Sarah Moore, LPC

In our efforts to cultivate joy during the holidays, we often find ourselves so busy that we barely have the opportunity to truly savor this time of year

If you’re a woman who has been trying to make new friends or deepen your relationships with old friends, you might be surprised by how challenging this process can be.

Women in the workforce often feel that they have to exceed expectations in order to advance in their professions. All the while, they have to deal with challenges at work that lots of men have the luxury of avoiding.

Maybe you’ve gotten into the habit of “faking it” when you’re in the bedroom with your partner. At first, you might have assumed this was a harmless white lie.

Do you notice that your mood tends to dip when the days get shorter? You’re not imagining things. It’s fairly common for people to experience seasonal depression throughout the winter.

Perhaps you’ve recently gone through a breakup. Now, you’re wondering how to navigate life on your own. Maybe you’ve been single for a while now. You’re tired of dealing with prying questions.

Dealing with misogyny day in and day out can be exhausting. Many women feel like they have to walk a fine line at work, at home, in school, and other settings in order to appear likable and meet other people’s expectations.

Maybe you’ve come to dread certain times of year because the changing weather causes your mental health to suffer. Many people feel down when winter sets in.

Maybe you’ve been anxious lately, and everything seems to be stressful. Going to the grocery store, texting a friend, speaking up at work, attending social gatherings, or booking appointments can all worsen your anxiety.

Maybe you’ve only ever been in monogamous relationships. Recently, you’ve met someone who you could see a future with. Yet they surprised you by telling you that they’re polyamorous.

Do you constantly fear being rejected in relationships? This doesn’t just come into play if you want to ask someone out on a date, or if you’re trying to get to know a potential new friend; your fear of rejection also crops up in established relationships with people who probably have never given you a reason not to trust them.

Maybe you find yourself agreeing to things you don’t believe in for the sake of making other people happy.

Maybe you can’t help but engage in negative self-talk. You constantly criticize yourself and define yourself by your worst moments. At times, you end up assuming the worst of others, and you might shy away from potential friendships or relationships because of your negative perceptions of the world.

Today, countless people struggle with loneliness. If you’ve been feeling lonely and isolated, it’s not a personal failure.

Maybe you’ve recently lost a loved one, and you can’t stop thinking about them. They occupy your thoughts around the clock.

As the years go on, you might notice that society treats you differently. Even if you’ve slowed down a bit physically, you still feel just as sharp and capable as you did decades ago.

It’s easy to assume that grief is an emotion that only crops up in association with devastating losses. When a loved one dies, or even if you’ve gone through an intense breakup or divorce, you might feel like you can comfortably say that you’re grieving.

Maybe you were married for decades. But you and your former spouse have gone your separate ways. Now, you’re finally ready to enter the dating scene again.

Political divisions within families are nothing new. There have always been family members who held different positions on hot-button political issues.

Maybe you’ve been feeling completely drained for a while. But you’re not physically exhausted. Instead, you can’t help but feel like you’re emotionally tired.

You’ve worked hard throughout your whole life. Maybe you got married, bought a home, raised children, and got comfortable with the different roles you held, including your job and your role as a spouse and a parent.

Dealing with health concerns later in life comes with some unique considerations. This is especially true for women in their fifties or later, who are often juggling competing priorities while trying to manage their own health.

Lots of women question their self-worth as they age. Not only does society send women the message that their value declines as the years go on, going through menopause can also have a negative effect on your mental health and leave you feeling uncomfortable in your own skin.

After losing a loved one, needing time to grieve is normal and healthy. Trying to “rush” the process doesn’t serve the grieving person. In the wake of a loss, everyone needs space to honor their complex emotions.

Maybe you have a tendency to be highly critical of yourself. Perhaps you have even noticed that this tendency is affecting your approach to dating or your current romantic relationship.

If you’re entering perimenopause, you may be dismayed by all of the changes your body is going through. You might be waking up at night with hot flashes, dealing with intense mood swings, struggling with frustrating headaches, and even having difficulty focusing.

If you’ve been struggling with anxiety, you might be looking for a way to get some relief from your symptoms. Maybe you’re tossing and turning at night because your worries are keeping you up late.