The Village Blog

We often hear people say, “If you need help, just reach out.” But how can we possibly ask for help when we feel we’re at our worst? Reaching out is a skill we are expected to know, but is often not modeled for us. When you’re in a negative mental space, you might have thoughts of loneliness [...]

Suicide is never an easy topic to discuss, largely due to stigma, but it’s more important than ever that we have open and honest conversations when we’re concerned about the mental health of a loved one. While there is no single cause for suicide, it is a preventable death. We can help prevent [...]

Ahh, bedtime. We won’t sugarcoat it – sometimes getting your kids ready for bed is a chore. However, creating a consistent routine is crucial for their development. You know that! Sleep helps them thrive, grow and avoid excessive daytime sleepiness. In addition to having a direct effect on happiness [...]

Everyone gets stressed and overwhelmed. One way to regulate big feelings is to use sensory interventions to help calm your body and mind and process your thoughts. If you use sensory approaches to help control your emotions, you can make a sensory bin whenever you feel anxious. Keeping all of your [...]

Using sensory interventions can help regulate your body when you're in a stressful or overwhelming situation. By utilizing one of your senses, your mind and body can focus on a specific stimulus, which will ground you and calm your thoughts. Sensory tools and toys can help with this. How do sensory [...]

Plants are great! Caring for plants can aid in mental and physical health. Nature can bring us peace. Plants can even offer benefits like emitting a fresh scent or cleaning the air. Check out our post on plant therapy for more info on all the good that can come from plant care. Many people are great [...]

Summer always seems busier than any other time of year. Between community events, kids' activities, and trying to fit everything in before it gets cold again, there's just so much to do. Here are some tips for dealing with busy schedules in the summer. Planning summer activities Make a summer [...]

In today's world, when we see violent events unfold in both metropolitan and rural communities, it reminds us that they can happen at any place and any time. Parents can help their children cope with traumatic events when they occur, whether close to home or far. 5 Suggestions to Help Kids Cope 1 [...]

We all face trauma, adversity, and other stresses throughout our lives. When people think of trauma, they often think of things like abuse, terrorism, or catastrophic events (big ‘T’ trauma). Trauma can also be caused by events that may be less obvious but can still overwhelm your capacity to cope [...]