Emotional well-being is more than the absence of mental illness. Rather, it is the ability to accept all parts of our humanity and embodied experiences with compassion.

Incorporating skills into your everyday life through apps and other tools:

• 59 Breaths (Affiliate Partnership) The 59 Breaths App helps you find your optimal breathing speed to reduce anxiety and improve mood. Download here: http://59breaths.app/Kristen

• Postitive Psychology: https://positivepsychology.com/

• Other recommended apps: Headspace, Calm, Insight Timer,  Mood Tracker. 

For a free "symptom checker," basic guide to anxiety and depression, and mental health resources for students check out: https://childmind.org/ 

Recommended reads for parents:  

• "How parents shape their children's mental health"
• Untangled and Under Pressure by Lisa Damour 
• Lost at School by Ross Greene
• Girls & Sex by Peggy Orenstein 
• The Conscious Parent by Shefali Tsabary

Your symptoms do not make you broken or crazy or unworthy. They are simply parts in you that are ready to be heard and healed with your compassionate curiosity. Here are some resources for you to explore on your way to wholeness:

• Check out the American Psychological Association for current research on how recovery is within your reach. 

• The Depression Project offers daily strategies and supportive messages - for free! 
• Wildflower Alliance offers peer support groups for mindfulness, suicidal thoughts, and more. 

If you are in a current state of crisis, please text "help" to 741-741 (USA).

Body compassion (or body neutrality, if compassion feels too scary of a leap), is absolutely possible! If you are interested in learning how to think critically about  assumed moral and cultural values attached to body size, discover the joy in movement, and/or develop flexibility around food, here are some great resources. 

Be Nourished

MEDA

Body Image Facts