Welcome to the Chicago Counseling Center Blog

How to Practice Self-Care When You’re Overstimulated and Overwhelmed

When it comes to processing information and stimuli from our environment, everybody has a different capacity of how much they can successfully manage. Signs of being overstimulated and overwhelmed include racing thoughts, heightened startle response and an increased sense of agitation or fear. These physical and mental symptoms can gradually take their toll over time. The tricky thing about this ... Read More...
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We Need to Talk About Racism

  While the word is still reeling from coronavirus, we are now forced to confront another, more uncomfortable epidemic—racism. And I say “uncomfortable” because that is the emotions it elicits in most non-POC (persons of color). This becomes an important point to make, given that the instinctual response to any type of emotional discomfort is typically avoidance. Avoidance is the ... Read More...
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Mental Health Life Hacks (Part 3)

  If you’ve been following along for the past few weeks, this blog has featured simple ways to get out of a funk and gain a fresh perspective on life. Read on for the third and final segment of this series.   Live in the here and now  Focusing on transgressions from the past or fears about the future is a ... Read More...
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Mental Health Life Hacks (Part 2)

  The last blog post introduced simple ways to improve mental well-being when you get stuck in an emotional rut. If you enjoyed those tips, read on for more mental health hacks on how to get “unstuck” and start moving forward again. Determine what needs to change  When life becomes monotonous, you may get the nagging feeling that something is ... Read More...
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Mental Health Hacks

  The effects of physical, mental and emotional fatigue are real. This burnout can seriously impair your concentration, energy, confidence, decision-making—just about everything that makes you feel like “you”. This can be a slippery slope considering that the deeper you fall into the rut, the more difficult it feels to claw your way out. The good news is that getting ... Read More...
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