MARCH 2022
Living Life to the Fullest:
The Marsh Family
ALSO INSIDE: Cover photo by The Little Photo Shop | An exclusive magazine serving the neighborhoods of Piedmont and Dominion Valley
In Honor of Payton Rose Freeze: Payton’s Project Pg. 5 Operation B Ready … for Prom! Pg. 9 Stress Management Pg. 14
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PUBLICATION TEAM Publishers: Michael and Debbie Wykowski Content Coordinator: Marianne Weaver Designer: Jody Zipp Contributing Photographer: Melinda Ratcliff, The Little Photo Shop
Happy March!
“May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live.”
Debbie and Michael Wykowski, Publishers
Marianne Weaver Content Coordinator
ADVERTISING Learn more about becoming a sponsor. Contact: Michael and Debbie Wykowski Email: mwykowski@bestversionmedia.com or dwykowski@bestversionmedia.com Phone: 703-203-9130 FEEDBACK/IDEAS/SUBMISSIONS Have feedback, ideas or submissions? We are always happy to hear from you! Deadlines for submissions are the 10th of each month. Go to www.bestversionmedia.com and click “Submit Content.” You may also email your thoughts, ideas and photos to: mweaver@ bestversionmedia.com. Any content, resident submissions, guest columns, advertisements and advertorials are not necessarily endorsed by or represent the views of Best Version Media (BVM) or any municipality, homeowners associations, businesses or organizations that this publication serves. BVM is not responsible for the reliability, suitability or timeliness of any content submitted. All content submitted is done so at the sole discretion of the submitting party. © 2022 Best Version Media. All rights reserved.
My family is kicking off March with our annual St. Patrick’s Day party. Not only do we celebrate our Irish heritage with some traditional food and drink, music and dancing, but we also collect donations for the Ronald McDonald House in Fairfax. We were living in South Carolina when we got the call that a friend’s son was diagnosed with cancer. Doctors wanted to begin treatment immediately at a children’s hospital more than an hour away. After getting their son settled, they were referred to RMH. The RMH set up their room, showed them the fully stocked kitchen, and told them to make themselves at home. When he pulled out his credit card, they told him to put it away. Amidst the chaos and confusion, after everyone else was asleep, my friend found himself alone in the kitchen where he found a homemade chocolate cake. He felt love and support from a complete stranger who, for reasons unknown to him, baked and donated that chocolate cake. While I can’t bake for every family facing those scary nights, I can pull my resources – and friends – to donate some items to the house that provided my friends a home during the scariest of times. That little boy fought cancer and won. He just got his driver’s license and is heading to the state swimming championships. Learn more about the Ronald McDonald House at rmhcdc.org.
Debbie and Michael Wykowski,
PUBLISHERS
Marianne Weaver, CONTENT COORDINATOR
FOOD PANTRY
NEEDS
Please help us feed the hungry in NoVa! We need: fresh vegetables, fruit, dairy and meat (if delivered directly to HoM).
Submitted by House of Mercy Food Pantry
To help keep the food pantry stocked all year, please donate: Cans of tomatoes, chicken, tuna, vegetables, soup, beans, fruit and corn; macaroni and cheese; olive/vegetable oil; pasta and sauce; cereal. Check out the link to our website for an Amazon wish list as well: www.houseofmercyva.org Food Pantry / Donation Center / Thrift Store 8170 Flannery Court, Manassas, VA 20109 Monday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (703) 659-1636 / info@houseofmercyva.org BULL RUN MOUNTAIN NEIGHBORS
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EXPERT Contributors FINANCIAL ADVISOR Deborah Trnka - Edward Jones Advisors Deborah Trnka 571-248-8267 deborah.trnka@edwardjones.com
Edward Jones is a different kind of investment firm. To us, face time and think time make sense. We meet with you to learn your individual needs so we can develop a strategy to help you achieve your long-term financial goals. You can expect personalized service to develop an investment strategy that makes sense for you. Contact me today!
HEALTH AND WELLNESS Health & Wellness with Lisa Lisa Gorsuch 202-455-5017 www.healthwellnesswithlisa.com healthwellnesslisa@gmail.com Facebook: healthwellnesslisa Lisa has her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. For the past five years, she has worked in a private, outpatient practice helping individuals and families. Due to COVID-19, she transitioned to working at home and is now a Certified Mindset Life Coach. With a holistic approach, Lisa helps her clients overcome obstacles, achieve their goals by developing healthy thoughts, beliefs and attitudes, and ultimately experience the necessary change and results that they want in their lives.
ORTHODONTICS TEEM Orthodontics Dr. Madueke Ekoh 703-753-4777 | teemortho.com Dr. Ekoh’s journey started in Nigeria, obtaining his Pre-Bachelors in Dental Surgery before emigrating to the U.S. He received his Doctorate in Dental Surgery and Orthodontist certificate at Howard University. To keep up with the advances in orthodontic care, Dr. Ekoh regularly attends numerous seminars, and is an active member in several professional associations, including the American Association of Orthodontists. He lives in Haymarket with his wife and four children. “My vision is to make advanced, high quality and cutting-edge orthodontic care available and affordable to everyone. I believe that great orthodontic care should not only improve the smile, but help people experience the joy of living better.”
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PERFORMING ARTS Lasley Centre for the Performing Arts Kalie Lasley 540-905-2782 | klasley@lasleycentre.com www.lasleycentre.com
Kalie Lasley is an American Ballet Theatre (ABT) Affiliate Teacher and the Executive Director of Lasley Centre for the Performing Arts in Vint Hill. Ms. Lasley has an extensive background in dance, including time as a professional dancer at the prestigious San Francisco Ballet. Lasley Centre opened in 2011, growing into a 9,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility where students from pre-ballet to pre-professional train to be technically sound artists in a nurturing environment.
REAL ESTATE Esther Biggs, Realtor® 703-927-7297 esther@estherbiggs.com Facebook: estherbiggsestatebiz Esther is a full time Realtor® affiliated with The Platinum Group of Pearson Smith Realty. Esther’s combined experience of 24+ years and her extensive knowledge in interior design, staging, and marketing make her the ideal partner when you are looking to buy, sell, or invest in Real Estate. She brings to the table a listening ear, keen eye for design, and top-notch negotiating skills; additionally, she is one of the best-connected agents in the Region and is an active volunteer at the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors® where she currently chairs the Hispanic Forum of Realtors. Who you work with matters!
SOCIAL EDUCATION National League of Junior Cotillions Kathleen Geneva 703-901-1498 | kathleen.geneva@nljc.com www.nljc.com/chapter/westprincewilliam Kathleen Geneva is a licensed Modern Etiquette and Cotillion Instructor with the National League of Junior Cotillions (NLJC) and the Emily Post Institute.She was recently awarded the Best New Director of the Year by the NLJC and also received recognition for Best Public Relations for her local franchise Chapters.Mrs. Geneva has a genuine passion for teaching children the importance of social education. Her goal is for every student to leave her program with an increased sense of knowledge, confidence, self worth and skills that will assist them in young adulthood and last them a lifetime.
CHARITY SPOTLIGHT
In Honor of Payton Rose Freeze: By Cathy Strittmater
PAYTON’S PROJECT
Payton’s Project is a non-profit organization begun by residents of Dominion Valley after Payton Rose Freeze ended her life Feb. 10, 2016, at the age of 17. The mission of Payton’s Project is to promote mental health wellness, anti-bullying, kindness and concussion awareness. Payton was a lovely young lady, a Dominion Valley resident, who exhibited these traits and this non-profit was created to honor her. Although COVID put some public and faceto-face endeavors on hold, we did manage to host numerous events throughout the pandemic. In 2020 and 2021 we paid for the first 20 cars lined up at several drive-in movie venues throughout Northern Virginia. Our goal was to bring awareness to the metropolitan area and to also spread kindness. At the Haymarket Chick-Fil-A, we donated meals to those who came to the restaurant on Payton’s birthday. Again, we aimed to spread kindness, awareness, and to pay-it-forward.
GOING FORWARD Our main focus for the next several years is to advocate and give grants to middle schools who want to institute wellness rooms in their schools. This will be expanded to high schools and elementary schools in the future.
Every year for the past four years we have taken part in Gainesville/Haymarket Rotary fundraiser to bring awareness about our mission and to support other non-profits in the Haymarket/Gainesville area. To date, we have funded six wellness rooms in Prince William County middle schools to assist in mental wellness for our children. Our goal is to have all middle schools in the county be used before, during and after school.
To date, the organization has given away $48,000 in scholarships to high school seniors and those already in their post-secondary education to be used for their post-secondary education expenses, regardless of their grades. Rather, the scholarships are based on the merit, kindness and ability of the individual to persevere. This scholarship is on-going.
We have helped fund, collect data, and institute a program called Payton’s Peers, a12-week modular program written by Dr. Jenny Mischel to help children who are suffering or have suffered from bullying. These children meet in small groups after school. The program is designed to help with self-esteem, develop strategies to overcome bullying, and give children tools to take charge of their own mental well-being.
Since 2017, a softball tournament is held every October in Payton’s honor with young ladies, age 10 to 18, in Prince William County. The event is co-hosted by the Shamrock’s girls softball team.
For the last three years, we have been a mainstay at the International Bullying Prevention Conference and the World Anti-Bully Forum, sharing our data and mission with other like-minded organizations.
We were recently approved by Prince William County Public Schools and Emory University to be part of a study for the effectiveness of these wellness rooms. We are most excited about this study! We will continue and broaden our $1,000 scholarships to young people who exemplify kindness/inclusiveness in their daily walk or who have overcome being bullied and rose above it. This scholarship is solely based upon their character and behavior. Grades, athleticism, nor any other talent matters – their BEHAVIOR is the criteria. The scholarship is valid for any post-secondary education including universities, colleges, community colleges, and trade schools. We will continue to institute Payton’s Peers in local middle schools and high schools, as well as continue to spread awareness of the value in kindness, inclusiveness, and mental well-being. For more information visit paytonsproject.org or Freeze Bullying for Payton on Facebook. For volunteer information, contact Brent Freeze at bfreeze@ paytonsproject.org. We stand ready to bring mental wellness to our schools and communities. Won’t you join us?
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RESIDENT FEATURE
Living Life to the Fullest:
The Marsh Family
By Marianne Weaver | Photos by The Little Photo Shop From diving for sand dollars in the Gulf of Mexico and fishing at Bald Head Island to jet skiing with dolphins and shrimping off the coast of the Outer Banks, the Marsh family – Jason and Leah, Kylie, 16, Hunter, 14, and Bryce, 9 – don’t do anything halfway. “Our family has a lot of adrenaline junkies, so we try to keep things exciting,” said Leah. Four out of five Marshes have logged long hours on the lacrosse fields (football fields, and rivers).
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Kylie played lacrosse from third through eighth grade, before taking a break to try Grizzly football. “She was the only girl on their team,” said Leah. “Then she found Battlefield crew and fell in love with that sport. Hunter played Brigade Lacrosse from third through seventh grade. He was a goalie for Brigade and Go Big Lacrosse for more than five years. During that time, he played travel and regularly played against kids two to three years older than him. This year, he is trying out for Battlefield’s crew and lacrosse teams.
“He took a year off and found he loved playing the guitar,” said Leah. He and Bryce will be playing travel lacrosse at Go Big Lacrosse this spring. Bryce, she noted, would play every sport if allowed. But, she said, his favorites are tackle football and lacrosse. Jason was the commissioner of Brigade Lacrosse for the last eight years. He recently stepped down, due to health issues, but said he hopes to be back soon. “Jason has poured his heart and soul into this organization,” said Leah. “He taught the kids life lessons, not just lacrosse skills: Winning is fun, but you have to do it the right way. Being a good sport and learning the fundamentals were his goals. He has stayed up numerous nights stringing sticks. The kids always come first. He wants to make sure they understand and enjoy the sport.”
He also coaches for the Gainesville Grizzly football program and Go Big Lacrosse. AT HOME IN HAYMARKET In 2004, Jason and Leah, government contracting co-workers, had one date before both were deployed to the Middle East. He was in Bahrain and Leah was in Doha. “I got into a bad accident and shattered both my wrists,” said Leah. “Since he was in a country close to me, he flew over and helped me get back to the States, and we have been together ever since.”
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They’ve shared many memorable dates: Walking on the Grand Canyon skywalk, exploring a rainforest with natural waterfalls in Jamaica, deep sea fishing in Alaska, and trying their luck at a casino in Amsterdam, just to name a few. They hosted a rehearsal dinner at Blude Ridge Seafood (still a family favorite) and were married Friday, July 8, 2005, at the Bristow Manor. “It rained the morning of our wedding, but cleared right before we got married,” said Leah. “We were blessed to have so many friends and family there.” After trying out Leesburg, Ashburn, Manassas and Aldie, the family has set down roots in Gate Mills. “We’ve lived here for five years,” she said. “We love that we’re within walking distance of a park, restaurants and the high schools. It’s fun to walk over and see the football/ lacrosse games in the fall.” Jason attended West Virginia University, where he played lacrosse. He is now the director of consulting services at CGI Federal. Leah earned a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from Wayland Baptist University. She was an Air Force air traffic controller before changing her career path to intelligence officer. “As an IA, I briefed F-15 pilots, commanders and high ranking officials at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska,” she said. “After that, I started working for General Dynamics as an imagery analyst.” That’s the job that sent her to Doha. After her injury, her career path changed completely.
Bryce attends a local elementary school and recently received the captain’s award (all As and Bs) the first quarter and the admiral’s award (straight As) the second quarter. All of the kids are involved with Park Valley Church youth groups and summer camps. Although the Marsh family is in constant motion, Leah said they place a priority on family time.
“I decided to become a newborn photographer and opened my own business – LeahMarshPotography.com,” she said. “I absolutely love taking pictures of newborns.”
“We make it a point to take summer vacations with the kids every year,” she said. “If we’re lucky enough to have some down time, we watch a movie and have pizza every Friday night. We go hiking in the Shenandoah mountains every fall when the leaves turn.”
Kylie and Hunter attend Battlefield High School, where both are members of the National Honors Society.
Do you know a family that has an interesting story to share? Let us know! Send an email to dwykowski@bestversionmedia.com.
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CHARITY SPOTLIGHT
Operation B Ready …
for Prom!
By Marianne Weaver Photographs provided by Brooke Bailey Brooke Bailey, owner of Studio B in Haymarket, wants to make sure every girl has the opportunity to wear the dress of her dreams to prom. “I have always wanted to do something like this and when I had the opportunity to open up my own salon I put the plan to action,” she said. “One of our main goals at studio B is to empower young women and build confidence, through make-up lessons, hair lessons, and being able to give them the opportunity to wear a gorgeous dress on their big day.” So far, Bailey has collected about 25 dresses. But she is hoping that number climbs as she reaches out to the community to donate their gently used formal wear. Dresses are stored in a new local climate-controlled storage unit until the girls are ready to shop. Baily said she is collaborating with local schools and social workers to plan an event for students in need.
“It will be a private event so students and their families will feel special while they pick out gorgeous dresses,” she said. Studio B, 15111 Washington Street, Suite 129, Haymarket, is accepting donations Monday through Saturday. For more information, call (571) 284-7951.
Keep a level head in an up-and-down market.
Deborah Trnka, AAMS® Financial Advisor deborah.trnka@edwardjones.com 571.248.8267
MEMBER SIPC
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CALENDAR of EVENTS
Saturday, March 19
THE MOORE LAUGHTER CLEAN COMEDY SHOW
Saturday, March 12
Saturday, March 12
@ Manassas Inisfail, the sponsor of the Greater Manassas St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and the City of Manassas are happy to announce the St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held this year in downtown Manassas. Family-friendly Time: 11 a.m. • Cost: Free stpatparade.net
@ Sinistral Brewing Company, 9419 Main Street, Manassas Open early. Live music all day. Food available. Time: 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. • Cost: Free sinistralbrewingcompany.com
@ Jirani Coffeehouse, 9425 West Street, Manassas Clean comedy - no cursing, no vulgarity. Moore Laughter Entertainment presents another Clean Comedy Show. Come and relieve your accumulated stress through laughter. Time: Doors open at 7 p.m., show begins at 8 p.m. Cost: $30 advance, $35 at the door (cash only) MooreLaughter.com JiraniCoffeehouse.com
Sunday, March 13
Saturday, March 19
Saturday, March 12
@ Ornery Beer Taproom, 8088 Flannery Court, Manassas Ages 12 and up welcome. Use one of our axes or bring your own. Professional axe coaches available. Current league members throw for free. Time: Noon – 2 p.m. • Cost: $20 per person ornerybeer.com
@ Craftworx Taproom, 5615 Wellington Road, Gainesville Mike will be performing a few sets of originals and covers. Swing by one of the newest music venues and self-serving bars in the Gainesville area. Time: Noon -3 p.m. • Cost: Free CraftWorxTaproom.com
2022 GREATER MANASSAS ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE
ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARTY
@ Ornery Beer Taproom, 8088 Flannery Court, Manassas Food truck on site, Boyle School of Irish Dance at 3:30 p.m., prizes for the best Irish attire. Time: 3 p.m. – 9 p.m. • Cost: Free ornerybeer.com
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ST. PATRICK’S DAY PRE- AND POST-PARADE
OPEN AXE THROWING SUNDAYS
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MIKE (ROOK) RICHARDS
Sunday, March 20
5-COURSE EXECUTIVE CHEF’S WINE PAIRING DINNER
@ Byblos Restaurant, 6850 Piedmont Center, Gainesville Enjoy a special evening with Byblos owner and executive chef Walid savoring Mediterranean cuisine paired with award winning Lebanese wine. Cost: $60-$70 per person (571) 445-3716 Saturday, March 26
7 TH ANNUAL PRINCE WILLIAM/ MANASSAS HISTORY SYMPOSIUM
@ Old Manassas Courthouse, 9248 Lee Avenue, Manassas Courage and perseverance are no strangers to Prince William County during its long history. Whether it was courage shown by soldiers in battle, perseverance in the political arena during the founding of America, to the courage shown by the first four African American teachers to integrate schools in the county, there has been no shortage of courageous deeds in the county. Time: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. • Cost: $10 (703) 499-9812 Sunday, April 10 – Sunday, April 30
BEACON VIRTUAL WALK FOR LITERACY
@ 9535 Linton Hall Road, Bristow BEACON’s annual Walkathon for Literacy fundraiser to support BEACON will be held for three weeks in April, culminating with a fun family-friendly live event on the 30th, including a face painting, food trucks, clown, raffles and more. This event celebrates 30 years of BEACON serving the community. Time:TBA • Cost: TBA beaconliteracy.org
Saturday, April 23
WALK MS: MANASSAS
@ Harris Pavilion, 9201 Center Street, Manassas Every step you take at Walk MS leads to something greater. With accessible routes that are stroller- and mobility device-friendly, there’s nothing quite like looking around you to a sea of orange-clad people who want to support you and the MS community. The next step you take could be the last in our journey toward a world free of MS. Build your team in your community and join the movement. Time: 9 a.m. • Cost: Varies ntlms.org/walkMS22fbe Saturday, April 30
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 5K & FUN RUN
@ Glenkirk Elementary School, 8584 Sedge Wren Drive, Gainesville This annual event is coming back in-person in 2022. Proceeds from this healthy family/community event support Glenkirk PTO and Glenkirk Elementary School. Time: 8 a.m. • Cost: TBA glenkirkpto.org/goldenknights5k Saturday, May 14
SWEET JULIA GRACE FOUNDATION ADULT FIELD DAY
@ The Farm Brewery, 16015 John Marshall Hwy., Broad Run Come out and join SJGF for the most fun you’ve had since you took the fields by storm back in the fourth grade! The SJGF Adult Field Day Fundraiser is a throwback to grade school (built with adults in mind). Team Captains register teams of six to eight players (must be over 21). Registration opens Sunday, March 6, 8 p.m. Cost: TBA sweetjuliagrace.org/field-day
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Prince William County Bar Association
Raises the Bar
By Ethan Brown The Prince William County Bar Association’s (PWCBA) Raising the Bar committee, which contributed meaningfully to conversations about judicial inaccessibility and inequity, received accolades from the American Bar Association for its efforts to combat racial injustice across the country. In January 2021, Donna Dougherty, Esq, as president of PWCBA in 2021, reached out to Felisha Hardy, Esq., a criminal lawyer and fellow PWCBA bar member, regarding hurtful and racist comments posted on the PWCBA’s listserv. Dougherty informed Hardy that she planned to create an ad hoc committee, open to PWCBA members interested in finding ways for the PWCBA to address issues of access to justice for minorities and women in the Prince William County legal community. During the next few months, the two women, along with members of the ad hoc committee that included attorneys and Prince William County judges, developed a proposed new permanent subcommittee committee, titled Raising the Bar. This committee is to work with the local judiciary, law enforcement officers, and community leaders to eliminate bias, both through educational programs – like diversity-specific CLEs – and through open conversations and discussion groups. Then, in September 2021, in the PWCBA overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment adopting Raising the Bar as a permanent committee of the Bar Association. In this vote, the PWCBA committed to addressing these issues throughout Prince William’s judicial system. Dougherty is proud of the creation of the Raising the Bar committee and knows that it can be used to establish confidence in the Prince William judicial system by advocating for impartial treatment, regardless of demographic or socioeconomic status. “Our community is working hard to make justice a reality for everyone,” she said. “I’m proud that attorneys across the nation will look at our county as a model.”
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Image Marketing Solutions Launches in Warrenton Puffenbarger earned her master’s degree in digital entrepreneurship at Strayer University.
By Jennifer Puffenbarger Warrenton native and industry veteran Jennifer Puffenbarger launched Image Marketing Solutions in her hometown. The marketing agency will serve small, medium-sized, and non-profit businesses. Image Marketing Solutions’ gurus unpack the mechanics of modern marketing, providing accessible mentorship and education that allow clients to keep their marketing in-house and their budgets in-check. The mission is to empower clients by demystifying the systems, processes and programs of digital and print marketing, allowing them more bandwidth to grow, solve problems and, most of all, make money.
“Over the last 10 years, I’ve had the incredible opportunity of being immersed in our community and working with different types of businesses,” Puffenbarger said of her experience as the director of marketing and community relationship of Warrenton, Culpeper, and Fairfax-based Insurance agency Puffenbarger Insurance & Financial Services. “I learned firsthand the dedication that is necessary to run a business.” Puffenbarger said they meet with business owners, learn their business goals, and work on a plan together to grow their business without spending a lot of money on advertisement. “I am both eager and honored to join the hardworking and dedicated business owners of the community I grew up in,” she said. To learn more, visit yourimage.co.
STRESS MANAGEMENT EXPERT CONTRIBUTOR By Ally Moores, Health & Wellness with Lisa
According to the Mental Health Foundation, stress is the “feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressure.” Stress has the potential to be caused by multiple factors throughout an individual’s daily life and the negative effects can vary from minimal to intense. Despite an individual being extremely proactive and productive, stresses of daily life are inevitable and unavoidable. It is because of life’s constant curveballs that an individual has to be mentally and emotionally prepared to push through the pessimistic feelings that coincide with stress through acts of stress management. Stress management are healthy ways, habits and activities an individual can cope and deal with stress without further diminishing mental state. Stress management is creating peace within yourself in ways that make you happy. One of the best ways to manage stress is to talk to someone. Knowing there are people who love you and are willing to listen to your stresses gives you the potential to release all the tension built up inside and possibly even receive advice from an outside perspective that could better your situation. Another healthy way to manage stress is to go outside and exercise. Exercise does not necessarily mean pushing yourself physically. Taking a walk outside, practicing yoga and meditation, and even just a light jog can easily positively impact your breathing, increase your heart rate, and release endorphins that create a feeling of peace and happiness. Looking deeper into the physical acts of meditation and practicing yoga, the overall practice of mindfulness has the potential to greatly reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
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By focusing on your breathing and your being as a whole, it becomes much easier to clear your head and put things into perspective regarding how certain situations should be handled. Meditation and mindfulness allow you to feel emotions, accept these emotions, and develop ways that would benefit yourself and possibly solve the root of these stressful emotions. Another healthy way to cope with stress is through “reducing the noise.” The concept of reducing the noise is having all sources of outside noise – television, cell phone, radio and all technology – limited to take away stressors. There are not only a lot of physical benefits from reducing overall screen time, but also mental and emotional in the sense that we often view articles, videos and pictures that can create various types of personal (envy and loss of control) and environmental (the way you perceive your surroundings) stressors. There are many different ways an individual can healthily manage stress, however it is important to remember there are coping mechanisms (such as eating and sleeping) that need to be managed very closely to ensure they do not turn into unhealthy coping mechanisms that can further diminish an individual’s mental and emotional health. Find things that create peace and bring happiness within yourself.
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