I’m no stranger to seasonal affective disorder. When winter hits I find myself struggling to get out of bed most days. My energy level dips, and it’s harder to stay on top of things. But I’ve found a little self-care can help during the winter months.