You’ve probably heard the phrase “April showers bring May time flowers.” What you might not have heard is that April is National Stress Awareness Month.

As we participate in the holiday season, there are a lot of happy things and events coming up for many people. However, that is not the case for everyone, and some might struggle more around this time. The holiday season can also bring up complicated feelings around grief and loss, or even discontentment that life is not as you hoped.

With Emotion Regulation skills class starting this month, I am reflecting on the ways in which I use my skills of accumulating positives and building mastery both presently and in the past.

The “PLEASE” skill refers to a specific skill set within DBT’s emotion regulation module, which basically refers to taking care of your mental health by taking care of your physical health.

I have observed that oftentimes when I ask people how they’re doing, many allude to how BUSY they are these days. Can you relate? I know I can! In a society that encourages busyness and over-activity, it is imperative that we take time every day to engage in activities we want to do in addition to those we have to do.