As much as I colored when I was a kid, when I became an adult, I forgot about the activity until someone introduced me to adult coloring books. When I graduated from college and fully became an adult there were tons of things that I looked forward to –owning a home, traveling the world, and getting married. But as I looked forward, I didn’t think about the things that used to bring me joy that I’d be leaving behind.

Research from the American Heart Association found that adults who watch TV three hours or more per day may be twice as likely to die prematurely than those who watch an hour or less.  Facebook’s internal research revealed that Instagram makes body image issues worse for teen girls. The National College Health Assessment found a significant link between the presence of Facebook and the deterioration in mental health among college students. 

We want the loving relationships we see on Instagram. We want to be the loving couple on Tik Tok who cooks together or works out together. We want the mother daughter social media connections where the mom and daughter get along, have each other’s backs and you feel the love shooting from your tiny phone screen. We want the family that we see on Facebook in matching Christmas pajamas. We want the family who rolls up 10 cars deep because you graduated from beauty school or barber college or wherever your heart set for you to go. We want the relationships we see in pictures.

As therapy for mental health has risen in popularity over the years, more people have expressed frustration in selecting a therapist. But as we know, selecting a mental health professional can be a pivotal step towards improving your mental well-being. Given the wide array of therapists, counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists available, it can be overwhelming to decide who might be the best fit for you.

Here are five essential tips to help you make an informed decision.

I started doing yoga when I opened my first business and having employees began to stress me out. I didn’t have any preconceived notions about yoga, I just tried it. How did I know it was working? When my attorney said to me one day, “I can tell you did your yoga today because you’re calmer.” You mean I’m a raging, crazy person without it?