Did you know that there are many different types of communication barriers we have to face in our lives? Attitudinal barriers, systematic barriers, physical barriers, physiological barriers, psychological barriers, language barriers, and many more. Here are some easy things to remember that I have used in my own personal life to help facilitate effective communication: […]
Healthy Weight Week has been recognized for 20 years in the hopes that it will help celebrate healthy, diet-free living habits that last a lifetime and prevent eating and weight problems. According to the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors’ (NASMHPD) Report on Morbidity and Mortality, individuals living with serious mental illness die 25 […]
With the New Year here, we have a clean slate with which to start working towards our 2013 goals. Now is the time to realize that if we did not meet our previous year’s goals, we can readjust things to make sure that they happen this year. This is a chance to start a new […]
I thought I’d share a couple pictures of my gardening using plants from the Cadillac and Houghton Lake Mini-Conferences this summer. (You may recall that we did container gardening sessions as a way to promote incorporating fresh and local foods into our diets for better health and wellness.) My plants are doing awesome! It’s the […]
The Action Group meeting in March was very well attended at each office with lots of new participants! It always makes me smile to know that we are growing as a team with each meeting that occurs! At the last meeting, we finalized our Action Group Charge that will enable us to better help others […]
At this month’s Action Group meeting on February 8, we started out by having a leadership activity called “Qualities of a Leader”. This activity helped the group members think about the qualities that well-known leaders possess. They then noticed how they themselves carry some of these same qualities. They honored each other by naming these […]
The Action Group has been accomplishing a lot in its short two-hour monthly meetings. (See the January 2012 Action Group Minutes for all the details.) This group was formed for people to come together to share, make suggestions, give input, learn about volunteer opportunities, plan events, and help stop stigma. They are for people who […]
Another year has flown by and many of us have already started thinking about what our New Year’s resolution should or will be. Resolutions help us reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and how to follow through on those changes. Most of the time, we set resolutions and forget about them […]
It’s that time of year when many people have financial struggles to make ends meet and wonder how to get food on the table and buy Christmas gifts for our children and clothes to keep them warm. At some point in our lives, we have all watched the flame of hope disappear or start to […]
A long time ago, someone told me that I was not good enough to do a lot of things I wanted to in life. Those things at the time seemed like huge goals that because of that one person, I would not be able to meet. I remember looking at that person and wondering how […]
I went to a training a few weeks ago on trauma to learn more better coping skills when dealing with trauma both in my own life, and in helping others with their lives as a peer support specialist. According to the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, trauma is defined as: “The experience […]
by Mary Beth Evans, CPSS, Northern Lakes CMH Recovery Coordinator A major part of becoming a self-manager of your chronic illness is knowing when you need help and how to find help. Poor communication is the biggest factor in poor relationships, whether they are between spouses, other family members or friends, coworkers, or doctors and […]