How to Manage Stress in Two Steps | Hayden Finch, PhD | Psychologist in Des Moines, Iowa, and Little Rock, Arkansass | Hayden Finch, PhD | Psychologist in Des Moines, Iowa, and Little Rock, Arkansas

How to Manage Stress in 2 Steps

December 6, 2020
No matter what type of mental health symptoms you have, more stress = more symptoms. This is true for anxiety (more stress = more anxiety), depression (more stress = more depression), and just about every other mental health condition. So, a big component of managing your mental health in general is to manage stress. "Stress management" can seem like a vague concept, so this week I'm breaking it down into a two-step process to simplify the process. In this week’s article, discover: - How to know if you're stressed - The two-step process to manage stress - How to put each step into practice - A TON of free resources for putting the two-step process into action Dive in here!
6 WAYS TO FIGHT SEASONAL DEPRESSION | Hayden Finch, PhD | Psychologist in Des Moines, Iowa, and Little Rock, Arkansas

6 Ways to Fight Seasonal Depression

November 22, 2020
How are y'all doing with adjusting to the time change?  Usually it takes most people a couple of weeks to adjust.  But lemme tell ya...this time change is rough for people who are at risk for seasonal depression.  In fact, I consider the end of DST to be the official start of Seasonal Depression season.   If you struggle with your mood in the winter, the best time to start addressing it is before you notice your mood tanking.  This week, I've got proven strategies to help you protect yourself from seasonal depression this year.  You've got enough to contend with -- you don't need seasonal depression on top of it! In this week’s article, discover: What causes seasonal depression 6 proven strategies for fighting seasonal depression Resources for putting those strategies into practice Dive in here!
6 Things to Do During A Social Media Detox | Hayden Finch, PhD | Psychologist in Des Moines, Iowa, and Little Rock, Arkansas

6 Things to Do During A Social Media Detox

November 15, 2020
If you've been following along with my articles, you've been working really hard to de-stress your life. In the past few months, you've - Practiced using mindfulness to reduce anxiety - Purchased a weighted blanket - Started silencing your inner critic - Developed a night-time self-care routine - Created a gratitude journal habit, and -Picked up some new stress-relief activities Now, you're ready for another challenge. Time to detox from social media. In this week’s article, discover - Why you need a social media detox - Why it's so hard to do - What to do during your social media detox
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

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