health – Therapeutic Center For Hope

05Dec 2021 by alexiamcleod

6 Tips To Help You Sleep Better

Tips

A good night’s sleep is just as important as regular exercise and a healthy diet. Research shows that poor sleep has immediate negative effects on your hormones, exercise performance, and brain function. It can also cause weight gain and increase disease risk in both adults and children. If you have a new year resolution of sleeping well for the next year, the following tips can make it successful: Increase bright light exposure during the day: Natural sunlight or bright light during the day helps keep your circadian rhythm healthy. This improves daytime energy, as well as nighttime sleep quality and duration. Reduce blue light exposure in the evening: Blue light exposure tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime. This reduces hormones like melatonin, which help you relax and get…

19Sep 2018 by alexiamcleod

The best kept secrets to your best life are often overlooked

Health, Therapy, Tips

When it comes to living our best lives, there are countless universal guides that focus on goal setting, self-motivation, work-life balance, etc. While they are important part of the journey, these pointers speak of what we can do to move forward after the foundation has been established. The truth is, the pillars to living our best lives are much simpler but very often overlooked. At Therapeutic Center for Hope, we spend a lot of time looking at the link between people's habits, lifestyle, stress, and health and what we found is that a lot of people are held back by misconceptions about what living their best lives look like. Often depending on willpower alone to make things happen. As important as willpower is, it is far more beneficial to…

18Jun 2018 by alexiamcleod

Truth About Depression Among Men and Overcoming It

Health, Therapy

The state of our mental health is the prerequisite of our success yet we often put the care of our mental health on the back seat. When stress goes unmanaged that further develop into depression, we often dismiss it as simply stress or being fatigued when the reality is far more serious and more prevalent. A report by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) shows that 16.2 million adults and 3.1 million teens (ages 12-17) have had at least one major depressive episode. A statistics that warrants attention and solution as depression that goes untreated or managed can result in severe injury or death. What the report does not notice is that while depression is an issue that gets a spotlight in the media, it is a…

31Aug 2017 by alexiamcleod

Overcoming Obstacles

Blog, Health, Motivation, Therapy, Tips

Life can become difficult! One moment you are having a great life and thinking “Wow, life is going great!” Then the next thing you now it’s like a great big dark cloud overshadows all the positive things that have happened in your life. However, it’s important to not let those negative moments bring you down or lead you to believe that life will not get better. There are times in our lives where we must experience downfalls. Those dark moments can either break you or make you stronger. It’s important though that you don’t let them break you. Remember to stay positive through all the negative moments you may experience. I know, it can be hard to do, especially if things are really bad, but try not to let it…

24Aug 2017 by alexiamcleod

Struggling with an Eating Disorder

Blog, Health, Motivation, Therapy

Almost 30 million people of all ages and genders struggle with an eating disorder in the United States, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorder website. Although anyone can be affected and struggle with an eating disorder, women are the most associated with eating disorders. With advertisements, the media, and society implementing the idea that women and girls should be skinny and outrageously attractive at a very young age it’s no surprise that women are more vulnerable to struggling with an eating disorder. There are a lot of different kinds of eating disorders. The most common forms of eating disorders include Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge Eating. Some eating disorders limit the amount of food intake from a person's diet and others increase the amount of…

17Aug 2017 by alexiamcleod

Signs of Codependency

Blog, Health, Relationship, Therapy

Codependency can be a serious issue, especially when the person is depending on the other person too much. Not giving the other person enough space to breathe or do their own things on their own time can have a negative impact on a relationship. It’s normal to want to be with someone all the time, but you should also understand that everyone has their own life to tend to. You shouldn’t actually have to be with that person all the time to feel happy or complete. Codependency can often be found in people who come from a dysfunctional family. Research shows that people who have parents who emotionally abused or neglected them in their teens or as a young child were more likely to be co-dependent. However, anyone can become…

26Jul 2017 by alexiamcleod

The Importance of Me Time & Self-Pampering

Blog, Health, Motivation, Therapy, Tips

Most of us are busy, day in, day out, leaving us very little time to ourselves. However, that doesn’t mean you should forget about your self–care. Don’t wait for a day to where you will be able to finally treat yourself. Instead, you should take the initiative to schedule a day of self-pampering and self-care. There might be many reasons as to why you can’t ever schedule a time to yourself. You’re thinking, “I’m too busy” or “whenever I do schedule time for myself something always has to interfere with my time.” Although these are understandable and we know life can be hectic and unorganized at times, it should not stop you from giving yourself a break every once in awhile. Same goes for if you think the contrary about…

20Jul 2017 by alexiamcleod

Living a Stress-Free Life

Blog, Health, Motivation, Tips

A guide to living a stress-free life We are finally well into the month of July! It’s hard to believe that the year is already half way gone. With that said, some of you may be stressing over all the things you have yet to do. If this sounds all too familiar, stop stressing. You’re not doing yourself any good by worrying. If anything, it could be stressing you out even more. Instead of feeling like you haven’t done anything, you should take it as an opportunity to see what you can do from now to live a positive and stress-free life. Although it may be a bit difficult to begin, it will be worth it once you figure out what works for you. If you feel that your stress…

24May 2017 by alexiamcleod

Essential Oils to have Plenty of Good Vibes

Blog, Health, Tips

Before there were any pharmaceuticals, many people relied on natural remedies and essential oils for thousands of years. They were especially used in ancient China, Egypt, Greece, India and Rome as perfumes, in cosmetics, and as medicines. Of course, the oils didn’t come in cute bottles and packages where you could buy them at a high-end, organic, all natural store, but they still had the same effects. Although it may seem as if aromatherapies are not as practical with today’s medicine, they still can enhance your psychological and physical well-being. Typically, the contents of essential oils are extracts from flowers, stems, leaves, roots and other parts of a plant. When the aroma from the oils are inhaled, it’s believed to stimulate brain function and promote whole body healing when massaged…

17May 2017 by alexiamcleod

Health Is More than Caring For the Body

Health, Therapy, Tips

As the summer months approaching quickly, our news feeds have been filled with “summer body” advertisements and advice columns. While seasonal fitness has become a health trend in recent years, personal health isn’t just how you eat and how much exercise you get. Studies have shown that overall personal health is affected by much more, including sleep, socialization and brain activity. Overall homeostasis is determined by a healthy balance of mental, emotional and physical health. So when considering getting on the summer bikini ready bandwagon, take into account that optimally diet and exercise go along with several other factors in your life that allow you to function at your highest potential. The first and most important aspect of personal health is a good night’s rest. Getting several consecutive hours of…