April was Autism Acceptance Month and in honor of this, Olive Branch had an opportunity for anyone in the waiting room to share either a story, a favorite character trait, or the impact that someone had on their life who happens to be on the autism spectrum. People did respond writing one or more notes.... Continue Reading →
Many of us are aware that getting enough sleep each night is essential to your daily physical and cognitive functioning. Our bodies need the right amount of rest so that we can tackle the day-to-day challenges that we face. But have you ever considered that how you sleep is important too? Whether it’s falling asleep... Continue Reading →
Along with technological advancements, gaming companies have enhanced the depth and intensity of video game concepts. Rather than simply overcoming obstacles to progress to the next level, modern video games are more personalized than ever, offering countless ways to shape the game, or the story within the game, based on the player’s choices. Also, with... Continue Reading →
We did it! We survived the dreadful days of winter and are nearing the end of the unpredictable midwestern spring. It is almost summer! The clouds are parting, and the sun is shining bright. Nature is inviting us to step outside, soak in the sunshine, and reconnect with the world around us. Instead of rushing... Continue Reading →
It is vital for humans to practice attunement within social interactions through the developing years of their lives. Attunement is when humans synchronize their movements and emotions with others (Haidt, 2024). Similar to mirroring, babies attune to their parents in ways that teach them motor skills, the meaning of emotions, and how to stay safe.... Continue Reading →
With the exponential growth of technology in the past decade, relationships have transformed and expanded in ways that were previously impossible. There is new opportunity to add connection to your life, through relationships with people across the globe and apart of different cultures, because of the accessibility of communication through technology. This opportunity is beneficial... Continue Reading →
In today’s extremely connected world, adolescents are bombarded with never ending streams of notifications, messages and digital content via their smartphones. Their attention is being pulled in multiple directions at once, making it more difficult to deeply focus on a single task at-hand. This is called attention fragmentation. Because teens are constantly exposed to digital... Continue Reading →
Perfectionism is often thought about as a positive trait. Constantly striving for excellence sounds like a good thing, right? But always pursuing perfection can lead to stress, self-doubt, and fear of failure. It tends to become more harmful than helpful for perfectionists. Many people who practice perfectionism struggle with setting unrealistic expectations for themselves, therefore... Continue Reading →
In his book titled The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt (2024) proposed that different parenting styles and decisions cause children to grow up practicing habits in two different modes: defense mode and discover mode. Defense mode is self-explanatory in that it occurs when someone is trying to identify a threat and defend themselves from it. This... Continue Reading →
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