My brother and I had a lengthy conversation this week about mental health. We both work in what I’ll call “high-impact” jobs, though they seem worlds apart. Some days, coping and processing the stress can feel like mental gymnastics, flipping and stretching the capacities of our mental health. According to a 2016 meta-analysis on mental…
https://courses.firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/pexels-kamaji-ogino-5094662-scaled.jpg12772048Lauren Hallhttps://courses.firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngLauren Hall2025-08-17 11:00:002025-08-11 14:19:04The Low Down on Mental Health, Stress and Family Genetics
A few days ago, my six-year-old came home from a playdate with shoulders sagging and tears in his eyes. “Nobody wanted to play with me today,” he said. In that moment, I was catapulted back to my own grown-up version of the same sting, learning about a meeting I wasn’t invited to. Brains of every age…
https://courses.firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/pexels-pixabay-277477-scaled.jpg13602048Lauren Hallhttps://courses.firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngLauren Hall2025-08-10 11:00:002025-08-01 15:36:08The Quiet Sting of Feeling Left Out (& How to Deal With It)
If you listen closely, you can already hear it—the zip of fresh backpacks, the crinkle of notebook wrappers, and the collective gasp of parents realizing the days of “popsicles for lunch” are numbered. Whether your child is brand‑new to kindergarten or a seasoned locker‑door slammer, a little prep now will save everyone tears. Here are…
The Low Down on Mental Health, Stress and Family Genetics
My brother and I had a lengthy conversation this week about mental health. We both work in what I’ll call “high-impact” jobs, though they seem worlds apart. Some days, coping and processing the stress can feel like mental gymnastics, flipping and stretching the capacities of our mental health. According to a 2016 meta-analysis on mental…
The Quiet Sting of Feeling Left Out (& How to Deal With It)
A few days ago, my six-year-old came home from a playdate with shoulders sagging and tears in his eyes. “Nobody wanted to play with me today,” he said. In that moment, I was catapulted back to my own grown-up version of the same sting, learning about a meeting I wasn’t invited to. Brains of every age…
7 Stress‑Saving Steps for a Smooth Back‑to‑School Launch
If you listen closely, you can already hear it—the zip of fresh backpacks, the crinkle of notebook wrappers, and the collective gasp of parents realizing the days of “popsicles for lunch” are numbered. Whether your child is brand‑new to kindergarten or a seasoned locker‑door slammer, a little prep now will save everyone tears. Here are…