Oak Knoll Psychological Wellness Services, LLC

02/04/2024

Obsessed with this new book! So much wisdom! ❤️

08/09/2023

I absolutely love Gábor Máté and this book is his best yet. Amazing how he captures the true essence of trauma (both big T and small t) and it’s, at times, subtle, impact on our daily lives, and sense of self.

07/09/2023

22/08/2023

Establishing a gratitude practice can be a wonderful way to help improve our mood.

Our kids had an amazing teacher in preschool who spoke about a practice she and her family did around the dinner table each evening called “High-Low”. We liked it so much that we decided to incorporate it as a nightly practice for our family as well.

During High-Low, you have to go around the table and let everyone know what your “high” and “low” of the day was. We’ve also added a third component, and that is to state something that you are grateful for.
It’s been a great way to connect with everybody at the end of the day and also encourage our kids to take stock of things around them that bring them joy and gratitude.

Often times we hear things like “I’m grateful for my family” or “I’m grateful that I got to watch my favorite movie today” and while these are perfect examples of gratitude, I also try to encourage our kids to look for micro moments throughout the day that bring them joy: the colorful butterfly they saw dancing around our kitchen window, the warm hug they received from a friend, or how they felt after a compliment from a teacher.

The practice of noticing and deliberately paying attention to things we are grateful has been linked to mood enhancement. Our brains are hardwired to take stock of negative input as a way to protect ourselves from future harm. With this in mind, it’s important that we work towards highlighting the positive moments in our day; the things that we are grateful for.

Whether you share your experience of gratitude with others, or keep it in a journal, try this practice daily and start to notice how it helps give you a little lift in your mood!

09/08/2023

I’m so excited to be starting my anxiety workshop this fall. If you have any questions or know, someone who might be interested, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

03/08/2023

I’ve become more and more intrigued with the brain gut connection. Recently, I learned about the role of serotonin (feel good neurotransmitter) in the gut.

Typically we hear about neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine and their role in our brain. Optimal levels of serotonin are responsible for giving us a sense of emotional stability, focus, and calm.

One of the things I found so interesting is that we actually have more neurotransmitters in our gut than in our brain? Serotonin specifically, is imperative for digestion and motility in your gut.

But what really blew my mind was this idea that if we don’t have enough serotonin in our gut, our body recruits extra serotonin from our brain and directs it to our gut. This then creates a deficit or imbalance of serotonin in our brain, which, as we know, can be responsible for low mood, low energy, and a host of other problems.

So, the brain and the gut are very much connected. That is clear! If you have been feeling low lately, make sure that you are also addressing your nutrition and gut health with your doctor. It’s so important!

31/07/2023

Have you ever tried to start a new habit only to give it up one or two weeks later? I know I have. One week I’m on a path of healthy eating or exercising daily, and then I slip up one day and throw in the towel. Many of us do this so I know I’m not alone. But, how do we create habits that are sustainable?

One of the ways we create habits is by being realistic with what we decide to change. Going from eating meat to becoming a complete vegan is pretty dramatic. Going from exercising not at all, to committing to exercising for an hour a day seven days a week is also unrealistic.

Goals need to be REALISTIC and GRADUAL. If you’re looking to make a change in your overall health, perhaps you start by drinking an extra glass of water every day. If you’re looking to move your body more and get fit, perhaps you commit to walking for 15 minutes every day. Just like we would never teach a toddler to swim by throwing them in the pool, we too have to start small and build up new skills and habits gradually over time.

Goals also need to be sustainable. If you decide to limit your screen time over the summer months, but expect to resume regular use in the fall, this will not be a sustainable change. Create habits that fit in to your lifestyle so that they can become long-term and habitual behaviors.

Finally, try to make it fun! If you’re starting a new habit, try to shift your mindset from this being something that you “have to do” and rather consider that you choosing this new habit in order to take better care of yourself. I know for me, putting on my favorite music is a great motivator when it comes to exercise. Even today, I walked with our girls around our neighborhood, and we were blasting our favorite music and dancing the whole way. And, while I completely embarrassed them, I had a blast doing it, and before you knew it, our 2 miles was up.

Whether you’re deciding to make a change to your physical health, mental health, or any building any other habit, make sure that it’s realistic with your lifestyle, sustainable over the long term, and that you make it fun. And don’t forget to celebrate all of the little victories along the way! You got this! 🙌🏻

30/07/2023

My kids and I have had the pleasure of staying with my dad for the last week as they attend summer camp. My dad is an incredibly active guy! He plays golf daily and often walks the 4 to 5 miles of his local course. He has a very active social life and an abundance of friends. He goes to the doctor regularly and takes good care of himself. And so, it felt like a gut punch when I happened across this book on his coffee table. How could my dad, who is so full of life and energy, be reading a book about getting old? He certainly doesn’t seem old to me.

And while I want to stay in the comfort of my denial and pretend that he is not getting older, it’s important to keep in mind how we can all strive to age well. So how do we do this?

People speak of “growing old gracefully”. Some color their hair, or inject things into her face in order to appear younger. But does this qualify as growing old gracefully or is there more to it? What is important to keep in mind as we age? And, how can we improve our longevity? Study show a number of important factors to keep in mind.

1. CONNECTION: numerous studies have shown that individuals with positive relationships with others live longer. Find a community. Volunteer your time. Find a way to connect with others.
2. SELF-CARE: this is not about going to the nail salon but instead it is about taking good care of yourself. Eating a healthy diet. Exercising regularly (especially strength training). Getting enough sleep. Going to the doctor regularly. Speaking to a mental health professional if you feel depressed or anxious.
3. MENTAL FITNESS: as we get older, it’s important to continue to engage our brain. Working on crossword puzzles, sudoku, and other logic games, help us stay mentally fit by engaging multiple brain functions which can help improve, visual, spatial skills, processing speed in memory.

Well, I don’t want to acknowledge that my father is getting older, I am so pleased to know that he is doing all he can to stay healthy and grow old gracefully!