Abuse is "to use or treat so as to injure or damage" according to Merriam Webster. Physical abuse is the type of abuse that is easiest to identify because it involves a physical action. When talking about emotional abuse, for many it can be hard to readily identify when it is happening, because oftentimes emotionally abusive behaviors can fly over our radar when they are familiar to what we might have experienced in childhood.

We learn how to add, subtract, read, and write in school, but sadly we are never really taught what healthy relationships look like. We are left stumbling around trying to figure that out on our own. Our parents, the internet, and our friends serve as reference points, but if they each portray unhealthy relationships, then unfortunately we are left to repeat behaviors that may lead us into relationships that are the equivalent of eating a whole tub of ice cream; temporarily satisfying, but in the long-run we don't feel good.

I'm noticing with the prevalence of social media that information regarding mental health is becoming more readily accessible to the population. With all this constant influx of information I thought it would be helpful to create this post to help further explain more about an approach that seems to be gaining some more popularity, and also clarify any possible misinformation that may also be out there.

Sometimes it can feel exhausting to take care of ourselves, especially if we are struggling with disorders, such as depression and anxiety. When it feels like the hardest thing to do is getting out of bed our self-care tends to get placed in the back burner, yet these are times when we need to take care of ourselves the most. We all know this to be true, yet when our brain is in a fog, and we can't seem to have our body and mind sync up it can help to try out some of these 5 easy self-care ideas to help you feel better.