Karen IN THE MEDIA

6 Health Benefits of Doing a Digital Detox

If you find yourself scrolling through your phone for several minutes, or even hours, and staring at a computer or tablet for the majority of the day, you’re in good company. READ MORE

Lifehacker: How to Cope as a Distance Caregiver in the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant dealing with challenges most people never thought they’d face: toilet paper shortages, universal homeschooling and a novel virus that has killed more than 100,000 Americans in less than three months. It has also changed the caregiving landscape dramatically. READ MORE

Mindfulness for Challenging Times: A Collection of Voices for Peace, Self-Care and Connection

I am so excited to be a co-author with Shamash Alidina and 25 others in a new book, Mindfulness for Challenging Times: A Collection of Voices for Peace, Self-Care and Connection. The book has 3 parts: Part 1: Meeting Challenges with Mindfulness; Part 2: Practicing Self-Care, Compassion and Kindness; Part 3: Connecting Mindfully With Others. My chapter is Mindfulness for Helping Professionals The book was recently released for pre-order on Amazon and all proceeds are being donate to the World Health Organization.

Saatva Sleep Enlightened: 4 Self-Care Tips to Calm Your Mind and Body Before Bed

Self-care has become an increasingly popular phrase in recent years, and for good reason. It’s “a term used to describe ways to nurture ourselves that are intentional, planned, and rewarding,” explains Karen Whitehead, licensed clinical social worker, and it has become synonymous with mental health. With so much fear and uncertainty in the world today, it’s more important than ever to make self-care a priority. READ MORE

VoyageATL: Meet Karen Whitehead

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Whitehead.

Karen, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
So many people feel they are supposed to have their lives figured out at an early age. For me, I hope I am still growing and evolving as a person as long as I am on this earth! Almost ten years ago, I decided to go back to school. It was not an easy decision, but I knew after working in headhunting, education, fundraising and hospice, it was time to find a career that fit my passions as well as my transitioning life. As part of the sandwich generation, I have children still at home (the last one heads off to college this fall) and care for my mom who is in assisted living. After a great deal of research and support and encouragement from my husband, I decided to become a clinical social worker to blend my skills and interests in a way that is rewarding and flexible. Changing careers mid-life is an accomplishment I won’t soon forget. READ MORE

Anxiety | As seen in:

Realtor.com: 6 Surprising Things in Your Home That Can Trigger Anxiety During a Pandemic

To say that we're all feeling anxious while living through a global pandemic is quite the understatement. And our homes should be a place of respite during these challenging times—not somewhere the walls feel like they're closing in. But what if your home is actually making your anxiety worse?

"When our external world feels threatening or uncertain, our internal sense of control gets out of balance," says Karen Whitehead of Karen Whitehead Counseling in Alpharetta, GA. "We start to see everything in a different light because our system is on high alert. Our mind starts to see more and more 'threats' in our environment." READ MORE

Aatpiv: Things That Are Unknowingly Increasing Your Stress Level

Stress is a normal bodily reaction to the events of our life. It can occur on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. But it’s very individual. What triggers stress for one person might be totally different for the next. However, most often, stress is caused by life events. These could be challenges at work, difficulty in relationships, moving to a new city, or illness and loss. Our level of stress can also rise when things feel out of balance. READ MORE

Reader’s Digest: 22 Ways to Remind Yourself That You’re Worthy

From pets to poppies to Post-It notes, you’re surrounded by signs that you’re worthy of love, success, and happiness. The trick is learning to see them. READ MORE

EliteReader: 10 Anxiety Hacks to Manage Attacks

Having anxiety is both physically and mentally exhausting. READ MORE

Upjourney: How to Stop Thinking About Something

Ever had a nagging thought that won’t go away? Lost sleep because your mind won’t give you a rest? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! READ MORE

A Sweat Life: A Beginner’s Guide to Creating a Mental Health Routine

We’re pretty good at taking care of our physical health: we work out regularly, we eat healthy (most of the time!), and we schedule a yearly physical exam. Those are definitely important, but most of us could probably use a tune up when it comes to making sure we’re mentally well. READ MORE

Huffpost: 10 Anxiety Hacks Therapists Swear By

The 40 million Americans who live with an anxiety disorder know how terrifying both the physical and mental symptoms can be. Issues like debilitating headaches, shortness of breath and persistent rumination make even the simplest daily tasks feel like impossible undertakings. For people without the disorder, acute instances of anxiety ― think job or financial stress ― can lead to the same symptoms and feelings. READ MORE

Bustle: 13 Genius Ways To Lessen Your Anxiety In The Morning, According To Experts

Plenty of people wake up in the morning anxiety-free and fully prepared for their day. And then there are the rest of us. It's not uncommon to feel anxious in the morning as you think about all the stressful and scary things that may lie ahead — whether they be meetings, appointments, or the simple act of commuting to work. Facing the stresses of the day is enough to make anyone's blood run cold, and is precisely why having a stress-relieving morning routine can be such a big help. READ MORE

Elite Daily: Why You Shouldn't Tell Someone With Depression To Just "Cheer Up"

Depression is a constant, dark overcast that follows you, your every breath, your every step, and your every move. It's similar to a shadow, only it doesn't walk with your step; it moves against you.
Gripping you, sometimes breaking down your proverbial spine, it makes you feel as if you have no backbone to shake it off. READ MORE

Cancer | As seen in:

SilverSneakers: 5 Ways to Support Someone Dealing with a Health Crisis

Showing you care might look different than you think. Follow these dos and don’ts to help make a difficult time a little bit easier. It’s unsettling to receive a scary health diagnosis. What can be just as unsettling: learning that a family member or friend received one.

Whether you feel shocked, frightened, overwhelmed, or a combination of all three, know your reaction isn’t right or wrong. It’s normal to feel uncertain for your loved one and to have questions—some of which you may not want to know the answer to. READ MORE

WebMD: Building Your Breast Cancer Community

Tarah Harvey, 33, of Austin, TX, agrees. “When I was diagnosed a little over a year ago, I was breastfeeding my baby. I didn’t know anyone else in my situation. My husband is super positive, as is my team at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. But connecting with people like me allows me to be really open about my fears,” READ MORE

Caregiving | As seen in:

Huffpost: What Happens to Therapists Who Listen to Trauma All Day

Most people are familiar with vicarious living — an act which involves having an experience through the lens of another person — in one way or another. Maybe you’ve refreshed a sibling’s Instagram feed one too many times while they were on vacation, or relished tales of your friends’ dating lives.

However, not all vicarious experiences are positive. Sometimes hearing the details of an unpleasant situation can cause vicarious trauma, the phenomenon where you feel negatively affected by a tragic situation like a mass shooting ― even if you weren’t physically present for it. READ MORE

SheKnows: Why Guilt is an Unexpected Aspect of Caregiving

When you first get the call letting you know that a loved one is ill, a million things go racing through your mind: What’s the prognosis? Should I drop everything and go to them right away? What will the treatment plan look like? READ MORE

New York Times: Strategies for Long-Distance Caregiving

A few months ago, my biggest sources of anxiety were politics, my finances, and whether I’d make my next work deadline. Then one afternoon my mother called to tell me she had leukemia. READ MORE

Home Care Assistance: 5 Solutions to Overcoming Resistance to Care

When you were a kid, you probably sat through “the talk” that had your parents (perhaps awkwardly) explaining the birds and the bees. Decades later, your roles have flip-flopped and now you’re faced with talking to your parents about considering home care options. READ MORE

Reader's Digest: 10 Ways to Help Elderly Parents Transition to Assisted Living

When a parent enters an assisted living facility, it isn’t always the happiest of occasions. But there are several ways to help your parent (and you) make the transition a lot smoother! READ MORE

HumanGood: Sandwich Generation Caregiving Challenges and Solutions

Many recent college graduates entered the workforce in the middle of the great recession. Some moved back in with their families, and some rely on financial help from their parents. READ MORE

Minority Nurse: Emotional Rescue: How to Protect Yourself from Stressful Work Experiences

The stress of nursing can take quite a toll on nurses emotionally and psychologically. Learn to recognize the signs, what to do, and when to seek help. READ MORE

Our Parents: Aging Transitions: Dissipating the Anger

An unfortunate side effect of aging that many adult children have noticed in their parents is a greater tendency toward anger. The pleasant adult they have known throughout their life is suddenly READ MORE