Life By Design Therapy

  December 1st is World AIDS Day. Today, Life by Design Therapy acknowledges the toll that an HIV or AIDS diagnosis can take on individuals' mental health, as well as their physical form. Living with HIV/AIDS can mean facing additional stressors, such as: ⭐️ Social stigma and losing close relationships ⭐️ Isolation due to a weakened immune system ⭐️ Stress or anxiety about disclosing your HIV status ⭐️ Complex medical care, including daily medications ⭐️ Changes in physical appearance or abilities due to illness ⭐️ Loss of others in the HIV/AIDS community Because life with HIV/AIDS often comes with one or more of these additional stressors, people living with HIV/AIDS are at higher risk of developing mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety. To support the lives of Black and queer individuals living with HIV/AIDS this World AIDS Day, consider donating to the Black AIDS Institute at  blackaids.org . https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/

  Life by Design Therapy wishes all of our clients a happy holiday season! As we approach a long string of winter holidays, COVID-19 is on everyone's minds. While this year's celebrations may need to look different, we believe it is vital to embrace the holidays as best as we can. After all, the holidays offer opportunities for slowing down, connecting with loved ones, and nourishing our minds, bodies, and spirits with food and festivities -- all of which can contribute positively to our mental health. With that in mind, we are sharing our best tips for celebrating the holidays safely despite the coronavirus pandemic on the Life by Design Therapy blog -- get the link in the comments below ❣️ https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/blog/coronavirus-holiday-tips/11/2020

  At Life by Design Therapy, nearly half of our clients identify as Black. As a Black-owned company, it is especially important to us to support our current and future clients who identify as BIPOC -- which is why we have established a fund to make mental healthcare more accessible to marginalized communities in the Bay Area. Our organization has historically supported social justice movements and promoted cultural competence within the field of mental healthcare, yet we recognize that there is still much work to be done. It is time for Life by Design Therapy and our community to step up to help BIPOC access the mental health services they need during these heavy times. We cannot do it without your help. By donating to Life by Design's new fund, you will be sponsoring mental health treatment for BIPOC clients who normally could not afford our services. Special priority will be given to clients who identify as both BIPOC and LGBTQ+, as we understand both of these communities have a

  On Thanksgiving Day , we express our gratitude for our blessings and our loved ones, yet we should also use this holiday to honor the indigenous lives harmed and lost at the hands of our ancestral settlers. Thanksgiving is a holiday dedicated to giving thanks. Given everything our indigenous friends and neighbors have sacrificed for us, it's long past time that we incorporate new traditions into the Thanksgiving canon, ones that celebrate and support the people and tribes who are still suffering due to this country's colonial history. Here are some ways to show your appreciation for indigenous lives this Thanksgiving Day: 🍂 Find out what tribes are indigenous to the areas where you live and work using the Native Land map and acknowledge them at your Thanksgiving feast. For example, our offices in Berkeley and Richmond occupy land belonging to the Karin, Ohlone, Muwekma, and Chochenyo tribes. 🍂 Incorporate indigenous culture into your celebrations. Open your Thanksgiving din

  The pandemic has lasted a lot longer than many of us expected. For parents who are still juggling work-from-home with homeschooling, decision fatigue probably set in a long time ago. If you spend time on Instagram or Pinterest, you'll probably see loads of pictures of "super mommies" planning exciting at-home activities for their kids or designing a dedicated homeschooling area from scratch. But what you won't see are the moments of stress, anxiety, panic, and overwhelm. These emotions affect all parents, even if they aren't posted online. As we face the possibility of another lockdown, you might be worried about what winter has in store for you, the parents, and your kids. The next time you find your thoughts spiraling in this direction, pause, take a deep breath, and remind yourself that it's okay to be less than perfect. During these crazy, challenging times, "good enough" is, well, good enough! That means it's okay if all you can muster up

  There is some powerful science behind stress in the body 🧬 When our bodies are functioning optimally and our internal systems are in balance, the state is known as homeostasis. Anytime homeostasis is thrown off by something we perceive as stressful, our body goes through a series of stages known as the stress response. Many times, stress ends at the first stage of the stress response, where our fight-or-flight response is activated. We experience temporary anxiety and physical symptoms, which are relieved when the source of our stress disappears or becomes managed in a healthy way. However, when stress persists -- for example, if we have a hectic work environment or go through a months-long divorce process -- the body makes changes to adapt to the demands of stress. Over time, these changes can become harmful to our bodies, our health, and our overall sense of well-being. Hans Selye developed the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) pattern to describe the three stages involved in our

  Think there's only one type of stress? Think again! When we talk about being stressed out, we're usually talking about the bad kind of stress, a.k.a. distress. But there's also another kind of stress called eustress, which can be positive and even motivational. While distress causes anxiety and prevents us from performing at our best, eustress can actually be exciting and motivating. Examples of events that might cause eustress are being awarded a big project at work, buying your first house, or picking out holiday gifts. These types of events are usually short-term, which is one reason why we might perceive them as easier to cope with than negative stress. On the other hand, distress often relates to long-term events like divorce, a demanding job -- or even a frame of mind. Low self-esteem and other thinking errors might lead to distress. And, because of this flawed system of beliefs, we assume we aren't able to cope with the source of our distress. The good news is