With all that is going on in the world, we are being bombarded with data about COVID-19. We are being asked to stay home to protect ourselves, families, and friends. We are being told to work and attend school from home. We are told that it is ok, and in fact normal, to be anxious, scared, depressed, or angry. We are being given advice about how to manage this crisis and the myriad of feelings we are experiencing (e.g. routines, yoga, meditation, social connection, etc.). While this information … [Read more...]
Parenting in Crisis
Parenting can be one of the most difficult jobs we have to do (and one of the most rewarding), and it can become even more difficult when external stressors increase. Currently, with the drastic changes that have taken place in our world due to COVID 19, many parents are feeling overwhelmed and are working hard to manage their own anxiety while also trying to manage their child(ren)’s anxiety. So how do we take care of our own feelings and needs, when our children need us more than … [Read more...]
Social Connection in a Time of Social Distancing
In 1988, a pivotal study[i] found that social connection was more highly correlated to life span than obesity, smoking, and hypertension. Wait, what? You read that right. In other words, low quantity (and to a lesser degree low quality) of social interactions was linked to an increased risk of early death, even more so than the obvious health problems. That’s huge, right? One of the most interesting findings (at least to me) was that the number of social connections, not necessarily the … [Read more...]
Between the Sheets
Commonly provided advice regarding sleep has often missed the boat on the most up-to-date research regarding how our brains and bodies truly work related to sleep. While there is nothing inherently wrong with advice such as “go to bed earlier” or “get 8 hours per night,” the MOST important tips regarding to get better sleep may surprise you. We need to honor our body’s needs and natural circadian rhythm. Research has uncovered that a variety of bodily functions occur within our bodies … [Read more...]
Where we are from, Where we are going
Wow - it’s been almost five years since we opened The Center for Collaborative Health in Edina! It’s been surprisingly busy, and we are so thankful for that! So busy, in fact, that we haven’t had the time to do things that we set out to do originally, like BLOG! Given our newfound loss of freedom to be out in the world, we thought we would finally take the time to tell everyone a little bit about our clinic and how we got here. How We Got Started In 2015, Nicole and I sat in a small … [Read more...]