Simply Thrive Therapy Blog

What is Positive Psychology? And isn’t it just “thinking positive?” No, certainly not! “Thinking positive” needs to have a realistic foundation to work. Otherwise, we would have all “thought” ourselves into utopia by now! Positive psychology is the practice of utilizing positive elements of the reality around us to provide us with a sense of well-being. Here’s a few basics you can use from positive psychology. If you like it, you can find plenty more where that came from, because it’s an entire field of its own with many dedicated practitioners. Gratitude: this can help refocus your mind from negative things to positive things. They’re both present – the trick

Benefits of Gardening for Your Mental Health Spending time outside is good for our bodies and our minds. If we are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, stepping outside can lift your spirits and mood significantly. Those that love to garden, know that spending time amongst the petals provides numerous mental health benefits such as reducing stress, becoming closer to nature and enjoying peaceful, alone time. Here are some of the benefits of gardening for our mental health.  Promotes exercise Gardening is a great way to get exercise. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins into your brain. Endorphins are chemicals produced by your body to relieve stress and pain. Even though

Tips For Setting Healthy Boundaries Boundaries are based on our values, and they reflect what we are comfortable with in our relationships with others. Boundaries also create structure and accountability in areas of our lives that could otherwise be difficult. For example, a person who struggles to function on few hours of sleep will likely establish a scheduled bedtime. Simple, right? Well, there are times when boundaries can be tough, especially when they involve other people. Although setting boundaries can be difficult, they’re necessary to ensure that our needs are being met. Here are some tips to help you set boundaries. Identify your values. Every one of us has different

Mindful Movement The principles of mindful movement are the same as any other mindfulness practice. The aim is to bring our full attention to the present moment to experience the here and now. We bring our awareness to our movement and focus on our breath or the way our body feels as it moves. When our mind wanders, we bring our attention back to the practice, to our breath, to our body. There are many health benefits to taking time and paying attention to your body and breath with mindful movement.  The best way to begin is to get started with one of these simple mindful movement techniques, some of

Validation and Why We Need It Have you ever shared something difficult with a friend or family member only to be told that someone has it worse? Has someone ever minimized your feelings and experiences because they went through something similar and didn’t have the same struggle? You likely felt invalidated in these moments, which is frustrating and unhelpful in processing emotions. Invalidation can leave one feeling misunderstood or lonely and it can have a negative impact on our relationships. So, let’s talk about validation, why it’s useful, and how we can apply it to our experiences with others. Validation, put plainly, means to recognize or affirm that a person’s

The 5-4-3-2-1 Coping Skill with a bonus 3-D version You may have heard of this calming method before. It helps us use our five senses to “ground” us and bring us back into the present moment when we are feeling anxious.  We pay attention to what we are experiencing in the moment, perhaps coupled with deep breath, and we will find our anxiety easier to manage during stressful situations. The 5-4-3-2-1 Method Explained This is how it goes:  5: Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you. 4: Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around you. 3: Acknowledge THREE things you hear. 2: Acknowledge TWO things you can smell. 1: Acknowledge