Main Street Counseling Solutions

Stress affects us all. It is a natural feeling of not being able to cope with certain demands or events. And much like anxiety, a little stress is ok, even motivating. Too much however can wear us down and wreak havoc on our body and mind.
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We can’t totally eliminate stress from our lives but we can develop tools to manage it in a healthier way.
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Explore the questions on this flow-chart to help de-escalate your stress response: Identify the SOURCE of the stressor. Once you recognize the cause of your stress you can better manage your stressors. Relationships, life transitions, finances and unrealistic expectations are a few major causes of stress.
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Get to know your stress SYMPTOMS. Muscle tension, headaches, poor sleep, being easily irritated and constant worry are some common signs of stress.
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Take note of the things that you can CONTROL. Change your behavior or reaction when appropriate. Try to let go of things that are out of your control. Use a coping skill to manage things you can’t change.
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Ask yourself if setting a BOUNDARY would be helpful. Over scheduling yourself or saying yes to things that you don’t want to do can lead to pressure and overwhelm. Setting healthy boundaries with friends or relatives can also be beneficial. Know your limits and stick to them.
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Do things to DE-STRESS. We are better able to reverse the stress response with a calm nervous system. Breathing exercises, meditation, imagery and aromatherapy can help. Going for a walk, journaling your feelings, taking a warm bath, doing yoga or connecting with a friend or pet can also decrease stress.
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Everyone responds to stress differently. Experiment with a variety of coping strategies to see what works best for you.
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It is estimated that we have more than 6,000 thoughts a day. These thoughts are so important because they drive our emotions and behaviors.⁠
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When having a negative unhelpful thought remind yourself that NOT EVERYTHING YOU THINK IS TRUE!⁠
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Challenging your thoughts is a crucial step in breaking negative thinking patterns. Often distorted thinking is the cause of anxiety, depression and low self esteem. ⁠
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These thoughts are usually automatic and therefore hard to identify. Pay close attention to your thought patterns and remember to challenge them.⁠
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Is there another way of looking at the situation? What is the likelihood that your thought will become a reality? Are you looking at a worst case scenario? ⁠
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How can you reframe your thoughts in a more realistic rational way?⁠
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Idea by: ⁠

When I feel stressed and can’t stop thinking about something, one question I ask is “Is this thought about something that is IN MY CONTROL?” We can get really stuck and use our energy trying to control things that we just can’t.
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One thing that helps is to get clear on what we actually do have control over. This visual has some general examples but if you are struggling with a thought or issue you can make a more specific circle of control. Or even just start to think about things in terms of what is in or out of your control.
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Identifying things you can control may help you deal better with those you can’t.
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IN my control 👇
How I speak to others
My attitude
Boundaries I set
The thoughts I focus on
My effort
My values
How I prioritize my time
The way I speak to myself
What I view online
My goals
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OUT of my control 👇
Other people’s opinions of me
How others react to me
What other people say about me
How others feel
Family of origin
My past
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Parenting a child with anxiety can be challenging, but there are several strategies parents can try to help support their child. If you have a strategy of your own, not listed here, I’d love to hear about it in the comment section 👇

SPACE, or Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions, is a specialized program designed to address the needs of children and adolescents struggling with anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). There are two primary changes that parents learn to implement during SPACE treatment: responding more supportively to their anxious child and reducing the accommodations they have been making to their child’s symptoms. By fostering a supportive environment and gradually reducing enabling behaviors, parents play a crucial role in promoting their child’s emotional well-being and resilience.

Being a SPACE provider means embracing a holistic approach to childhood anxiety and OCD treatment, one that acknowledges the central role of parents in the therapeutic process. I’m immensely proud to be part of this community as it serces as a beacon of hope for parents seeking effective solutions for their children’s anxiety-related challenges.

Incorporating relaxation techniques into your daily routine can help manage anxiety’s symptoms effectively. These techniques aim to calm both the mind and body and get you grounded away from negative thoughts and feelings.

Have you tried any of these?

How much time do you spend worrying about being judged by others?
If you have an intense persistent fear of being watched and judged you may have Social Anxiety Disorder. People with this disorder experience extreme stress when they believe there is any possibility of being embarrassed, rejected or scrutinized. In order to be diagnosed you must feel this way for at least 6 months.
Social anxiety can be experienced in different ways. Some situations that may cause difficulty include: talking to strangers, speaking in public, making eye contact, entering rooms, starting conversations, using public restrooms, eating in front of others, dating, going to parties, school or work.
Overthinking past social interactions and fear of offending others is common.
Those struggling with social anxiety often go to great lengths to avoid social activities and may cancel plans due to extreme nervousness. They feel “on edge” in social situations and can’t let go or show their true selves.
Is there anything that social anxiety is stopping you from doing?

Prioritize self-care, seek support when needed, and remember, you’re 💪 than you think.

Anxiety and depression can convince you to isolate yourself at times when 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝓃𝑒𝒸𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 is so important.
Depression may tell you shouldn’t be a burden while anxiety may keep you alone because you fear judgement.
If you are struggling, try to find one person that feels safe and reach out to them. Being open and vulnerable can feel scary but I have found that sharing my struggles with friends has opened the door for them to come to me when they need help.
Connection is healing so take a minute to reach out to someone today.

How much internal turmoil do you invite by OVERTHINKING? We tell ourselves stories all day long and they are often co-authored by anxiety. ⁠We can spin out worrying about things that may not even be true (RUMINATION).⁠
Conserve your energy by becoming aware of your thoughts. When you start ruminating ask yourself if you are dealing with a fact you can problem solve or a worry gone awry. ⁠
Be mindful of your inner dialogue and use relaxation skills to calm your mind and body when you feel that overthinking is stealing your peace. ⁠

Trying to strike a balance between self-improvement and self-acceptance in the New Year. Prioritizing peace and protecting my energy.
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I want to try to have more fun too. I heard someone quoting an elderly woman who when questioned about her life said, “It was just all so much fun.” And I love that. Everything won’t always be fun of course but I am going to find it where I can.
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Wishing everyone a beautiful New Year!
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When our nervous system is in a dysregulated state, our sympathetic (“fight or flight”) and parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) nervous systems are imbalanced. We may feel overwhelmed or drained, and it affects our ability to problem-solve, make decisions and engage positively with others. A host of physical and emotional symptoms accompany a dysregulated nervous system. Difficulty concentrating, moodiness, anxiety, rapid heartbeat, nausea, insomnia and indigestion are just a few of the resulting symptoms.
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Our vagus nerve plays an important part in helping our body reset after nervous system activation (moving from sympathetic back to a parasympathetic state). There are things we can do to support this process by improving our vagal tone. So that when we go through a stressful event our bodies don’t get stuck there and continue to live in a state of chronic anxiety.
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By working with the vagal nerve we can establish new nervous system patterns that help us reset and recover from stress. Try to incorporate some vagal toning into each day and see what works best for you.
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I love this quote. Beautifully said. You are more than your struggles. They are part of your story but not the whole story. 💜
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Creating meaningful CHANGE is hard. Even with high motivation and the best intentions, I have given up on goals because it just wasn’t working.
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Understanding WHY change is so difficult can help. It’s not “useless” or “never going to happen,” rather our brains have adapted to see change as threatening. So we aren’t failing when when change doesn’t come easy. Or when we make a bad but familiar choice. Show yourself some compassion and take small steps towards change, knowing that your brain can rewire and eventually find safety in something new.
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Tolerating discomfort and uncertainty is worth it when growth and positive change are on the other side. What change would you like to make?
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Write a caption... Opposite Action is really useful when a big emotion doesn’t fit the facts or is not effective. Like when our fear is at a 10 and has us ready to run out of a room but based on facts it should maybe be a 4 where we are just a little nervous. We aren’t trying to suppress our emotional response, rather we are changing the emotional response after determining that is the best course of action. Focus on if the emotion is justified or if the intensity of the emotion is helpful.
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If the emotion isn’t justified or its intensity is not helpful then we need to do the opposite of the emotional urge. You have to really lean into this skill and do the COMPLETE OPPOSITE ACTION and believe that it will work. Alter your posture, facial expression and tone of voice. If you are able to do this your brain will notice a reduction in fear and start to note that it is not justified.
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In using opposite action with anxiety we are also slowly exposing ourselves to a feared situation, which also weakens the fear association in the brain. How could the opposite action skill help you reduce an unhelpful emotion?
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YOU get to decide who you are and how you show up in this world. You give away your power when your self concept is based on what you believe others think of you.
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Valuing someone's opinion is fine, but their approval and validation should never be more important than what you think of yourself.
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Needing excessive external validation can show up as:
-Asking for constant reassurances when making a  decision.
-Saying yes when wanting to say no.
-Not doing or doing things based on a fear of  being judged.
-Constantly thinking that people are upset with you.
-Worrying about being liked by everyone.
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It has been said that we would care less about what others thought of us if we knew just how little they did. The average person is focused on themselves and thinks in terms of "me" or "my." Everyone has their own insecurities and are likely not judging you as harshly as you imagine.
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You can make a conscious effort to let go of the need for approval. Develop a strong positive opinion of yourself and you won't be so concerned about someone else's.
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How much mental energy could you save if you stopped caring about what others think?
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Check out our Summer 2023 Groups!
Limited spots available! Register now:
https://www.mainstcounselingsolutions.com

More new and exciting things are happening over here!

Check out our client (and friend) Lindsay Street Counseling Solutions on Good Morning America as she shares the effects and can have on your mental health.

And 😉 minutes to follow them and get updated when their new debuts. You won't be disappointed in their wildly educational and entertaining cross-gen perspective.
https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/wellness/story/tiktok-face-filters-rack-millions-views-stirring-controversy-97443381

Registration is now open for our winter middle school girl’s group! You can call or email to save your spot.

Registration now open for our Middle School Leadership Workshop!

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!! for our summer bootcamps! Week long camps that will help your child, teen, and/or young adult cope with this past year. We create a fun learning environment to help individuals gain skills that will last a life time!

Attached is information on a few of our bootcamps but check out our website to see ALL of the camps we offer!

https://www.mainstcounselingsolutions.com/summer-groups-bootcamps

Help your future/current middle schooler learn emotional intelligence! Due to social distancing we will be limiting the number of participants.

Register now for our virtual group! Or just get the projects! Either way let us help your teen cope with being stuck at home!

Breathing techniques offer the fastest way to calm our bodies during times of stress.

Proper breathing helps us be less reactive in anxiety producing situations and assists in regulating our emotions.

In order to calm the nervous system we need to breathe slowly and deeply using our diaphragm (not the chest and shoulders). Incorrect short and shallow breaths actually increase stress and anxiety.

When breathing from the stomach (belly breathing) you may note how difficult and unnatural it feels. Getting into the habit of belly breathing will make it easier to tap into this technique when you need to calm your body.

Breath focus is central to many relaxation techniques, including: progressive muscle relaxation, meditation and guided imagery.

When you are stressed or just want to feel more present, try using your breath.

Written by: Stacy McCarthy, LPC

Anxiety is not the enemy. It is unavoidable and often serves a protective function. Anxiety activates our fear response system and prepares the body for danger. ⁠
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Anxiety becomes a problem when it is experienced at an intense level or for prolonged periods. It is considered a disorder when it interferes with a person's ability to live life normally. For example, when your anxiety is so severe that you are avoiding the source of fear or worry.⁠
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Trying to resist anxiety or avoid the source only reinforces fear and stress. Instead, accept and take note of anxious sensations. Therapists often work to help clients recognize the thought patterns that lead to anxiety.⁠
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Becoming self aware and recognizing signs from your body and mind are the first steps in identifying anxiety. Often people don't use coping tools to help them manage because they don't recognize that they are having an anxiety response (stomach problems are a common example).⁠
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How does your anxiety show up?