Lauren Verbilla Counseling

The term "languishing" helps put present experience into perspective for me. Check out this article for your own insight and possible suggestions to break prolonged pandemic blues.

Anxiety did not win today! My 20 second Psychology Today video is finished.

When do you decide to plug your phone in? Do you let it run down to 10% battery? 5%? Or maybe you have started carrying a power bank in your bag or car so you you always have juice? Whatever your answer, my guess is you are pretty tuned in to the battery icon.... Why don't we do this for our own personal battery? If I were a phone I am guilty of draining down to 1-2% battery. Maybe I plug in for a few minutes just to get enough charge so my phone is live for whatever I have to do in the next moment. I admit, there is room for growth here. When we get a new phone (or any rechargeable device) the instructions usually direct us to "charge fully before using". We are told this so the battery is set up for success. If you charge to full, use the power well, and then fully charge again, the batter's capacity to continue working is strengthened. If that battery were run down to 5%, and then only charged to 25 or 30% that capacity building is stunted. The phone won't work as long as we hope for, or need it to. How do you recharge? A quiet walk in the woods? Reading a few chapters in a book? Maybe you like to spend time with friends or family. Pay attention to your personal battery. Find what you need to recharge fully when on a regular basis. Treat yourself as well as your android or iPhone. Actually, treat yourself better.

Somedays we may eat many cookies if that is an appropriate or mostly healthy choice we can make for ourselves. I personally like cookies and try to offer myself some compassion to go with them. Being present in the moment is a gift we can give ourselves and a skill we can strengthen with regular practice. Even when unpleasant, being present offers us the opportunity to choose our response rather than operating on autopilot. ... That choice is power. And I believe we are all doing the best we can in that moment to live. Eat a cookie. Choose to go on a run. Or choose to take a nap. Whatever the choice is that you make, offer yourself kindness along side of it and know that you are doing your best.

Great little post about trauma and healing. This is especially important to be mindful of as we continue experiencing the collective trauma of the pandemic.

Is your energy level low? If you're not having trouble sleeping are you still feeling exhausted? Crisis fatigue is a real thing and I am not surprised if the majority of people are experiencing this at some level. While there is not much we can do to change current circumstances, we can take care to look after ourselves. Four pillars of wellness are nutrition, sleep, exercise, and relaxation. Taking care to meet your needs in these areas can defend against all of the other c...urrent events that may be weighing you down. Eat a couple more veggies, take a walk or a nap, and build time into your day to unwind in a healthy way. Slowing down just enough to notice the positive things taking place in our day can work wonders for wellbeing too. Wishing everyone a well deserved holiday from worry and joy wherever you find it. #powerofpositivity #wellness #mindset Cartoon by @pia.guerra

Gratitude and appreciation tend to build upon themselves when we focus our attention in their direction. My intention is to feel peace and ease over the holiday weekend in the midst of everything going on in the world. What do you want to focus on?

If your goal as a parent is to raise a resilient and strong child you need to register for this FREE WORKSHOP! The Bucks County Department of Mental Health/Developmental Programs is presenting a four week online workshop free of charge to residents of Bucks County, PA. Material is geared toward supporting parents to communicate clearly and create strong connections with their children who may have special developmental needs. However, any parent of young children who might be... struggling with family conflict can benefit. Space is limited. Registration information is on the flyer. Or you can send me a direct message here and I will help connect you. Take advantage of this great opportunity!!

FREE PARENTING WORKSHOP!!! Your primary goal as a parent is to raise a resilient and strong child. Although you and your family may be dealing with current events well, you are beginning to fray a little at the seams. Maybe you are growing weary of arguing with your child over EVERYTHING.... Maybe your child has a special developmental need and differences in hearing and understanding one another creates conflict. You want communication and connection to be easier all around and this workshop will teach you the skills you need to do it. The Bucks County Department of Mental Health /Developmental Programs is hosting a parenting workshop over the course of four weeks. This workshop will be provided at no charge to families living in Bucks County, PA. Space is limited! Registration information is listed on the flyer, or you can message me right here via Facebook and I will help connect you. Take advantage of this FREE and VALUABLE resource today!

Resilience is an important thing to have in life. The ability to "bounce back", or keep moving in spite of challenge, is a SKILL we can learn throughout our lives. It is not something we are necessarily born with. I have my own spin on this topic and will post a little article I wrote soon. The post below has some helpful tips too. It's a quick read so take a look.... https://www.psychologytoday.com//8-things-mentally-strong- See more

Tension has reached its peak in the last few days. It is truly unbelievable what is happening in our country. If you are unable to do anything else remember these six words.... Stress takes a toll on our bodies, minds, and overall well-being. To learn more and some tips to manage the impact stress can have visit my website for my latest blog post. https://laurenverbillacounseling.com/managing-stress-in-an/

5:1 That is how many positive interactions a healthy relationship needs compared to interactions that are negative. That's not bad!! The best part is creating positive interaction is not as hard as one may think. Check out this article and read through the end for some simple tips. ... One tip happens to be showing appreciation which I list some "how to's" of my own here. https://laurenverbillacounseling.com/tips-for-showing-appr/ ).

A note from a 7 year old quarantined kid who hasn't seen her friends in almost 2 months. ALWAYS BE A SUNSHINE! #powerofpositivity

My daughter wanted to help with marketing. She is 7. I had to post.

The second clip from NAMI. "IT'S OK NOT TO FEEL OK." Yes it is and we all are ok! Again check out the National Alliance On Mental Illness: https://www.nami.org/home