Health Library

The Health Library is a collection of health and wellness resources created for learning and accessibility. Select a topic below for related health information or search for a topic in the search bar for more information on other medical conditions.

Mental and Emotional Health

  • Learn what body image is and how to feel better about the way you look.

  • Exercise is about more than keeping in shape. It also can help with your emotional and mental health. Exercise can help you improve your self-esteem, keep your mind off problems, and give you a sense of control. In general, people who are fit have...

  • Active listening is a dynamic process that includes: Paying attention to what another person is saying. Thinking about what the person has just said. Responding in a way that lets the person know that you understood what he or she was trying to say. Hearing is different from listening...

  • Bev isn't letting the pain of arthritis in her hands and back keep her from doing her favorite activity—gardening. Nor does she let it keep her from doing anything else in her life. She has found ways to help reduce the pain that allow her to still enjoy the simple pleasures in life, like seeing the season's first...

  • When you find out that you have osteoarthritis, you may be scared and worried about how it may change your life, work, and relationships. It's hard to know how fast your arthritis may progress. Your symptoms may come and go, stay the same, or get worse over time. Some days you may feel fine and be able to do the things...

  • Covers how you and your family can be better prepared for changes PTSD can bring to your life. Looks at family support and talking with your kids. Discusses triggers that suddenly remind you of your traumatic event. Includes coping with holidays.

  • Alan is something of a miracle man. At the age of 32, he had a massive heart attack. But more than 40 years, 4 bypass surgeries, 30 angioplasties, and a combined pacemaker/defibrillator later, he's still thriving. He learned how to cope with heart disease the hard way. Alan had always been healthy and athletic. Except...

  • The need to stay at home and limit contact with others is important right now, but it can be lonely and isolating. Loneliness can take a toll on both our mental and physical health. Try these tips to stay connected and positive.

  • Let others, including your health care team, support you so you can grieve in your own way, when you're ready.

  • Learn about strategies for how to cope during stressful times.

  • Learn ways to cope with your feelings when dealing with cancer.

  • Know what is normal for your teen's age group. As teens grow and develop, they change the way they think about and express grief. Although each teen is different, there are some expected changes in thinking that occur during the early, middle, and late teenage years. Listen and watch for opportunities. If you listen...

  • Grief is a normal and healthy reaction that occurs when you lose someone or something important. Although it is possible to delay or postpone grieving, it is not possible to avoid grieving altogether. Grief will subside over time. However, the grieving process does not happen in a step-by-step or orderly fashion. Give...

  • Older adults often have many major losses within a short period of time. For example, an older adult who loses a partner may suffer many losses, including financial security, his or her best friend, and social contacts. The natural aging process brings many losses, such as loss of independence and physical strength...

  • You can take measures to make your life easier in the days and weeks after childbirth (postpartum period). Accept help, seek help You may be exhausted from the delivery and from being up at night with your baby. Don't expect that you'll be able to keep the house spotless and do all the household...

  • We all find ways of coping with stress. Some coping strategies are not as helpful as others. For example, negative coping responses often make your stress worse, because they wear you down over time or are temporary distractions. On the other hand, positive coping responses keep you in the present moment and give you...

  • There are many ways to deal with stress. The table below (reprinted from Wellness: Concepts and Applications*) lists positive ways to cope. See how many you use to deal with stress. If you have trouble filling out this chart, you may want to track your stress for a few days and then try again. Positive ways to...

  • The more you know about bipolar disorder, the better you will be able to cope with this lifelong illness. There are many steps that you can take—or help a loved one take—to recognize and better manage manic episodes. Learn the warning signs of a manic episode, and get early treatment to avoid disruption in your life...

  • Learn to cope with your feelings after finding out you have cancer.

  • Covers how you and your family can be better prepared for changes PTSD can bring to your life. Looks at family support and talking with your kids. Discusses triggers that suddenly remind you of your traumatic event. Includes coping with holidays.

  • Covers how mental health problems can affect your relationships. Looks at the stigma of mental health problems. Offers ways to help others understand. Covers how to get help. Includes links to info on specific disorders like depression, OCD, or PTSD.

  • Get help thinking about ways to stay positive and hopeful after a stroke.

  • Learn how you can get the support you need when dealing with cancer.

  • Learn about the range of emotions you may experience when you have cancer.

  • Learn ways to cope with your feelings when dealing with cancer.

  • Learn to check in with yourself and to be aware of your feelings when you have cancer.

  • Learn how to reach out to friends and loved ones for support.

  • Learn how expressing your negative feelings about asthma will help you feel better.

  • "In my head, I felt I was cured. After I recovered from my breast cancer surgery, that's how I thought of myself. So when my doctor told me last month that my cancer had come back, my world came crashing down, hard."—Kelly, 42 "When my doctor told me that my cancer had spread, I felt ready to give up then and there...

  • "When you hear the word 'cancer,' the worry begins. Am I going to survive this? How is it going to affect my family? I couldn't seem to focus on anything except cancer, and I felt like I'd lost control of my own thoughts. A friend suggested starting a journal, and I found that writing out my thoughts allowed me to let...

  • "When I heard the word 'cancer,' I couldn't believe it. Part of me was terrified, but another part was in denial. How could this happen to me? I just didn't want to deal with having cancer, didn't want to put my family through all of it. It took a...

  • Social connections are the relationships you have with the people around you. They may be close, like family, friends, and coworkers, or more distant, like people you know casually. They can be as close as next door or so far away that you only...

  • A cancer diagnosis changes your life, but it also affects the people who care about you. You're already dealing with your own distress about having cancer. And it can be hard to talk about it when you know people who care about you will be upset by the news. You may wonder: "How can I tell my children?"...

  • When your back hurts all or most of the time, it can affect more than just your body. There's an emotional side to chronic pain. You may need a shoulder to cry on or someone to talk to. You need support. Support groups—where you meet or talk to...

  • You may be able to tell when someone is paranoid. The person may accuse others of trying to harm him or her or may look around fearfully. The person may talk about protecting himself or herself from attack. Here are ways to help the person who is...

  • Here are ways to help your family member take the medicines: Talk about medicines in a way that is meaningful to the person. For example, point out the reasons to take medication. Say, "Your medicines help quiet the voices you hear," or "Your...

  • You can gently encourage someone who smokes to quit. Think of your comments about smoking as only one event that moves that person toward quitting. Start any discussion of quitting in a gentle way. Let the person know why you want him or her to...

  • Children see loss and death in different ways as they grow and develop. Tailor your help according to your child's age and emotional development. How you learned to deal with loss will affect how you help your child. Think about what helped you when you lost something as a child. Don't try to keep grieving a private...

  • It is important to think about the emotional well-being of the person with HIV you care for. Because every person's emotional needs are different, no single approach is best for everybody. Encourage the person to become involved in medical decisions...

  • Infertility is a major life crisis for many couples. It may affect self-esteem, body image, sexual identity, life goals, and sexual relations. When faced with the possibility or diagnosis of infertility, you may experience a broad range of emotions, including: Initial disbelief and denial followed by anger...

  • If you have a family member who has had a stroke, you may be concerned about how the stroke is going to affect your family's lifestyle. You may be concerned about finances and changes in family roles and responsibilities. Here are some ways to help...

  • When a loved one has an eating disorder such as anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating and is in treatment, it is important that you show support. You can show personal support by: Showing and stating your love. Avoiding the temptation to control the...

  • Health problems like cancer or heart disease and mental health problems like substance use disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have an emotional side. And the same is true for certain life events, like being a parent or caring for...

  • If someone you care about has been diagnosed with depression, you may feel helpless. Maybe you're watching a once-vibrant person slide into inactivity or seeing a good friend lose interest in activities that he or she used to enjoy. The change in your loved one's or friend's behavior may be so great that you feel you no...

  • Your partner or friend has decided it's time to quit smoking. This is great news. You're excited, and you want to help. But you don't want your partner or friend to feel that you're coming on too strong or that you're "checking up" on him or her. This Actionset will give you tips on helping someone who is trying to...

  • Learn how to plan for long-term financial stability.

  • Learn some tips for helping to manage money problems.

  • Learn how to manage your money to reduce your financial stress.

  • Covers how you and your family can be better prepared for changes PTSD can bring to your life. Looks at family support and talking with your kids. Discusses triggers that suddenly remind you of your traumatic event. Includes coping with holidays.

  • When your back hurts all or most of the time, it can affect more than just your body. There's an emotional side to chronic pain. You may need a shoulder to cry on or someone to talk to. You need support. Support groups—where you meet or talk to...

  • Having a family member with autism presents many challenges. Support and training for parents and siblings are important components of treatment. Training family members about autism and how to effectively manage the symptoms can reduce family stress and improve the functioning of the child with autism. Some families...

  • If someone you care about has been diagnosed with depression, you may feel helpless. Maybe you're watching a once-vibrant person slide into inactivity or seeing a good friend lose interest in activities that he or she used to enjoy. The change in your loved one's or friend's behavior may be so great that you feel you no...

  • So you've decided to change your eating habits. Great! Have you thought about getting support in making this change? Having the support of people close to you is an important part of change. It doesn't matter if you're changing a job, a routine, or...

  • The neighbors can set their clocks by Arturo and his wife, Rosa. Every morning at 6:30 a.m. and every evening at 6:30 p.m., they walk out their front door for their 30-minute walk. "It's kind of a neighborhood joke," Arturo, 58, says. "People literally look at their watch and laugh when we go by." But the walks...

  • Get inspired to make some healthy changes to the way you eat.

  • Make your own plan for reaching a healthy weight.

  • See how a diagnosis of heart disease inspired others to care for their heart.

  • Deciding to make a change that matters is a big step. Maybe you're feeling hopeful, excited, and ready for the change. You could be feeling nervous about changing. Or maybe you're worried that you'll let down yourself and others if you're not able...

  • If you've decided to change a habit—whether it's quitting smoking, lowering your blood pressure, becoming more active, or doing something else to improve your health—congratulations! Making that decision is the first step toward making a change. 1. Have your own reason Your reason for wanting to change a...

  • To make a change, use goals to chart your path to success. Two types of goals can help you do this: long-term and short-term. Long-term goals A long-term goal is not something you can do all at once. It's the goal that inspires you and that will show how far you've come when you complete it. It's usually a goal you...

  • Learn how to take your mind to a calming beach where stress melts away.

  • Imagine your life without cigarettes.

  • Guided imagery is a program of directed thoughts and suggestions that guide your imagination toward a relaxed, focused state. You can use an instructor, tapes, or scripts to help you through this process. Guided imagery is based on the concept that...

  • The methods described here help you relax, relieve stress, and feel better. Imagery for releasing muscle tension Close your eyes and imagine one of the following: Wax softening and melting. A tight, twisted rope slowly unwinding. Tension swirling out of your body and down the drain. You holding a remote control...

  • Looks at how guided imagery can help to manage stress. Explains what guided imagery is and its uses in healing, creativity, and reducing stress. Lists step-by-step instructions for guided imagery.

  • Learn healthy ways to get through a process.

  • Learn how negative and positive thoughts affect the way you experience pain.

  • Learn how to change your outlook on life by focusing on helpful thoughts.

  • Practice recognizing and replacing thoughts that cause anxiety.

  • Learn how your thoughts affect what you feel and do.

  • Learn some things you can try to help you become more optimistic.

  • Get help thinking about ways to stay positive and hopeful after a stroke.

  • Learn to reduce your pain by changing negative thoughts.

  • Living with pain can be hard, especially if it's long-term—or chronic—pain. Chronic pain is pain that lasts for 3 months or longer. It can make you sleep poorly, feel tired and irritable, and have a hard time being active or working. It may strain your relationships with loved ones too, making it hard to be the kind of...

  • Learn how your thoughts can contribute to weight gain.

  • Learn how reframing your thoughts about managing your weight can make a healthy difference.

  • Learn how replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts can help you reach a healthy weight.

  • See how a person started reframing their thoughts so they could feel better about themselves and their life.

  • Learn how to train your brain to work for you, not against you.

  • What is optimism? Optimism is a hopeful, positive outlook on the future, yourself, and the world around you. It is a key part of resilience, the inner strength that helps you get through tough times. By definition, optimism helps you see, feel, and think positively. But it has extra benefits you might not know...

  • What exactly is a negative thought? Suppose a coworker or a grocery store clerk suddenly gave you a mean look. How would you react? Would you just let it slide off you, like water off a duck? Or would you take it personally and feel bad about yourself, or even get angry about it? If you turn small things into big...

  • Sometimes Patty doesn't know whether to laugh or cry when one of her three kids runs at her for a flying hug. She loves the affection, but picking up her kids all the time is one reason the 33-year-old third-grade teacher has back pain. She tries to smile and gently remind her kids to hug mommy with their feet on the...

  • People who have an eating disorder often become preoccupied with negative thoughts about themselves. It is often hard for them to think healthy or balanced thoughts. Although it is impossible to stop all negative thoughts, you can reduce these...

  • Discusses accurate, rational thinking to stay well or cope with a health problem. Covers cognitive-behavioral therapy, also called CBT. Provides links to info on healthy thinking and weight, stress management, anxiety, and depression.

  • Discusses how to encourage yourself with accurate, rational thoughts so that you can raise your odds of staying at a healthy weight. Covers how it can also help you handle stress better. Provides steps to practice. Includes keeping a thought diary.

  • Anxiety is having too much fear and worry. Some people have what's called generalized anxiety disorder. They feel worried and stressed about many things. Often they worry about even small things. Some people also may have panic attacks. A panic attack is a sudden feeling of extreme anxiety. People who have social...

  • Depression is an illness that makes a person feel sad or hopeless much of the time. It's different from feeling a little sad or down. Depression can be treated with counseling or medicine, or both. Healthy thinking also can help prevent or control depression. If you have thoughts of harming yourself or others, you...

  • Unwanted thoughts can make you feel anxious or depressed. They may keep you from enjoying your life. A technique called thought-stopping can help you stop unwanted thoughts. What you think can affect how you feel. Thought-stopping helps you change how you think so that you feel better. Changing your thinking will...

  • Meditation is the practice of focusing your attention to help you feel calm and give you a clear awareness about your life. Eastern philosophies have recognized the health benefits of meditation for thousands of years. Meditation is now widely...

  • Discusses the use of mindful meditation to manage stress. Explains what mindful meditation is and reasons people meditate. Offers tips for successful meditation. Includes step-by-step instructions for meditation.

  • Find out how adding a little movement to your life may help your mental wellness.

  • Learn how your thoughts can contribute to weight gain.

  • Covers how your thoughts can affect your mental and physical health. Offers tips on positive thinking, including having positive expectations.

  • Looks at how relaxing your mind and body can relieve stress, anxiety, or depression. Offers how-to tips, including practicing mindful meditation, using guided imagery, yoga, or massage. Includes interactive tool to test what you've learned.

  • Learn about simple ways to practice mindfulness.

  • Learn how to use mindfulness to cope with illness, pain, or stress.

  • Learn what mindfulness is and how it can help reduce stress.

  • Practice mindfulness to help reduce stress.

  • Learn how to practice mindfulness even when your thoughts and daily life get in the way.

  • Learn how two people practice mindfulness to help them cope with stress or a health problem.

  • MBSR is a program that helps you learn to calm your mind and body to help you cope with illness, pain, and stress. MBSR teaches "mindfulness," which is a focus only on things happening in the present moment. Mindfulness is not a time to "zone out"...

  • Gratitude is saying "thank you." But it's more than a thank-you to a friend for a favor or gift. Gratitude is saying thanks for everything that is important to you and good in your life. You are thankful for a gift, but you're also thankful to watch...

  • You can make it through your depression. Hear from people who have recovered from depression.

  • Each body piercing site has its own normal healing time. Common sites usually heal within the time frames listed below. Healing depends on many things. It can depend on how big the piercing is and how thick the tissue is at the site. Your own...

  • Recovery means finding your path to a meaningful life. It puts you in control of your life and helps you gain self-confidence and respect for yourself. You can use recovery for substance use and mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress...

  • Resilience is an "inner strength" that helps you bounce back after stressful situations. When you are resilient, you may recover more quickly from setbacks or difficult changes, including illness. Developing resilience begins with simple actions or...

  • Learn how to encourage resilience so your child can better handle life's challenges.

  • Hear how others found strength and support to manage their pain.

  • Learn tips, including ideas for self-care and other support, to build resilience to help with challenging times.

  • Social connections are the relationships you have with the people around you. They may be close, like family, friends, and coworkers, or more distant, like people you know casually. They can be as close as next door or so far away that you only...

  • What is optimism? Optimism is a hopeful, positive outlook on the future, yourself, and the world around you. It is a key part of resilience, the inner strength that helps you get through tough times. By definition, optimism helps you see, feel, and think positively. But it has extra benefits you might not know...

  • Learn how to use your inner strengths to get through tough times and overcome challenges.

  • Inner strength, often called "resilience," is the ability to cope with the stressful situations that life throws at us. Building inner strength begins with simple actions or thoughts that your child practices, such as planning for what to do next and learning to accept change. Inner strength can help a child face...

  • Interactive tool measures your ability to bounce back from stressful situations. Discusses what your score means from being very resilient to not very resilient. Includes next steps and a link to more information on stress management.

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