Dr. K - Emotional Health Mentor

50 to 70 million Americans experience a sleep disorder according to the American Sleep Association. If you feel like you’re not able to get enough sleep or quality sleep because your body clock is just off, you’re not alone.

I’m going to teach you about hormones that influence your sleep, why your body clock may be offset, and five major strategies to reset your body clock and get better sleep at night.

This article is going to be power packed with useful information, so silence your distractions, get a notebook, and get ready to take some notes.

Melatonin and Cortisol - Hormones that Influence Your Sleep

Your body clock, scientifically known as your circadian rhythm, influences your hormone levels, brain activity, cell regeneration, and more. To have a properly functioning circadian rhythm is critical for not only your emotional health, but your overall health.

Our master regulatory gland is the hypothalamus, located in the center of the brain. Its primary job is...

If you’ve been paying attention to the business world lately, you’ve probably heard the term “emotional health”. But what’s the definition? What IS emotional health?

Emotional health is a person’s ability to identify, process, and act upon feelings in specific circumstances and over the course of time.

Maybe you have more questions now. What makes up emotional health? How does emotional health differ from mental health? And how does one go about building strong emotional health?

In this article, I’m going to answer all those questions, and be sure to read through the end because I’ll share with you five powerful behavioral and lifestyle strategies to build unshakeable emotional health.

Emotional Health Definition

Emotional health is a person’s ability to identify, process, and act upon feelings in specific circumstances and over the course of time. Emotional health incorporates emotional intelligence and emotional resilience....

What’s the ONE thing that gives you unlimited power despite the odds against you. It is the ONE thing you CAN control right now? No matter what goes on out there, it’s the ONE thing they CANNOT take away from you. 

It’s HOPE. In this post, I’m going to motivate you to rebuild your hope so that you are unstoppable.

Right now, the world is in a state of stress. Many are dealing with anxiety over their health, anxiety over their finances. Many are stressed by social isolation. Many are stressed out and can’t even point to the reason. Why on earth would anyone be hopeful right now?

As it pertains to hope, the first thing we must recognize is that it is not based in rational thought. No, hope is an emotion, and we may justify it with rational thought, but it is still purely an emotion. An emotion can exist without a rational basis. Have you ever freaked out about a situation, and when you try to tell yourself that it’s actually not a big deal,...

Maybe you've received a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, or you just want to know what it is. Well in this post, I'm going to walk you through the diagnostic criteria so you come away understanding what major depressive disorder is… and what it isn't. And be sure to stick around until the end, as I'll share some insight into how lifestyle choices can positively impact mental health…and some personal words of encouragement.

Let's first define major depressive disorder by its diagnostic criteria as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

A. Five or more of the following symptoms have been present during the same 2-week period and represent a change from previous functioning; at least one of the symptoms is either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure.

Before we dive into these, let's just ensure that part settled. There's 9 items in this upcoming list, and five or more have to be met during a two week period, AND,...

Maybe you've received a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder, or you just want to know what it is. Well in this post, I'm going to walk you through the diagnostic criteria so you come away understanding what generalized anxiety disorder is… and what it isn't. And be sure to stick around until the end, as I'll share some insight into how lifestyle choices can positively impact mental health…and some words of encouragement.

Let's first define generalized anxiety disorder by its diagnostic criteria.

A. Excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation), occurring more days than not for at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities (such as work or school performance).

Let's break that down. The term "excessive" in relation to anxiety and worry is subjective and certainly depends on life circumstances, but "excessive" is in comparison to what would be considered a normal response to those circumstances. This pattern must...

Let's do a quick word association. Let me know which words immediately come to mind when I say, "physical health".

Was it, diet? Exercise? Wellbeing?

Now what comes to mind when I say, "mental health".

Was it, anxiety? Depression? Stress?

How come when we say "mental health", the first things that often come to mind are mental illnesses? What's the difference between mental health…and mental illness? This week, I'm answering all that and more.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, mental illness are "health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities."

They go on to say that "mental health involves effective functioning in daily activities resulting in productive activities (work, school, caregiving), healthy relationships, ability to adapt to change and cope with...