ACA Counseling Corner Blog

Being unhappy with a boss or supervisor is high on the list of things that can have a negative impact on everything from job performance to how happy and satisfied one feels about their life. Too often an unhappy employee simply blames the boss and feels it's a hopeless situation. But the reality is that taking a proactive approach to improving the relationship with the boss can often make things much better.

While the holidays often bring the opportunity for happy family gatherings, such events may not be something that everyone looks forward to. For a variety of reasons, returning home for that big family get-together may be something that produces a great deal of anxiety. Here are some tips on how to minimize the stress if that upcoming family dinner or party has you dreading the event.

If there's a teenager in your house then you've most likely experiences the issue of peer pressure. Our children are often strongly affected by what their friends and classmates say and do, even if the result may not be in their own best interests. Although it takes effort and can be frustrating, as parents we can play an essential role in helping our teens recognize and manage negative peer pressure.

Most of us are well aware that the foods we choose each day have a direct effect on our physical health, but a number of research projects have shown that our dietary choices also play an important role in our mental and emotional well-being. Our food selection, for example, may play an big role in our risk for depression, one of the most common mental health issues in this country.

Are you successful in having your children behave in ways that make you proud? It's goal we all shoot for as parents, but can often be a difficult one to achieve. Kids can be a challenge in so many ways, but there are things you can do as a parent to help encourage good behavior from your children and they aren't all that difficult.

It seems more and more these days that what we're being told is often not the truth. Politics today seems to be filled with exaggerations, semi-truths and even outright lies. Many of us find that even in our personal communications with friends and relatives that we may be hearing less than the whole truth. There are real, if not always acceptable, reasons why what people sometimes feel the need to lie.

Applying for college admissions can be a time of high stress for many families. It doesn't have to be that way. With a little planning, and an early start to the process, it may not be possible to make that college application process stress-free, but it certainly can make getting it all done much easier.

Do you find you're facing a lot of stress in your daily life? That isn't unusual these days and can lead to some unfortunate side effects. For some people living with more stress and anxiety can mean that it only takes a small incident to have them lash out in anger. It's a problem that can bring serious consequences. Here are some tips on how to better keep anger under control.

Stress is a common problem in today's busy world. Everyone faces stress in their daily lives, but some of us handle it better than others. When stress becomes overwhelming it can affect everything from a person's health to their relationships with those close to them. While no one can make all their stress disappear, there are things we all can do to better cope with and manage the stress we may be facing.

As we see the average lifespan increasing more and more families are finding that extra care is needed for an aging loved one. In many cases, that means that one or more younger family members must move into a caregiver role, providing the help needed when someone can no longer take care of his or her daily needs. It can be a difficult role to fill and one that can sometimes be overwhelming.