What is behind your smile? Behind my smile is where I hid for years. Behind the smile that people saw, there was pain and self-hate. Throughout the years, I have grown to hide less behind my smile, but I still find my moments where it feels more comfortable, safer and easier, to show up and hide behind that smile. In …
In the Face of Uncertainty, Practice Gratitude
Things don’t always work out the way we plan, but that’s okay. During these moments of what feels like chaos, when life takes a sharp turn in an unexpected direction and we just have to catch up, I try to practice gratitude to center myself. We’re coming up on the one-year mark of living in a global pandemic. We’ve lived …
1N5 Provides RECHARGE + RECONNECT Training to DePaul Cristo Rey Staff
On Friday, March 5th, 1N5 provided RECHARGE + RECONNECT training to the teachers and staff at DePaul Cristo Rey. Over 50 educators attended the session, which focused on compassion fatigue and prioritizing self-care. Self-care is more important than ever, especially for educators who give so much of themselves to their students. Participants had the opportunity to practice self-care activities like …
Eating Disorder Survivor Takes Over Insta
This week for #freeyourmindfriday, Meagan Connley, a mental health advocate and eating disorder survivor, took over our Instagram stories to talk about mental health and recovery. Check out her bio below! Last week, 1N5 shared my story of living with anxiety and having lived with depression and eating disorders. Now, I’m taking over their Insta stories to talk more about …
Dr. Lockhart on Resilience
Resilience is defined as the ability to bounce back in the face of adversity and to recover quickly. What exactly does this mean? Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart, PsyD, ABPP of A New Day Pediatric Psychology is here to explain what resilience and adversity really are. We need to identify the true adversity in each situation. Was it the event itself or …
Don’t Compare Yourself. Where You Are is Beautiful
Our lives can be full of comparison. We might feel like we are always falling short. We see someone else living the “perfect” life or experiencing the “perfect” relationship, and we feel like what we have isn’t good enough. We look at where we once were and get frustrated with ourselves that we might not be in that space anymore. …
Positive Mindset is Key
I’m not naturally an optimist. For a long time, I worried about everything from getting an A on a homework assignment to how I would pay rent. I lived in a constant state of stress, worrying that if I didn’t do everything just right, it would all just fall apart. That kind of lifestyle, constantly chasing some nonexistent end result …
1N5 Provides Sources of Strength Training to Lakota Middle School
On February 23rd, 1N5’s Christine Browner and Erin Horn provided Sources of Strength training to 12 Lakota Middle School teachers who will be adult advisors. Adult Advisors are made up of a diverse group of connected, caring, and positive adults whose goals are to support, mentor, and assist peer leaders in spreading hope, help, and strength-based messages across their friendship …
Sycamore Schools Promote Staff Wellness with #28DaysofAVES
1N5 is partnering with Sycamore Community Schools on a staff wellness initiative, #28DaysofAVES. For 28 days, staff members are challenged to complete wellness activities in the following eight categories: mental health, physical health, mentors, generosity, healthy activities, family support, spirituality, and positive friends. 1N5 provided coffee mugs, stress balls, self-care brochures, and other goodies for “swag bags” to incentivize staff …
Relationship + Connection Expert Takes Over Insta
This week for #freeyourmindfriday, Teri Murphy, a licensed marriage and family therapist with a PhD in clinical counseling, education and supervision, took over our Instagram stories! Check out her bio below! I’m a Relationship and Connection Expert, Couples Therapist, Self-Healing Sage, Sci-Fi Junkie, and Drinker of the Coffee. I was an Air Force rocket scientist before I became a therapist …