Chocolates and Tissues

    A blog about mental health, finding joy, and living life to its fullest.

    Tag: mental health

    • New Year, New Focus

      I know, I know, it is a new year and everyone always asks “What did you pick for a resolution?” To put it simply, I never do. They don’t last and my ideas of what is important change by the moment. So, this year I want to change my focus to what is really important…

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    • The Aftermath

      Life is sometimes tricky. In the aftermath of two family deaths, two funerals (one I was unable to attend), my daughter and grandson moving to their own place, and planning on how to assist my mom with details to get her set up for a future move I am feeling frazzled. I have been neglectful…

      Read more: The Aftermath

    • Feeling Angry

      I have been feeling angry for the last 4-5 days. I want to yell at everyone and everything! While I am not exactly sure why this is I can surmise that it is related to my dad’s death and the upcoming life transitions that I am processing. Do you ever feel angry for no obvious…

      Read more: Feeling Angry

    • Caring About Elderly Parents

      Back at the beginning of February, I wrote a post about caring for elderly parents. Today I want to talk about caring about elderly parents. You see, my father is dying. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but sometime soon. He got home from the hospital about a week after I posted that last blog about…

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    • Practice What I Preach

      I took my grandson to the park. While there I did a little practice of the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique I wrote about a few days ago. I know I need to practice what I preach. It is much easier telling everyone else how to feel better than applying it to my life. We were the…

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    • 5 Steps to Feeling Grounded

      If you suffer from bouts of anxiety or happen to have a panic attack what can you do to instantly feel grounded? I am going to share the 5 steps to feeling grounded that really work. This is the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. It uses five senses to get your thoughts out of your head and into…

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    • Keeping it Simple

      My sister and I were texting and this topic actually came up in our conversation. She and I both have bouts of anxiety. We agreed that there is a need for keeping it simple. This could be over a huge thing or the tiniest of things. Sometimes it is a cumulative effect of dealing with…

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    • Motivational Moments

      What provides you with a burst of motivation? I hear so many people say they cannot get going in the morning without a cup of coffee. I am not talking about that kind of motivation. What truly makes you feel like doing something amazing, catching up on that pile of laundry, or getting rid of…

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    • Self-care in the new year

      Do you worry about everyone else before you even begin to think about your own needs and your own self-care? I find myself slipping into that rut and this year I want to be better about putting my needs first. The problem is that for the most part, I really enjoy taking care of others.…

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    • New Year’s is a Time for Goals, not Resolutions

                How many of us make New Year’s resolutions only to get to the end of January and realize we have already quit trying? Making resolutions is mentally exhausting and can lead to increased depression at the beginning of each year. Dr. Lindsey Israel (2019) writes, “It’s time to have hope that this year will…

      Read more: New Year’s is a Time for Goals, not Resolutions

    Meet the Blogger

    Lenore Cortez, MSN, RN, PMH-BC

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    About Site

    This site is not a replacement for professional help. If you are experiencing a psychiatric emergency please dial 911. If you need to talk to someone call Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): (800) 662-4357. SAMHSA runs a 24-hour mental health hotline that provides education, support, and connections to treatment.

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