Tips for Emotional and Relationship Wellness

for the New Year

By Lesa Lee, LCSW-C, Clinical Director, For All Seasons, Inc.

Life has taught me many things. One thing that I’ve learned is that I try to live a balanced life. Looking toward the new year, I am reminded as a mother, a professional, a daughter, and a wife that the coming days will be challenging at times. There may be days when I am overwhelmed. There might be days when I have tensions with my family and friends. There may be days when I replay the tapes of my childhood – questioning my own self-worth. There may be days when I feel like there is nothing going right in my life.

For me stress doesn’t show up as a thought or even a feeling. It’s when I get a stabbing pain in the back of my neck that I realize something is going on and that my life is out of balance. For a lot of my life, I just ignored this symptom and what it was saying about the imbalance that was occurring. Now, I listen to the symptoms and am more mindful of the physical and emotional changes in my body – understanding that it’s just a part of me that is stressed or overwhelmed. It is then that I ask myself, “What do I need?” Part of living a balanced life is recognizing when things are going well and when things aren’t going well. Trying to figure out how to dive into my own vulnerability and let people know that I need help is not always easy.

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How do we manage the stuff in our life? Here are some tips that help me when I am facing imbalance in my life:

• Treat others with respect. Pay it forward by being kind to a stranger.
• Know who I am. Surround myself with different people who help me recognize my strengths and weaknesses.
• Live the life I want to be living. Be genuine with myself.
• Be flexible in my thinking. Set boundaries and expectations with others.
• Be grateful. Focus on the positive before the negative.
• Find balance and purpose in my life. I am responsible for myself and my circle.
• Value my experiences, not my possessions.

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Sometimes, it helps to talk with someone when we have imbalance in our lives as they may cause anxieties which don’t go away or our symptoms interrupt school or work. Throughout the year, For All Seasons brings awareness to the community about such issues as suicide, sexual assault, trauma, and mental health needs. For All Seasons provides Trauma Certified Individual, Family, and Group Therapy; Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatry; and Crisis and Advocacy Services for Child, Adolescent, and Adult Victims of Sexual Assault, Rape and Trauma. For a same-day crisis appointment, call 410-822-1018 or visit forallseasonsinc.org.