Managing Stress Blogs | Illinois Extension

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Spring forward with clearing the clutter

March 11, 2024

Clutter can be described as a disordered heap or mass of objects. When we think about what qualifies as clutter it can mean different things for different people. For example, magnets on a fridge could qualify as clutter to one person but to someone else, it wouldn’t be. Clutter is very subjective...

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New Year's resolutions for mental health

December 27, 2023

Family Files

According to Google’s English Dictionary, the word “resolution” means a firm decision to do or not do something. So many of us feel that the beginning of a new year is a great time to set resolutions or goals to work on, but how successful are we? A...

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Managing holiday stress

November 27, 2023

Family Files

The American Psychological Association has conducted a nationwide survey in its Mind/Body campaign since 2007. The focus is to examine the state of stress nationwide and understand its impact. The study in 2023 indicated that 55% of Americans are stressed during the day. Managing stress can help...

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Celebrate National Family Caregiver Month this November

October 25, 2023

Family Files

Families are often the primary source of support for older adults and people with disabilities. In fact, today in America, more than 53 million family caregivers provide unpaid care. That's an economic value totaling more than $470 billion. The caregiving population is greatly diverse...

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Please don't go: Separation anxiety and children

July 30, 2023

Family Files

School will be starting before we know it, and with the start of school, we see preschoolers and even older elementary school-age children having a difficult time with the transition and being away from home and loved ones. The Illinois Early...

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Ten suggestions for improved positivity and well-being

March 23, 2023

Family Files

Our lives are bombarded with negativity, stress and countless threats to our emotional well-being. New research in neuroscience and positive psychology show that when we experience happiness and positivity, it turns on all the learning centers in the brain and fuels positive outcomes in all aspects...

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How to manage the winter blues

January 25, 2023

Family Files

Winter is upon us and those longer hours of darkness coupled with the colder temperatures can make many people experience those “winter blues.” I have become much more aware of the signs of mental health issues since becoming a facilitator for Mental...

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How to deal with academic burnout and stress

November 30, 2022

Family Files

With finals around the corner many students are feeling unmotivated or stressed. It can be hard to finish off the semester strong with such stress and pressure. Sometimes the constant buildup of projects, papers, exams, presentations, etc. can be too overwhelming and cause burnout. There seems to...

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Manage holiday stress

November 27, 2022

Family Files

With the anticipation of the holidays, there can also be that feeling of dread – how are you going to get everything done on an already busy schedule? For many people, the extensive preparations they engage in to pull off those picture-perfect holidays create so much stress, that they can’t even...

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Celebrate National Family Caregiver Month in November

October 21, 2022

Family Files

We all know someone who is providing care for someone else. They may be caring for an older parent, a disabled adult child, or a spouse suffering from a traumatic injury or chronic illness. Even parents raising children are considered caregivers. Caregivers give of themselves without expecting...

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