Valentine’s Day is a day that celebrates love and relationships. Whether you are dating, single, engaged, married, a friend, a family member or anything in between, this story has a few nuggets of truth to offer in every kind of relationship.

Each year, October is recognized as Depression Awareness Month. Counselors at The Breaking Ground recently discussed a few practical strategies to support someone who is struggling with depression. We hope these are helpful to you as you come alongside those in your life who need love and care in this area.

September is here and the new season can often bring about changes in our lives and the lives of our children. A new school year, new classes, new friends and new workload are just a few of the many things that could be adjusting in your child’s life. Whether big or small, these life changes can often cause fear, worry and anxiety in children.

Summer is here, and for many of us, this season brings a change in routine and pace. Maybe you’re a parent and your kids just got out of school. Maybe you graduated from college and are starting your first real job. Maybe you are getting married this summer. Or maybe, a new chapter in your life is beginning, changing or coming to an end.

Screens are everywhere, and let’s be honest, they often make life easier! We use phones or laptops for work, paying bills, scheduling appointments, keeping in touch with friends, entertainment, navigation (GPS is a lifesaver!), shopping and so much more. While technology can bring ease to life and help us in many ways, it can also harm us…

It’s the start of the new year and I already have a laundry list of things I want to accomplish, ways I want to improve, and habits I want to break. But if you’re anything like me, I often set the bar so high for myself in the new year that by the time February comes, I’ve already blown my goals and the only thing I’ve “resolved” to do is try better next year.

Last December was the first Christmas my husband and I shared together as a married couple. While I expected major Hallmark movie vibes, I was quickly disappointed when figuring out how to spend our holidays and navigating family dynamics became a big source of tension in our new marriage.

Have you ever been stuck in a cycle of discontentment?

I have. For me, it usually starts with a desire for something new. Whether it’s a brand-new outfit, an adventure to a new area, or just some fresh home decor items from Hobby Lobby, there is a void I feel in my heart that I often believe something I buy, wear, or do could fill it up.

It was the summer of 2021…my big summer of change. So many transitions were coming my way and I felt confident and ready to take on all of them. 

Here’s a glimpse into what was going on in my life at that time. I had just graduated from college in May, and two days after graduation I started my first “big girl” job. I was also preparing for my wedding in August and getting ready to move out of my childhood home.

“Whaaat is that smell?” my husband asked when he arrived home at the end of his work day. Given the stuffiness of a nagging cold, I hadn’t even noticed.  His question had briefly distracted me from what had become an unexpectedly heavy phone conversation with a fellow mom.

Shrugging, I continued my call with another mom, as together we unraveled a disturbing situation that involved both of our sons and their classmates.

Most people spend time considering their physical health, especially around the new year.

Am I getting enough sleep? Did I take my vitamins? Did I eat enough fruits and vegetables? Should I join a gym?

Yet when it comes to mental health, it’s harder to know what questions we should be asking. That’s where I’m hoping to provide some clarity!

Here are 3 questions you can use to help prioritize your mental health and find peace:   

If love is the Hallmark emotion associated with Valentine’s Day, resentment is more often the reality. How many of us have walked into February 15th thinking, “Wow, my partner really made me feel seen, known, and loved, and totally remembered that I don’t like chocolate truffles but love peanut M&M’s.”

Not many, I’m guessing.

So how do we combat resentment on a day that’s suppose to be all about love? And what about all the other days, too?

Did you start the year strong with a New Year’s resolution that’s quickly faded into the background of your life now that we’re heading into February?

“Why do most New Year’s resolutions fail,” you might ask, after years or decades of starting the year with the same old story.

Well, you’re not alone. “Studies show that only 8% of Americans who make a New Year's resolution actually keep them all year and 80% have failed by the start of February. Clinical Psychologist Joseph J. Luciani, Ph. D, says most resolutions fail due to sabotage caused by a lack of self-discipline.”

Each January, a new year turns over, and we feel renewed excitement– and sometimes pressure– to begin again.

As for the counseling center team, we’re breaking ground with a new platform that we hope will be a source of light as we navigate the dark places in our lives.

When we decided to shift our former counseling platform into what The Breaking Ground is today, we knew what our foundational scripture would be.

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:19, NIV