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When teenage boys isolate, it is often misinterpreted as independence or defiance. In reality, it’s more of a protective response to the stress they are feeling inside. They don’t withdraw because they don’t care, rather because they don’t feel safe expressing what they are experiencing. …
If you are struggling with infertility or pregnancy related challenges, watching others get pregnant quickly can be a tough terrain to navigate. There is no right or wrong way to feel, but sometimes negative feelings can take over and that’s normal. Let’s talk about why …
When you are in a relationship, it’s important for your partnership to remain healthy and balanced, no matter who brings home the most money. But due to societal expectations, it can be more of a challenge if the woman in the relationship is the breadwinner. Let’s discuss three things that can help you navigate this situation.
It all starts with a good plan. Talk about what your goals are in every area of your life, not just money. Find out what makes your partner feel fulfilled emotionally, how they envision daily life/family life, and how they want to grow and develop personally. Knowing these things can help you and your partner make a plan for how to manage your relationship and merge your lives so that you are both satisfied and happy.
Avoid stereotypes about gender roles because they do not work for everyone and every situation. The days of men always being the primary providers and women only focusing on the home is very outdated.
“As society evolves, so too does the concept of what it means to be a provider, a partner, and a parent. In this modern landscape, embracing change can lead to a richer, more fulfilling life together.”
(Page, Brian. “Managing the Emotions of a Marriage with a Female Breadwinner.” Modern Husbands. August 12, 2024. “https://www.modernhusbands.com/post/empowering-female-breadwinners-in-the-modern-marriage)
Finding a balance that works for both of you is key. There’s so much more than money that someone contributes to the relationship and home life. Maybe one person tends to be the one who is more romantic and affectionate, who is better at taking care of the connection, maybe someone is better at taking care of the money or organizing and planning. If one person makes the money, maybe the other person is good at helping the primary breadwinner disengage from work and slow down. Look at contributions from a wider lens, not just practical things.
It’s so important to be open about your feelings, concerns and expectations. You’ll need to communicate about the roles you both play, your finances and goals that you have (individually and as a couple).
It’s helpful if both you and your partner acknowledge and discuss the value that the other one brings to the relationship which could be managing household duties, emotional support, financial support, etc. This can help you both respect and appreciate what you each bring to the table and how you fill in the gaps for each other.
Don’t let unspoken tensions about roles or who contributes more financially fester and create a divide between you. Be proactive and talk through any feelings or insecurities that you have and refocus on the appreciation for each other’s contributions.
Supporting Each Other’s Emotional Needs is so important. If the woman is the breadwinner it may unintentionally create an emotional power imbalance..
“When women hold financial power in a relationship, there’s a potential to unintentionally emasculate their partners, using income as a way to prove power or control.”
(Yates, Monica. “Real Talk About Being The Breadwinner As A Woman.” Monica Yates Health. October 26, 2024. “https://monicayateshealth.com/blogs/relationships/real-talk-about-being-the-breadwinner-as-a-woman)
The partner who brings home less money may feel insecure about their role. If you both can value the contributions they make besides money, you’ll both win.
Both partners are affected by financial successes and setbacks, so celebrate wins together and address the hard times together as well. No matter who is bringing home the bigger paycheck, it’s important to be supportive during the highs and the lows and understand that the roles could always be reversed.
No matter who the breadwinner is, a good relationship is built on mutual respect and working together as a team. It’s important that both partners feel valued and fulfilled in their roles and this happens when you communicate and support each other.
If you are facing challenges in your relationship related to dynamics around money, reach out to us, we can help.
If your child is having consistent emotional, behavioral, or social challenges that interfere with their daily life, well-being, or development then it may be time to look into getting some professional help for them. As a concerned parent you will want to do some research …
You have probably heard it said, or maybe you have said it yourself, “I don’t need to go to therapy, that’s what I have friends for”. Is it great to have friends to confide in and vent to when you are going through something stressful? …
It’s natural to feel responsible for things you’re not responsible for. Feeling like everything is on you can be exhausting and can lead to breaking you down physically and/or emotionally. Let’s talk about 3 things that you can let go of and remind yourself that you do not have to be responsible for in 2025.
We all want the people in our lives to be happy. It’s okay to want people to be happy, but to carry the weight of ensuring their happiness at all costs, will have a negative impact on you.
If you feel like it’s your job to keep someone happy, check in to see if that’s what they’re actually asking of you. And if they are, it may be time for a conversation to balance out the responsibility.
But what seems to happen more often is that we put this burden on ourselves. Making others happy may make you feel validated or liked; or maybe you don’t like conflict so you want people to be happy to keep the peace. No matter the reason, you go to great lengths to make sure people are happy, even if it means you are uncomfortable or have to do things that cause stress, or unhappiness, for yourself.
It’s not a bad thing to care about others and be concerned for their well-being. However, “the key is to examine your motivations and intentions. Don’t do things only because you fear rejection or want the approval of others. Keep doing good things, but on your own terms.”
Everyone experiences a variety of positive and negative emotions, it’s natural and nothing to be ashamed of. We don’t find ourselves apologizing for the positive ones, just the negative ones…why is that? If you wouldn’t say sorry for feeling happy, then why would you say sorry for feeling sad or upset? Those feelings are real and you shouldn’t feel like you have to apologize for them when they come up.
Apologizing for your feelings is not necessary. The only thing that could require an apology is how you handled an emotion. We discussed the habits of emotionally strong people in a previous blog; check it out to learn how to make an intentional choice to respond to your emotions in a healthy manner.
Most people fool themselves into believing that they can solve every problem in their life and the lives of their loved ones. Thinking this way can lead to unnecessary stress because when a problem can’t be solved, you feel like a failure. If there’s a problem and you can easily fix it or help to make it better, great! But you have to remember that sometimes there are things that are out of our control and we do not have the power to fix them.
You may put this pressure on yourself or others may put this pressure on you. Are you the go to person in your family or friend group that people look to when they have a problem that needs to be solved? If so, this may be flattering because it means they trust you and think you have the skills needed to fix things. But it can also be overwhelming if everyone looks to you to save them; or if you just think it’s your responsibility to save them.
“It’s okay to set boundaries, protect your energy, and let go of what isn’t yours to manage. Peace comes when we focus on what’s truly ours and release the rest.” (evolvecounselingaz. “20 Things that are Not Your Responsibility.” *Instagram, December 14, 2024, www.instagram.com/p/DDhkL7Ny2Rg/?igsh=ZGUzMzM3NWJiOQ%3D%3D)
Do what you can to help solve problems for others, or yourself, but accept the fact that you may not be able to always fix it and that’s okay.
Going into a new year is a chance to look at what behaviors and habits have served you well over the last year and what has caused you stress or held you back in some way. Letting go of the things that you do not have to be responsible for can lead to a happier, healthier year for you and those close to you. If you need support to assess and address your own behaviors and habits, contact us, we can help.
It’s very common to hear stories about people with romantic infatuations but they are not always rooted in love. Instead of it being love, it could be limerence. But what is limerence and when would a person need to seek help for it? Let’s break …
Before becoming a parent you may think you know what type of parent you will be and how you will handle the ups and down that come along with this very important role. But you may quickly realize as a new parent that regulating your …
People use the terms panic attack and anxiety attack interchangeably, and although they may appear to be similar, they really are very different. You might mistake a panic attack for an anxiety attack (in someone else, or yourself) if you are not aware of the differences in their causes, symptoms and impact, so let’s clear this up!
A panic attack usually starts suddenly without a warning. There may not be anything specific that triggers it, so it can be difficult to determine the cause. It can just start out of the blue and seemingly start for no reason. There may be an underlying reason but it is not clear or easy to identify.
“It’s not known what causes panic attacks or panic disorder, but these factors may play a role: Genetics, Major stress, temperament that is more sensitive to stress or prone to negative emotions, Certain changes in the way parts of your brain function.” (“Panic attacks and panic disorder.” Mayoclinic.org. May 4, 2018. www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/symptoms-causes/syc-20376021)
An anxiety attack will usually gradually build and get worse with time. Typically there is something that triggers it and you easily attribute it to a particular event or situation. Some examples of triggers could be social interactions, conflict, health issues, stress, financial struggles,etc. When a person encounters a trigger their body reacts as if they are in danger, leading to the anxiety attack.
Both panic and anxiety attacks can cause physical, mental and emotional symptoms.
The symptoms of a panic attack are intense and peak quickly, within a matter of minutes. Some of the common physical symptoms for a panic attack are dizziness, excessive sweating, racing heart, difficulty breathing, nausea or abdominal pain. A person can also feel detached from reality or oneself, fearful of dying, losing control or going crazy, or experience intense terror.
Symptoms of an anxiety attack can vary in intensity and some can last longer. They can include sleep disturbances, irritability, concentration difficulties, worry and muscle tension. There can still be some immediate physical symptoms like dizziness and shortness of breath.
The depression project explains the impacts of each:
Panic Attack: These are extremely disruptive and characterized by its severely intense physical symptoms.
Anxiety Attack: These are disruptive but can be mild, moderate or severe in nature. These are therefore less intense but can still impair one’s day-to-day functioning.
([thedepressionproject]. “Panic Attack vs. Anxiety Attack.” *Instagram, July 23, 2024, www.instagram.com/p/C9w7Fl_NcMz/?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA%3D%3D&img_index=5)
Panic attacks can affect a person’s life in a negative way. They can begin to get worse or start to last longer. This can make it hard to keep a job or function in social settings. And because the panic attacks seemingly come out of no where, there can be anticipatory anxiety. Meaning: fear that it will happen, which causes you to limit exposure to things you think could be causing the panic. A person may not want to leave home because they are afraid that they may unintentionally put themselves in a situation that leads to an attack.
Anxiety attacks can also have a negative impact on a person’s life. They can lead to fatigue and exhaustion, changes in appetite and brain fog. All of these effects can lead to the breakdown of relationships or motivation to engage in social or work activities.
So while the impacts of a panic attack and anxiety attack can be similar, the main difference seems to be that panic attacks can be more disruptive due to their severe onset and intensity, making them harder to predict and manage.
Understanding these key differences can help you identify and address what you are experiencing.
Medication, stress management, relaxation techniques, regular exercise, healthy eating habits and therapy can all be ways to address a panic or anxiety attack. Treatment and prevention will depend on your experiences and the intensity level of you symptoms. If you would like to talk with someone about getting help to manage one of these contact us.
Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, but if you’re reading this, you know that going on vacation involves stress. Sometimes it’s stress before, during and/or after. But you can take action and cut down on the stress. Let’s break this down so you can get …