What can I do outside of therapy to help myself?
Great question! We are so glad you asked. We know that clients who are highly motivated, and actively participating in psychotherapy have better outcomes, so thank you for asking!
We will discuss specific strategies in our sessions together, but there are many things that you can do to help increase your chances of success. These include:
– Eat real, whole, unprocessed foods. If you can’t pronounce it on a label, or even better…if it has more than one ingredient in it…it is likely processed and wouldn’t qualify under “real food.” Plenty of vegetables, fruits, healthy proteins, and brain-building fats (Omega 3s!) are a great place to start.
– Make sleep a priority.
– Prioritize “me time.” We refer to this as “self-care” and although some clients think this may come across as “selfish,” that couldn’t be further from the truth! We will discuss more about why that is in session together.
– Work on the “homework,” or “take-aways” that we discussed in session outside of session. Practice and implement our coping strategies in your day to day life. The more you practice, the easier they become.
– Get moving. Don’t have time to go to the gym. No problem! Take a 5 minute break every so often at the office to walk around. Take the stairs. Do a few squats (when no one’s looking!). It doesn’t have to be a major exercise program, but get the body moving and get those feel good chemicals (seretonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine) flowing! Those are the same chemicals that anti-depressants address, and they are actively within your reach.
These are just a few suggestions that you may want to implement outside of our sessions together. We will discuss more individualized suggestions in session together.