You’re sprinting down a shadowy corridor of the abandoned hospital. When you reach a door, you grasp the knob, twisting it without pausing as you scramble to get inside. Once safely inside the room you lean back against the cool brick interior, pausing to catch your breath. Your eyes adjust slowly and you make out …Read More
Tips on How Parents Can Respond to an Angry Teen
Dec 1, 2009
When a teen is angry, he or she is trying to tell you something. Sometimes they are simply frustrated with your rules and limits. Other times their anger reflects underlying fear, sadness, confusion, or feelings of rejection. Whatever the reason for your child’s anger, don’t let it drive you apart. Your teen still needs you, …Read More
The Importance of Nutrition
Dec 1, 2009
As you’ve heard and read, obesity in America has reached epidemic proportions. About 2 out of 3 Americans are overweight and about 1 out of 3 Americans are obese. Our fast-paced lifestyle has not left us much time for creating nutritious meals. We eat out a lot, and fast and convenience foods are a staple …Read More
The Importance of Exercise
Dec 1, 2009
Exercise is a powerful method to improve emotional and cognitive functioning that is relatively simple. We’ve all heard it – the mind, body, and spirit are all connected. The more that I learn and grow, the more I view this as an essential truth. There is plenty of scientific research that supports the mind-body connection. …Read More
The Importance of Sleep
Dec 1, 2009
There are several simple things that you can try to improve your emotional and physical well-being. One of these is getting enough sleep. As a nation, the U.S. is sleep-deprived. About 100 years ago, we averaged 9.0 hours of sleep. Now we average 6.9 hours per night, and 60% of American men average less than …Read More
More Positive Mood = Better Insight
Jul 10, 2009
As I posted before, I’ve really gotten into audiobooks…and I think this is a transition for me that is here to stay. I’m going through books faster than I ever have before and feel like I’m retaining as much or more than I do when I read. I’m listening to the unabridged version (I always …Read More
Okay…Not All Daydreamin' Is Good
May 21, 2009
In my last post, I reviewed some research findings on the benefits of daydreaming. While not totally backtracking on that, I did want to qualify it a bit. I believe that there are very few things in life that are 100% good or 100% bad…life is more complex than that. For instance, drinking water is …Read More
Step Outside to Recharge Your Brain
Apr 27, 2009
I’m summarizing (and adding my own thoughts) to a recent article on MSNBC’s website entitled, “Need to Recharge Your Brain? Step Outside” by Andrea Thompson. In 2007, for the first time in human history, more people in the world lived in urban rather than rural areas. These urban areas tend to be fast paced with …Read More
Thinking Fast Can Improve Your Mood
Feb 13, 2009
This is based on an article in the Feb/Mar 2009 issue of Scientific American Mind. Several studies by researchers at Princeton and Harvard indicate that rapid, varied thinking results in an improved mood in people. This type of thinking occurs when we are brainstorming under time constraints (e.g., think of how many different ways you …Read More
Social Comparisons – Working for You or Against
Oct 8, 2008
We often compare ourselves to others. We are social creatures, and it’s natural for us to do this. In a way, we are trying to see where we stand in the pecking order – what is our social status? The manner in which we compare ourselves to others can be to our benefit or to …Read More