In our day to day lives, most people experience a number of emotions throughout the day—some positive, some negative. When, however, an individual experiences more negative emotions, these emotions can start to take a toll on both an individual’s sense of well being and health. A recent article on www.livescience.com entitled “7 thoughts that are …Read More
The Paradox of Choice – Why More Is Not Better (Part 2)
Nov 12, 2009
Making the “right” choice, in the face of so many options, can be a daunting challenge. How do we decide? I think one of the answers comes from becoming more mindful. There are a number of posts on “mindfulness” within this blog. Just run a search and many will pop up. Mindfulness is the idea …Read More
The Paradox of Choice – Why More Is Not Better (Part 1)
Nov 10, 2009
There are some fundamental assumptions in just about every Western industrialized nation, Swarthmore College psychologist Dr. Barry Schwartz, argues: (1) Freedom is endemic to the human condition…that it is inherently good to have. (2) Providing more choices is a way to maximize freedom. It is a form of liberation. (3) If freedom is maximized, individuals …Read More
The Health Benefits of Yoga
Nov 8, 2009
“Relax your body and mind and let your Spirit soar high.” – Remez Sasson Yoga is a way to relax both your mind and body which allows your spirit to shine. Originating as an ancient Indian practice, yoga is a type of meditation that involves stretching and other exercises including deep breathing and maintaining an …Read More
Depression, Anxiety, and Exercise
Sep 29, 2009
Exercise is another way to help manage feelings of depression and anxiety. Maintaining a regular exercise routine throughout the week can improve your mood and alleviate tension caused by stress. Exercise can also help prevent feelings of depression and anxiety during difficult times in your life by not letting stress build up until it becomes …Read More
Depression, Anxiety, and Sleep
Sep 27, 2009
Getting a good night’s rest is imperative to maintaining your health and well-being. Everyone has times where we don’t sleep well for one reason or another. But if you start to have frequent difficulties sleeping, this may be a sign that there are other underlying issues affecting your rest. Depression and anxiety can go hand-in-hand …Read More
Worrying About Losing a Job is Worse Than Losing a Job
Sep 20, 2009
Honestly, I didn’t make that title up. I’m paraphrasing a recent news headline and just continuing the thread from my previous blog. The theme of which is the following: Suffering is an avoidable part of life. There are many forms of suffering. Some we can label as true suffering (e.g., loss of a loved one), …Read More
Managing Depression and Anxiety
Sep 20, 2009
Everyone has good times and bad times. We all have times when we feel more down or worried depending on what’s going on in our lives. Sometimes these reflect the typical ups and downs in our lives, other times it may become a bit more serious leading to clinical depression. Either way, symptoms of depression …Read More
Unnecessary Suffering
Sep 12, 2009
Various forms of loss and disappointment are a part of life – we lose jobs, experience illness, miss opportunities, the value of our retirement plummets, friends move away, and loved ones die. We suffer when these things happen. Suffering is part of life and unavoidable. For simplicity’s sake, let’s lump any negative emotion (e.g., sadness, …Read More
Coping with Distressing Thoughts – Part 1
May 28, 2009
In my last post, I talked about how not all daydreaming is good…how our thoughts can drift into negative content, which provides the fuel for negative emotions such as anxiety and depression. What do we do about this problem? As you might guess, this is a really BIG topic. There’s no way to quickly and …Read More