Twenty Under 40 Q-and-A: Kat Geiger of Thrive Wellness

Dom Chipp • Apr 20, 2021

Kat Geiger Courtesy Photo

Thursday, April 29, 2021

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EDITOR’S NOTE: In November, the Reno-Tahoe Young Professionals Network announced the winners of its 14th annual Twenty Under 40 Awards. With the region’s economic future in mind, we are conducting interviews with each of the 2020 winners, to be published throughout the year.

Q: What do you see as the top one or two biggest economic development opportunities for Northern Nevada in 2021 and beyond?

Kat Geiger: What I definitely see is that we have a huge need for more mental health services. We’re extremely under resourced. And particularly, we need more multidisciplinary mental health services, like clinics that have a therapist and psychiatrists to primary care doc. Because the biggest problem that I see with mental health is a lack of communication between those types of providers, leading to things essentially getting missed.

Q: Why is it important for younger professionals to have a seat at the table when it comes to the business community in Northern Nevada?

Geiger: We’re the wave of the future — we’re the next generation that’s here to meet the community’s needs. So, us having a seat at the table and sharing what we notice in terms of our perspective on the community is unique, and it is what’s going to be there in the next 10-20 years.

Q: What under the radar industries have the biggest opportunity for growth in Northern Nevada?

Geiger: My answer is really the same — it’s mental healthcare. We haven’t had enough focus on that — particularly, again, with regards to multi-disciplinary clinics. I really feel that, particularly right now with regards to pandemic, mental health is impacting the economy. I can’t tell you how many people I know are having to take more mental health days. And our rate of suicide has gone up so much from the pandemic. It’s really sad and hard, but at the same time, it’s normalized mental healthcare. The people that didn’t need to pursue mental health care are now pursuing it because it’s less taboo because everyone is struggling. I think in that way, that is a huge opportunity for growth in our economy, now that it’s more normalized, and it’s a need.

Q: Where do you see the greater Reno-Sparks region in five years?

Geiger: My colleagues and I have been working with the (Reno) mayor on a project to shore up the mental health resources in Reno and Sparks. It’s called the Reno Mental Health Consortium and it formed out of the severe lack of mental health services we have around the area. And so, I hope in five years that we will have created this city-wide integrated network where we can easily get people help, and they don’t have to wait. That’s my hope in five years. I think the population is going to grow so much because of what’s happening. What’s happening is people are flat-out broke because of COVID and people who did live in the Bay Area are moving here. So, I think we’re just going to get more and more resources, and more and more great growth in our community. We’re in the perfect situation to be booming in five to 10 years.

Q: If you could change one thing for the better or improve one thing about your community, what would it be?

Geiger: Access to fully integrated, excellent mental healthcare — not to be confused with just mental healthcare.

Q: Why do you feel Northern Nevada is better positioned to bounce back from the COVID recession than other regions?

Geiger: Proximity to the Bay Area, and people moving here because the cost of living is less. And there’s more opportunity. We’re not saturated like they are. And we’re just cooler, in general. We’ve got natural beauty around here that people are drawn to you as well.

Note: This interview has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

https://www.nnbw.com/news/2021/apr/29/twenty-under-40-q-and-kat-geiger-thrive-wellness/

The post Twenty Under 40 Q-and-A: Kat Geiger of Thrive Wellness first appeared on Thrive Wellness.

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Clean House, Healthy Mind: Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health

By Sage Tippie • 23 Apr, 2024

Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health Spring is a time of new beginnings, change, and transitions, including in our homes. With the warmer weather kicking motivation into high gear, Spring can be a prime time to do a deep clean. Not only is a clean space aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, but it can also help to improve your mental health. Learn about how tidying up your space can also tidy up your thoughts below along with tips for cleaning when you’re struggling with your mental health. 4 Reasons Why Cleaning is Beneficial to Mental health 1.Decreased Stress Not only does an uncluttered space provide a sense of calm, but the physical act of cleaning can release feel-good endorphins, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety. As you cross tasks off your checklist, your body also releases Dopamine. Also known as the “happy hormone”, Dopamine provides a sense of accomplishment and pride that can promote motivation in other areas of our lives. 2. Improved Focus Studies have shown that an uncluttered space can also lead to an uncluttered mind. Your focus can be drawn away from important tasks by a chaotic, messy space. Research has also shown a connection between procrastination and clutter, as an unwillingness to tackle larger chores like cleaning can translate over into various areas of our lives. By keeping your space tidy, it can inspire you to stay on top of other major tasks like work and school assignments. 3. Regulated Emotions According to this 2015 study , cleaning can function as a practice in mindfulness, providing an increased sense of calm and inspiration. Slowing down while cleaning gives you room to relax and free your mind of burdens, stressors, and irritants that can affect your mental health. Cleaning can even be considered a practice of self-care as the action helps you to connect with yourself and the outcome allows you to better enjoy your own space. 4. Sense of Order and Control When experiencing mental health struggles, people may feel a lack of control over their lives and emotions. Cleaning even small areas of the home can provide an increased sense of order and control as you cross tasks off your to-do list. Through realizing your own power by simply completing minor tasks like cleaning, it can reaffirm your ability to do more. 10 Tips for Cleaning When Struggling with Mental Health Mental health struggles and disorders commonly create barriers to one’s ability to clean and properly practice personal hygiene. Although these behaviors are normal side effects of mental health disorders, we want to work to aid our clients in cleaning to the best of their ability even in difficult times. Below, Thrive Wellness occupational therapist Meadow Deason shares some helpful tips she gives to clients when they struggle with cleaning due to mental health conditions: 1.Ask For Help Having support to clean can make a huge difference. Do the cleaning with the person helping you and have them hold you accountable. 2. Don't Wait for Motivation Motivation might not come before action, but it can build as you begin to see the results of your efforts. 3. Start Small Start with one area or one task and go from there. For example, concentrate on your bedroom first and then move on to the living room and bathroom. 4. Do Something Daily Even if you do only one small cleaning task a day, doing that one task creates momentum and prevents small tasks from building up and becoming overwhelming. 5. Use Sensory Modulation Change your environment by playing music, adjusting the lighting, or using aromatherapy. This can help to put you in a new headspace for cleaning. 6. Start with "High Impact" Tasks Start with more intensive or all-over cleaning tasks such as picking up clutter or doing the dishes. The visual "noise" of some tasks makes a large impact on the entire space, building motivation to continue cleaning. 7. Make a To-Do List Write a detailed to-do list of tasks and cross them off as you go. Physically marking down what you’ve accomplished can promote increased motivation. 8. Reward Yourself Set up a reward system where you reward yourself with a favorite activity or item when you complete a task as an incentive to clean. 9. Use the Rocket Method Don't think about it, just choose a task, countdown from five or ten and then start. This can help you to avoid potential anxiety and dread that can prevent you from cleaning. 10. Gamify Tasks Make up a game for your tasks or time yourself to promote increased engagement in cleaning. Your ability to complete tasks can be affected by a multitude of different factors and conditions including OCD , anxiety, depression , ADHD , and more. If you are struggling with motivation due to your mental health, help is here at Thrive Wellness.

child getting bandaid from doctor while mother smiles

The Importance of Whole Family Primary Care: A Q&A with Dr. Stephanie Wright

26 Mar, 2024

By serving the whole family, physicians are able to have a better understanding of family dynamics, family health care goals, and history of disease in the family.