A CNBC report from 2018 indicated that the average American owes $6,375 in credit card debt while the average American household owes $16,883. Are you losing control of paying your bills? Do you have way too much credit card debt? If so, then you may be like many other people who are experiencing the stress [...]
The book Protecting the Gift Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane), is by author Gavin De Becker. It is a follow-up to his prior book The Gift of Fear. In that book, De Becker told adults how to keep themselves safe in today’s world. This newer book is addressed to parents and offers [...]
This time of year is often considered joyous and even the “most wonderful”. You may feel added pressure to be happy and merry. The reality is, even the most spirited among us can experience feelings of sadness, anxiety, loneliness, disappointment, and regret. In a 2015 Healthline survey, over 60 percent of respondents described their stress [...]
Experiencing trauma It is our experiences in life that shape who we are and how we see the world. Everything that we believe about ourselves, about others, and about the world in general is learned through our personal experiences. It is therefore not surprising that experiencing chronic trauma during childhood leaves deep marks. The effects [...]
When people hear the term "Hurricane Season", What do they think of? Most people reading this blog would probably guess the time between June-September in which the tropical areas of the world are most likely to be struck by a tropical storm/hurricane, right? Yes. However, in the emotional/psychological realm, the term "Hurricane Season" has begun [...]
I remember being in middle school and waiting for the bus. We’d run around, cluster in groups giggling and watch the boys throw a baseball. Now I see kids waiting for the bus standing still, heads down, phones out and texting instead of talking. I wonder when kids forgot how to play. "Play is a [...]
Self-Talk and Giving your Power Away If you are prone to engage in negative self-talk, then guess what, you are probably suffering from anxiety, panic attacks and some type of fear based thinking. By the repetition of statements that are negative, opinions, and distorted thinking you are causing yourself to be stuck and paralyzed every [...]
This year, make Thanksgiving about gratitude. Whether your looking forward to seeing loved ones, or dreading holiday travel, whatever your state of mind, research shows that focusing on gratitude can produce many benefits to your mind, body and spirit. Improve mood Increase positivity and optimism Reduce stress Decrease inflammation Improve sleep Reduce tension and worry [...]
Social media and social networking have benefits including connecting with loved ones and friends, and creating career connections. While these benefits are important, it is also important to look at the link between social networking and mood. A recent Forbes article reported about a study in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology which found that "social [...]
The Book Blue Mind In this book Wallace Nichols tells us about the beneficial effects experienced by those who spend time in, on or near the water. Nichols is a a marine biologist and has studied sea turtles for more than two decades. Blue Mind is his term for a “mildly meditative state characterized by [...]