Science has proven that the species most adaptable to change is the one most likely to survive. Being adaptable is also a precious skill for us as people. Because how likely we are to thrive is often directly related to how well we handle the changes that life brings our way. Not what those changes […]
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Are you old enough to remember hearing this chant as a child? Oh, how wrong we were. The power of words is intense. And verbal abuse is so common, we may even not realize when it is happening to us, or someone […]
Let’s face it, sometimes faking it is the best thing to do. What we need to do. And the more we do it, the better we get at it. We can fake it multiple times a day if we need to. I mean, hopefully, every once in a while, it’s genuine. But maybe not as […]
Loneliness has little to do with how much time we spend alone. And it can’t be eradicated by just spending time with others. In fact, we can be among a crowd of family and friends and feel lonelier than when we are alone. Loneliness may present as almost a craving, a need for companionship, intimacy, […]
Trauma related disorders include an extensive array of psychological challenges. Difficulty with intimacy and relationships. Anxiety and depression. Substance and Alcohol abuse. Eating disorders. It is not surprising that trauma can have such a wide range of impacts on us. What is surprising? The frequency of trauma both in the US and the world. And […]
We have all had to interact with people who we find immature or irresponsible. It can be annoying and frustrating. Both at home and work, it’s difficult to tolerate people who don’t own their own mistakes. People who avoid difficult conversations. Or resist committing to deadlines or goals. It’s easy to form opinions about people […]
It’s so challenging to know one another, for real. To feel comfortable being our true authentic selves. Our closest friends and family are often clueless about the invisible battles we are fighting, alone. And we are equally unaware of the challenges they may be facing, too. Something that happened recently brought this home to me. […]
Depression. It is almost becoming an epidemic. More and more people are depressed. It’s difficult to know exactly how many. Because many who are depressed don’t seek treatment and some who seek treatment are not depressed. Regardless, there’s little doubt: the frequency of depression is on the rise. The good news? Recent research has confirmed […]
There was a time when calm came to us on its own. In fact, calm was our natural and prevalent state of mind. In prehistoric times a surge of adrenalin, our biological fight or flight response, struck only when a true emergency was at hand. A wild animal chasing us, for example. Or wicked weather, […]
I’ve come across many articles lately about solitude and loneliness, and the differences between the two. It’s interesting that we can be so lonely even when we’re with others. Or how we can be lonely, yet still crave the peace only found in solitude. One piece I read described people today as having the common […]
Are you in a relationship with someone who hesitates to take responsibility or make commitments? Do you know a grown person who behaves more like a child or teen? “Arrested development” is a term that describes this condition. It arises when a person is “stuck” at an early phase of emotional development. Causes of arrested […]
A while ago, I wrote a post about verbal abuse called How to Deal with Verbal Abuse. Ever since, I’ve been meaning to come back to the topic of the power of words. More specifically, how they can also be an awesome positive force in our lives. The words we use to communicate with others […]
We make decisions every day, from what we’re going to wear to how to approach a complex task at work. Decisions are a normal part of everyday life. However, our brain’s decision-making battery has finite power, and it can deplete rapidly. What does that mean, exactly? Essentially, the more decisions we make, the more likely we […]
We make so many decisions, all day, every day. Our brains call upon us to make choice after choice, often in a snap. To rise or hit the snooze? Shower or exercise? What should we wear? Eat breakfast or skip it? And these are the easy ones. Just think how much better our lives would […]
You read that correctly. There’s no denying, having work-life balance can be important to happiness and well-being. But I’ve never liked the term “work-life balance” or the things that phrase implies. It makes it sound like we only live when we are not working. And that work is not an integral part of our existence, […]
Moods are subjective things, hard to describe. But we all know what we’re talking about. And we certainly understand the term “mood swings”, too. Up one minute, down the next. Even though moods are hard to describe, we can usually relate when others name the state of mind they are in. We understand what someone […]
