Just because we have a thought, doesn't mean it is a fact. We have hundreds of thoughts throughout the day but only some of them are true! Learning healthier thinking habits can help decrease distress and improve our mental well-being. Be mindful of these harmful thinking habits:

1. ALL-OR-NOTHING THINKING: Believing things are only ever all good or all bad
2. OVERGENERALIZING: Coming to a broad conclusion based on a single event
3. FILTERING OUT THE POSITIVES: Focusing only on the negative aspects
4. MIND READING: Believing you know what others are thinking
5. FORTUNE TELLING: Thinking you can predict the future for certain
6. EMOTIONAL REASONING: Believing your negative
feelings are facts
7. LABELING: Making global statements about ourselves or others based on one situation
8. CATASTROPHIZING: Predicting that the worst possible outcome will definitely happen

If we're going to spend an hour thinking about the worst possible scenario, we can also spend an hour thinking about the best possible scenario--What if I: make a new friend, have a good time, learn something new, succeed!

Personal boundaries are lines that we "draw" for ourselves in terms of our comfort level around other people. Healthy boundaries keeps us safe and comfortable in our relationships. We must communicate our boundaries to others, as they cannot read our mind or respect our wants or needs if we do not share them with them.

Boundaries usually fall into one of these categories:
- emotional
- physical
- time-related
- sexual
- work-related
- material

Some examples of boundaries we might set:
- “I’m not comfortable with that level of physical contact.”
- “I don’t check my work email after 5 PM.”
- "I need some time to think about that before I get back to you."

Turning off our brain at bedtime can be tough. To ease the transition, reduce stimulating and thought-provoking activities before sleep—especially screen time, which floods us with varied, often overwhelming content. Instead, take 20–30 minutes for calming activities like reading, taking a bath, or listening to calming music. Good sleep hygiene, including limiting caffeine and exercising regularly, also supports better rest.

Think about all of the information and content that is readily available to us on our phones or computers. In just one minute of scrolling, we might see pictures of loved ones, breaking news headlines, stories about traumatic events, funny videos, and even more. Stepping away from screen time can allow us to be more mindful of how we feel (physically, mentally, emotionally).