Go ahead and set some behavioral goals if you feel like it. But I’m not going to focus too much on those things for 2021…….For me, this year, it’s hard to think too much about doing when merely being in the world asks a lot of us.
Managing our Feelings - The Buddha's 2 Arrows
Have you ever noticed the way your mood and outlook can spiral quickly downward after one bad thing happens? Before psychologists started talking about primary and secondary emotional responses, the Buddha noticed this human tendency, which he talked about in terms of arrows. The “first arrow” hits us when a painful event occurs, and...it hurts. The “second arrow,” which is our reaction to the event, only adds to our pain.
Mindfulness During times of Stress
With all this talk about it - and some would say too much talk about it - you may find yourself wondering if the concept of mindfulness has been overdone, and what it even means at this point? At the risk of adding to the pile of materials on the topic, I’m writing about it today, because I think simple strategies for presence and self-care are essential during stressful times (like in a pandemic), and mindfulness fits the bill.
In Praise of the Book Club
The Therapeutic Power of Breathing
Few things rival diaphragmatic breathing for its simplicity and therapeutic payoff. I’ve made a short video to share some of the health benefits of deep breathing with you, including how it helps us to move out of the stress response, aka “fight or flight,” and into the relaxation response. And I’ve included a short demonstration. Enjoy!
Managing Stress in a Time of Crisis
Keys to Living Your Authentic Life
Mind Over Matter- Placebo or "Real" Effect?
The placebo effect -getting better from an illness when taking an inactive, or “sugar,” pill or treatment that a person thinks is medicine — has been found to hover around 30% in some large-scale studies. In medicine, that’s a major effect, and any drug that could pull those numbers in clinical trials would be celebrated
