6 Research-Proven Stress Relief Activities | Hayden Finch, PhD | Psychologist in Des Moines, Iowa, and Little Rock, Arkansas

6 Research-Proven Stress Relief Activities

November 8, 2020
Last week, you got your gratitude journal started with a month's worth of gratitude journal prompts. You've also been working on your night-time self-care routine. Now, it's time for even more stress relief activities. In this week's article, discover the two-part formula for relieving stress and 6 research-proven strategies for stress relief. In this week’s article, discover The two-part formula to relieving stress 6 research-proven strategies for stress relief Resources for putting them into practice
1-Hour Step-By-Step Self-Care Night Routine | Hayden Finch, PhD | Psychologist in Des Moines, Iowa, and Little Rock, Arkansas

1-Hour Step-By-Step Self-Care Night Routine

October 25, 2020
A couple of months ago, I gave you some ideas for non-cliche ways to take care of yourself -- out with the face masks, in with more creative ideas. Most of you are probably already convinced that a little more self-care would be good for you. But it’s hard to know where to start. To take some of the guesswork out of self-care, I’m here today to present a night time self-care routine. Just follow step by step. In this week’s article, discover: - Step by step what to do tonight to start taking care of yourself - How much time to spend on each step - Ideas about what to do in each step - What time to start your routine - How to modify the routine to fit your life Dive in here!
I Want to Go to Therapy but I'm Scared: How to Choose the Right Therapist | Hayden Finch, PhD | Psychologist in Des Moines, Iowa, and Little Rock, Arkansas

I Want to Go to Therapy but I’m Scared: How to Choose the Right Therapist

September 27, 2020
Each week, I bring you evidence-based strategies for mastering your mental health...the same strategies I teach my own clients in therapy. Through these articles, you’ve learned skills like How to silence your inner critic How to Stop Overthinking How to Rewire Your Anxious Brain But as solid as these strategies are, they can’t replace the personalized care of a licensed mental health professional. If you’ve been wanting to go to therapy, but you’re scared or not sure how to choose the right therapist, this article will teach you how to choose the right therapist. Inside, discover: - 8 things to consider as you’re choosing a therapist - What to look for on the therapist's website - Questions to ask the therapist before your appointment - The only 2 things that matter in choosing a therapist
Toxic Self-Criticism: How to Silence Your Inner Critic y | Hayden Finch, PhD | Psychologist in Des Moines, Iowa, and Little Rock, Arkansas

Toxic Self-Criticism: How to Silence Your Inner Critic

September 20, 2020
Recently, we’ve been diving deep into natural strategies to manage your anxiety -- I brought you 3 mindfulness exercises to change your relationship to your anxiety and gave you all the details on weighted blankets for anxiety. Today, it’s time to address that inner critic. In this week’s article, discover - 6 proven strategies to silence your inner critic - Examples of how to use each strategy - A workbook with even more strategies and a step-by-step process to silence your inner critic
5 Things to Know About Weighted Blankets for Anxiety | Hayden Finch, PhD | Psychologist in Des Moines, Iowa, and Little Rock, Arkansas

5 Things to Know About Weighted Blankets for Anxiety

September 13, 2020
Last week, you discovered three mindfulness exercises to practice as a natural strategy for managing your anxiety (or amplifying the benefits of your medication). Today, we’re diving deep into weighted blankets. You may have heard about them and wondered whether they actually work. Today, I’ll review the research for you with 5 things you need to know about weighted blankets for anxiety. In this week’s article, I’ll share with you -5 things you need to know before you try a weighted blanket -How weighted blankets work -Links to research articles reviewing the evidence -- see for yourself!
3 Mindfulness Exercises to Reduce Anxiety | Hayden Finch, PhD | Therapist in Des Moines, Iowa, and Little Rock, Arkansas

3 Mindfulness Exercises to Reduce Anxiety

September 6, 2020
Last week, I taught you all about mindfulness -- what it is, how it works, and how it impacts your physical and mental health. Today, let’s start putting mindfulness into practice with three exercises designed to reduce anxiety. In this week’s article, I’ll share with you 3 simple mindfulness exercises designed to reduce anxiety Pointers for getting through that period when being alone with your thoughts is uncomfortable More resources for overcoming anxiety naturally
Mindfulness: Explained | Hayden Finch, PhD | Therapist in Des Moines, Iowa, and Little Rock, Arkansas

Mindfulness: Explained

August 30, 2020
If you’ve spent any time Googling about your mental health, you’ve probably run across the concept of mindfulness. It’s got great research support as an intervention for a variety of mental health conditions, ranging from depression to anxiety to insomnia to stress and many more. But what is it really, how is it useful, and how does it impact your health? In this week’s article, I’ll share with you 8 things you need to know about mindfulness How mindfulness impacts your physical health, mental health, and relationships Resources for getting started with your mindfulness practice Dive in here!

8 Non-Cliche Ways to Practice Self-Care (for teachers, nurses, stay-at-home moms, students, and others who are drowning in stress)

August 16, 2020

Many of my clients are convinced that some “me time” is important for their mental health, and sometimes they’re even able to carve out a few minutes for that purpose.  But then, I hear some of them say they’re not really sure what to do with their “me time.”  What’s the best way to practice self-care?  If time is limited, what gives you the biggest bang for your buck?  In this week’s article, I’m bringing you 8 proven self-care strategies that don’t include cliche things like getting a facial or a manicure.  If you’re ready to actually start taking care of yourself, this article is for you.

 

In this week’s article, I’ll share with you 

  • Why self-care is important
  • How to fit self-care into your life
  • 8 evidence-based techniques to actually take care of yourself, without cliche things like bubble baths
  • Links to resources to put those strategies into practice

5 Strategies to Build Self-Confidence

August 9, 2020

What does it feel like to be confident?  A lot of people have no idea...they’ve never experienced self-confidence, and the idea of being confident is nearly unimaginable.  When you struggle to trust your abilities or your judgment, it’s easy for anxiety and depression to creep in.  But having a healthy dose of self-confidence can help you develop skills for handling stress, setbacks, and even failure.  So in this week’s article, I’m bringing you 5 strategies to begin building self-confidence.  

 

In this week’s article, I’ll share with you 

  • 5 proven strategies to build self-confidence
  • Evidence-based techniques to make real changes in how you feel about yourself
  • *Free* worksheets to put those strategies into practice