Feeling overwhelmed, disconnected and fearful is to be expected and completely normal during this time of COVID-19. We are getting messages from every direction about what to do during this health crisis and I do hope you are all healthy and staying safe. Many of our reactions are completely normal and I wanted to reach out and connect with you through all of the chaos to remind you to care for yourself compassionately.   In this episode, my producer and I talk about the unique challenges surrounding this new stay-at-home life. Most everything has changed and we are all grieving during this time, but it is important to remember that we are resilient, creative and resourceful. It is a key time to focus on the 6 foundations of psychological health and wellness to strengthen our mind and body. And to stay sane while staying at home, I talk about four ways to manage anxiety to be calmer and happier for yourself and others.   Feel free to comment or email your episode topic requests. Thanks for listening! Be well, be you and breathe.   Useful links to support your psychological health and wellness: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html https://www.nami.org/getattachment/About-NAMI/NAMI-News/2020/NAMI-Updates-on-the-Coronavirus/COVID-19-Updated-Guide-1.pdf   If you liked this episode, tell a friend, post a tweet and subscribe!

Discover Solutions Feel Better Podcast

Ep 9: Four Ways to Stay Calmer and Happier while Staying Home (Pandemic Edition)

Welcome back to Discover Solutions, Feel Better Podcast. I’m your host Dr. Theresa Lewis. Today I'm here with our intern Malin, a graduate student studying psychology, and we're talking about recognizing the stigma surrounding mental health care so we can work to eliminate it in ourselves and in our communities.  Caring for our minds and bodies is usually seen in a positive light, but in some cases, people may judge themselves or discriminate against others who are receiving mental health care. Importantly, these stigmas are more pronounced within and toward racial minority populations. We hope to increase awareness of stigmas against mental illness that is happening both within health treatment programs, our public, and even within ourselves. We then ask the question – “what do we do now?”. We discuss steps we can take to eliminate stigma. Openly talking about our psychological health is the first step toward reducing this societal issue Don’t harbor self-stigma Healthcare providers examine our own stigmas Choose empowerment Call it out Be compassionate   Useful links on this topic: https://nami.org/Support-Education/Mental-Health-Education   Feel free to comment or email your episode topic requests. Thanks for listening! Be well, be you and breathe. ​ If you liked this episode, tell a friend, post a tweet and subscribe!

Ep 8: Don't Let Stigma Stop You

Welcome to Discover Solutions, Feel Better Podcast. I’m your host Dr. Theresa Lewis. I’m a psychologist who’s passionate about helping people discover solutions and feel better, and I have so much to share with you to help you with your health and wellness goals. In Episode 7 I will be giving you practical tips to help your exercise plan stick! Our bodies were made to move and we need to do just that. Spring has sprung so if you have been inactive during the winter, now is the best time to get moving - as exercise is the number one self-help tool to relieve anxiety, stress, and depression; and to help manage ADHD, and improve our cognitive abilities. Exercise doesn't have to mean rigorous athletic exertion. You can find small ways to be more active throughout the day. Just like any good habit, you've got to come up with ways to build it into your life. In today's episode, I will review the following 6 strategies for making exercise a healthful habit.  Goal Setting Bundling Rainbow Thinking Flexibility Social influences Bet on it Most of all, I hope you motivate yourself with kindness and love rather than self-criticism. So give these strategies a try and let me know how it goes. You can do it.  I'll be back soon with more inspiration to help you Discover Solutions and Feel Better. Until then, be well, be you and breathe.

Ep 7: Six Strategies for Making Exercise a Healthful Habit

Welcome to Discover Solutions, Feel Better Podcast. I’m your host Dr. Theresa Lewis. I’m a psychologist who’s passionate about helping people feel better and I have so much to share with you to help you with your health and wellness goals. In Episode 6 I will be talking about the benefits of sleep. Long, restful restorative sleep is fundamental to our health and well-being. We know the benefits of getting good sleep include: Boosting our immunity Supporting our mental well-being Preventing diabetes Increasing our sex drive Warding off heart disease Yet, many of us struggle with getting good sleep. Have you ever had difficulty sleeping?  You’re not alone! According to a recent Consumer Reports survey 27% of US adults said they have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep most nights and 68% struggle with sleep at least once a week. The good news is that the common problems that are associated with sleep disturbances like insomnia are often easily and naturally addressed. There are 3 incredibly helpful, non-drug treatments for insomnia which I’ll explain in detail in today’s episode. They are: Stimulus Control Sleep Preparation Relaxation In the show notes of episode 4 you will find the download link for the guided muscle relaxation I mention in the podcast. Please give it a try and let me know if it helps you. Thanks for tuning in! Be well, be you, and breathe.  

Ep 6: Do You Have Trouble Sleeping? These Natural Methods Can Help

Welcome to Discover Solutions, Feel Better Podcast. I’m your host Dr. Theresa Lewis. I’m a psychologist who’s passionate about helping people feel better and I have so much to share with you to help you with your health and wellness goals. On today’s episode I will be continuing my series discussing my Six Foundations of Psychological Health and Wellness that lay the groundwork for us to be our whole self and live the life that we want to live. These Six Foundations are: Awareness, Love, Food, Movement, Relaxation, and Sleep. Today I will be talking about Food. We are now in the second month of the New Year and it is at this time that our resolutions can start to lose momentum. Since many New Year’s resolutions involve changing the way we eat, I thought this would be the perfect time to talk about the link between food and psychological health. Here are some of the things I will cover in today’s episode: The bigger picture and how our environment plays a role in our eating habits. What are heavily processed foods and how are they keeping us from receiving adequate nutrition to thrive and feel our best? Why do we often feel stuck in the rut of unhealthy eating patterns even when we know better?  The significance of food cravings and how they relate to the nature of our brains. How specific nutrients in our food directly affect our mood. I will also give you a tool and some tricks you can start using today to help support you on your path to healthful eating.  It is my hope that the information in this episode will help you understand more of what’s going on and how you can help yourself stay on track with healthful, sustainable eating.   I'll be back soon with more inspiration to help you Discover Solutions and Feel Better. Until then, be well, be you and breathe.

Ep 5: How to Feed Your Brain to Feel Better

Welcome to Discover Solutions, Feel Better Podcast. I’m your host Dr. Theresa Lewis. I’m a psychologist who’s passionate about helping people feel better and I have so much to share with you to help you with your health and wellness goals. Today in Episode 4 my co-host Natalie and I discuss Relaxation as a Foundation of Psychological Heath and Wellness. We face stressors throughout the day and we rise to the occasion to manage the demands placed upon us. The question is: do we know how to come back from stress - come home  to our true nature?  Stress and anxiety can be eased with a good understanding of how to relax both your mind and your body. Good levels of relaxation can be achieved through resting, vacationing, and watching tv, and those things are great. My hope for today is that I can also share with you some deeper, restorative relaxation techniques so you can reap the full benefits of relaxation.  One effective technique is a guided muscle relaxation exercise. I’ll gladly share a free downloadable version here so you can give it a try.  Thanks for tuning in today! Be well, be you, and breathe :)

Ep 4: Relaxation is Key

Welcome to Discover Solutions, Feel Better Episode 3. I’m your host Dr. Theresa Lewis. I’m a psychologist who’s passionate about helping people feel better and I have so much to share that will help you with your health and wellness goals. Last week we talked about Awareness being the first pillar of psychological health and wellness so please feel free to go back and listen to Episode 2 first if you’d like a little more context for my topic today. In this episode I discuss Love as our next pillar of psychological health and wellness. With this new awareness of our thoughts and feelings will come some discomfort. It may be natural to seek ways to avoid that discomfort. Bringing in love for yourself, however, is the only way to ease and overcome those painful feelings. Listen in to learn more. I'll be back every other Tuesday to reach out with more inspiration to help you Discover Solutions and Feel Better. Until then, be well, be you and breathe.

Ep 3: You Deserve to Be Loved by You

Welcome to Discover Solutions, Feel Better Episode 2. I’m your host Dr. Theresa Lewis. I’m a psychologist who’s passionate about helping people feel better and I have so much to share with you to help you with your health and wellness goals. In this episode I discuss Awareness and how to channel your attention so that you can enjoy the benefits of working “in flow” and having truly rich relationships. Developing your awareness will enable you to be a better listener and to differentiate between effective and detrimental multitasking. I also want to teach you about our human tendency toward negativity bias so that you can steer your awareness to resist this. I'll be back soon with more guidance for you, focused on the second foundation - Love. Until then, be well and be you!

Ep 2: Awareness is Your Superpower

Hello and Welcome to our premier episode of Discover Solutions, Feel Better. Thank you for joining me, Dr. Theresa Lewis, on this journey and for being passionate about your health. As a psychologist, I love helping people feel better and I have so much to share with you to help you on your wellness goals. In this episode I introduce my Six Foundations of Psychological Health and Wellness. Heading into the holidays is the perfect time to take stock in ourselves. I touch on each foundation today because a lot of our work moving forward will be supported by these concepts and I want to lay down a solid understanding. These Six Foundations are: Awareness, Love, Food, Movement, Relaxation and Sleep. Thank you for joining us! I'll be back soon with more guidance for you, focused on the first Foundation - Awareness. Until then, be well and be you!

Ep 1: Six Foundations of Psychological Health and Wellness

Why wait? Begin now to cultivate positive habits and practices to create a life that feels good. Discover Solutions, Feel Better is a podcast hosted by psychologist, Theresa Lewis, Ph.D. She provides a calm, simple approach to help you awaken to your true self, without all the hype and overwhelm. She’s here to guide you with strategies and information for a healthy life. To stay in touch, visit wakepsychology.com. Please subscribe to Discover Solutions, Feel Better and take care of yourself today!