We all want to be happy, but finding “happiness” is, well, kinda hard. The nature of happiness is fleeting, dancing in the periphery. The moment you think you have a firm grasp on it, happiness slips out of your hands. This doesn’t mean happiness is impossible to obtain, but it should open our eyes to the fact that the way we pursue may be problematic. Here are 5, better ways of pursuing happiness that are supported by science.
A family crisis is like navigating a treacherous mountain range with no map. For all the effort expended getting back to the path, you manage to find yourself more lost and stuck. Fear leads to desperation, which will only make the crisis worst over time. What if you came across a guidebook for lost travelers trying to find their way back? Family Crisis Guidebook will help you and your family navigate through a relational, addiction and or mental health crisis in ways that will not only help you out of a bad situation, but will help your family achieve sustained change. Change is the only true antidote to future crises. If your family does not take the opportunity for change, the crisis is bound to rear its ugly head, again and again. This book will help you use the crisis for the opportunity it is, a springboard for growth.
Emotions are the drivers for human action. They shape your experience as a human being. They can take you to the heights of pleasure, and to the depths of despair. Life without emotion is unimaginable, but what about life with uncontrolled emotion? Mental health professionals call this emotion dysregulation, which is feeling like your emotions are scattered, in constant flux, outside your control, and unmanageable. This is a difficult place to be, but there is hope. There are skills and ways of thinking that can enable you to regulate your emotions, putting you back in the drivers seat. Below are 8 ways to do this.
Social anxiety is a lot like a monkey on your back. It’s a constantly distracting and disruptive presence that you can’t see. And it makes the very important things of connecting with others extremely challenging. So, if you like many others, struggle with social anxiety, read this blog. It will help! It you want to get the social anxiety monkey off your back it is imperative that you become aware of what you are feeling, why you are feeling that way, and how that feeling affects your behavior and your thinking. Below are steps how you can manage and even thrive in the face of social anxiety.
Now that the holidays are close, it’s time to hit the mall and do some shopping. No matter what traditions you have in the holiday season, getting presents for your loved ones is almost always one of them.
Kids are easy to buy for. Pick up some games or movies, and you’re done. But what about the seniors in your life? They deserve a good gift as much as anyone, especially since they often have trouble with loneliness and health. In fact, gifts that help seniors improve their health can be just the thing they need. But what kinds of health issues do seniors face?
With the holidays approaching you might be considering building a bridge to your parent. Family relationships can be complicated, and if your senior parent is a recovering addict things can be especially overwhelming. If you aren’t sure where to start, here is some great advice.
Depression is a challenging, sometimes debilitating mental illness, but there is hope. It’s difficult to pull yourself out of depression, but following these 10 steps might make it a little easier.
1. Aggressive—Assertive—Passive: People tend to fall on a spectrum of aggressive to passive in their style of communication and how they engage with others. An aggressive person is someone who believes they are entitled to take what they want. They are direct, have little regard for the feelings of others and don’t mind sharing their feelings. They don’t equivocate when addressing a problem or giving feedback. Typically, the aggressive person creates resentment in others. On the other end of the spectrum is the passive person, which is someone who ignores their needs, is indirect, is uncomfortable giving feedback, shies away from addressing problems. This style results in the passive person building resentment towards others since their needs never are met or addressed. Neither the aggressive or passive style promotes healthy relationships. When I work with clients, I recommend the assertive style, which is a person who can be direct and straightforward in addressing problems. They don’t shy away from giving feedback, advocating for their needs. And they do all these things in a manner that is diplomatic and respectful, but doesn’t deny or dismiss truth. The assertive person can communicate wants and desires without attacking others. Assertiveness promotes health in individuals and in relationships.
Everywhere you look, people are talking about their personality, the personality of others, taking personality quizzes or assessing the personalities of celebrities. We are obsessed with personality in our culture, but how much do those in our culture really know about personality. The following list of 8 Dynamics of Personality may surprise you.
No Shot Gunning: Shot Gunning is when you throw several objections, complaints or grievances at the other person, all at once. This simply is too much to respond to and isn’t fair. Pick one thing to talk about.
Cheap Shots: This is when you address a problem or give feedback to another person laced with critiques, personal attacks and button pushing. It’s not fair to mock and deride someone while trying to address a serious issue. It knocks them back on their feet and doesn’t lead to a positive resolution.