1. Make Healthy Habits Obvious, Appealing, Easy, and Satisfying
   • Keep a book or journal next to your bed instead of your phone.
   • Pair a new habit with something you enjoy (go for a walk while listening to an
   audiobook or podcast you enjoy).
   • Start small! Instead of “I have to read this book for 30 minutes” try reading a couple
   pages.
   
   
2. Swap Passive Screen Time for Active Engagement
   • Research shows that active forms of leisure-such as hobbies, volunteering, or
   movement-are protective against depression and burnout.
   • Try replacing 15 minutes of social media with something tangible: water your plants,
   draw/paint, call a friend, or journal.
   • Tackle a small task you’ve been putting off (like cleaning out a drawer or organizing
   an area in your space).
   
   
3. Swap Passive Screen Time for Active Engagement
   • Research shows that active forms of leisure-such as hobbies, volunteering, or
   movement-are protective against depression and burnout.
   • Try replacing 15 minutes of social media with something tangible: water your plants,
   draw/paint, call a friend, or journal.
   • Tackle a small task you’ve been putting off (like cleaning out a drawer or organizing
   an area in your space).
   
   

The Long-Term Mental Health Payoff
Replacing screen time with more rewarding alternatives/activities creates space for better emotional regulation, improved sleep, and deeper presence through mindfulness. As summer stretches ahead, you don’t need to disconnect completely. You may want to consider choosing, intentionally, what you connect to. Whether that’s a new hobby, meaningful rest, or deeper relationships, the result is more than reduced screen time – it’s a healthier mind.

References:
Clear, James. (2018). Atomic Habits: an easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones (PDF ed.). New York: Avery.
Viner, R. M., et al. (2021). Adolescents’ screen time and mental health: A systematic review of reviews. BMC Public Health, 21(1), 1-15.

Genna Weinberg, LPCC
Therapist and In-Person DBT IOP Director
The Behavioral Wellness Group
8224 Mentor Ave #208     Mentor OH  44060
P:  440 392 2222 #802    F:  440 565 2349
gweinberg@intakebehavioralwellnessgroup.com
www.behavioralwellnessgroup.com

The post Breaking the Cycle: Reducing Screen Time and Boosting Mental Health appeared first on Behavioral Wellness Group.

This look back can be a great exercise, it can feel like a celebration of what’s shaped us, what we’ve enjoyed, and what we’ve accomplished. But for many, the act of reflection can also feel overwhelming. Seeing it all laid out: what we did and, perhaps, what we didn’t do, can amplify anxiety, spark feelings of frustration or shame, and sometimes leave us questioning our own progress.

Many of us feel the subtle (or not-so-subtle) pressure of the “New Year, New Me” mindset. We may end up setting expectations for January that feel unattainable, especially if we’re measuring against goals from the previous year that didn’t turn out as planned. This can lead to a spiral of self-criticism or guilt that only serves to make us feel stuck.

But what if we approached our reflections with compassion instead of judgment? Instead of focusing on what we didn’t accomplish, what if we took time to acknowledge the effort we put in, the resilience we built, and even the challenges we faced that we didn’t anticipate? Reflection can be a tool for growth and understanding if we can keep kindness at the center of it.

Things to consider:

Setting goals effectively within healthy boundaries is a skill that allows us to aim for growth while avoiding burnout, disappointment, or self-criticism. Here are a few therapeutic tools to help you set goals that are meaningful and manageable—and if you don’t want to set resolutions? That’s fine, too! New Year’s resolutions aren’t a requirement.

• Practice Self-Compassion: Be kind to yourself. Instead of creating goals from a place of self-criticism, try setting them with a mindset of kindness. Self-compassion helps us be gentler with ourselves if we encounter setbacks and reminds us that change is a gradual process. Remember: not every single one of your resolutions will come to fruition.

• Create Small, Mindful Steps: Pace yourself. Break down your goal into small, actionable steps that you can take mindfully. Start with one or two small changes and avoid quickly jumping into a new resolution full speed.

• Use SMART goals: (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) help create clear, attainable, and actionable goals

• Set Boundaries: Setting boundaries around goal setting is crucial to avoid burnout. Boundaries keep us from overextending ourselves and help us stay grounded in what we can realistically achieve.

So, as you look back on your year – whether that’s in music, through photos, or through milestones, try to notice the small victories as well as the big ones. Allow yourself to feel gratitude for where you are and how far you’ve come, no matter what that journey has looked like. Reflection doesn’t have to be an exercise in “fixing” yourself. It can be a way to understand yourself more deeply and carry that understanding into the new year with grace.

Genna Weinberg, LPCC
Therapist and In-Person DBT IOP Director
The Behavioral Wellness Group
8224 Mentor Ave #208     Mentor OH  44060
P:  440 392 2222 #802    F:  440 565 2349
gweinberg@intakebehavioralwellnessgroup.com
www.behavioralwellnessgroup.com

The post December Reflection: Looking Back with Compassion appeared first on Behavioral Wellness Group.

Understanding Boundaries

Boundaries play a pivotal role in maintaining our overall well-being and fostering healthy relationships. Drawing insights from Nedra Glover Tawwab, a licensed therapist and boundary expert, let’s delve into what boundaries are, how they manifest in our lives, strategies for implementing them, and why they can be challenging.

Boundaries are limits we set to protect our physical, emotional, and mental well-being. According to Nedra Glover Tawwab, boundaries can manifest in various forms:

Physical Boundaries: Our personal space and touch. They dictate how close we allow others to come physically. Question to consider are: What kind of rules do I want to maintain with my personal space, my body, my overall privacy? How much distance do I want between myself and another person?

Examples:

• “I don’t appreciate comments like that.”
• “I am not a hugger, but I am happy to shake your hand!”
• “I get uncomfortable when people are too close to me, I would like a bit more personal space please.”

Emotional Boundaries: Our feelings and emotional energy. Emotional boundaries involve recognizing and communicating our emotions without allowing others to dictate or invalidate them. Questions to consider are: How much emotional energy am I capable of taking in? Do I feel comfortable sharing my emotions with this person? Are my feelings being respected?

Examples:

• “I appreciate your concern, but I do not want to discuss that right now.”
• “I am feeling a bit overwhelmed, can we reschedule for a different day?”

Mental Boundaries: Taking care of our personal thoughts, beliefs, values, and opinions. They involve autonomy over our intellectual space and not allowing others to manipulate, coerce, bully, or control our thinking. Questions to consider are: am I comfortable with this interaction? Do I feel heard, valued, supported?

Examples:

• “I respect your opinion even if I don’t agree with it, I would like you to respect mine.”
• “From now on, I’d prefer not to engage in debates or discussions where my views are consistently dismissed or challenged.”

Implementing Boundaries:

• Self-Awareness: Know your limits. Understand your own needs, values, and limits before communicating them to others.
• Clear Communication: Be assertive and to the point. Express your boundaries directly, Use “I” statements to convey your needs and feelings.
• Consistency: Be a broken record. Maintain consistency in upholding your boundaries, even when faced with resistance or pushback.
• Self-Compassion: Be gentle with yourself. Recognize that setting boundaries is an act of self-care, not selfishness. If you are a people-pleaser, take note of this as we can get caught in prioritizing others needs before our own.

The Challenge of Boundaries:

• Guilt and Obligation: Societal expectations can make it difficult to assert one’s needs since many of us are taught from a young age to prioritize other’s needs or be accommodating. The fear of losing approval or acceptance from others can trigger feelings of guilt for asserting our own needs.
• Fear of Conflict: Many of us seek to avoid conflict in our relationships. Setting boundaries, particularly if it involves saying no or asserting our needs can create tension.
• Past Experiences: Past experiences of having boundary violations may lead to a struggle to trust our instincts or prioritize our own boundaries. Past experiences can create fear of repeating negative outcomes or being viewed as ‘bad’/perceived negatively by others.

In conclusion,there is not ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to boundaries. Each one of us has different needs and through understanding what boundaries are, and employing strategies to implement them, we empower ourselves to live authentically and cultivate more meaningful connections in the world. Remember that boundaries are not about building walls or shutting others out; they’re about fostering connection, respect, and mutual understanding.  As Nedra Glover Tawwab emphasizes, boundaries are not barriers; they are bridges to greater self-awareness, respect, and harmony in our lives. If you find yourself wanting or needing to explore boundaries in your life, please feel free to give us a call at The Behavioral Wellness Group (440.392.2222).

References:

Cloud, H., & Townsend, J. S. (2017). Boundaries: when to say yes, how to say no to take control of your life. Updated and expanded [edition]. Grand Rapids, Michigan, Zondervan.

Tawwab, N. G. (2021). Set boundaries, find peace: a guide to reclaiming yourself. TarcherPerigee, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Genna Weinberg, LPCC
Therapist and In-Person DBT IOP Director
The Behavioral Wellness Group
8224 Mentor Ave #208     Mentor OH  44060
P:  440 392 2222 #802    F:  440 565 2349
gweinberg@behavioralwellnessgroup.com
www.behavioralwellnessgroup.com

The post Boundaries… What are those? appeared first on Behavioral Wellness Group.