we are not in touch with what we really desire, what is deeply satisfying. If we sit down and really think about this, we often discover that what we really want it is not what we usually think we want, or that which we have simply accepted. If we ask …

Making decisions is, for many people, a cause of serious stress. If you want to make quick, clear and effective decisions, decisions you can stand fully behind, you must first determine where a decision will lead you and at which goal you want to direct your energy. You remove a …

In a series of studies, they found that cardiorespiratory endurance--how fit our heart, lungs, blood, and muscles are--has a positive effect on our brain function, and that better cardiorespiratory fitness is related to better outcomes in people with neurodegenerative disorders. They have also shown that 6 months of exercise training …

' When I put myself in the shoes of the person on the other side of my arguing and thought about how they might receive my unrelenting debate, it gave me pause. Let your frazzled brainwaves settle, and just be. Give yourself some love. And then some more. There is no …

As I will explain more fully later, taking part in any kind of art program, including the nonvisual arts of music, dance, and theater, can improve your health, your outlook, and your resilience. Important implications flow from these two studies, both for private citizens and for those responsible for supporting …

Are you prepared to approach the information, suggestions, and exercises in this article with an open mind? Is it possible you'll benefit from trying the strategies to help you manage anxiety? In your notearticle, write down your answers to these questions: What would you like to tell yourself about paying …

Many of our greatest minds understood this. Renowned painter Salvador Dali advised, "Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it." Philosopher Immanuel Kant noted, "Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made." If these great icons understood that perfection is not possible, why do …

Is it important to you to have ample time to enjoy life? Is it important to you to be helping others through your work, no matter how many hours of the week it takes? Make a list of what you're naturally good at and love to do. Teaching people how …

One of the benefits of exercise is not just for your immune system, but for the quality of your sleep. Exercise actually enables you to generate time. You will manufacture minutes. The reason is because of IL-1 and getting that extra Delta sleep. As a consequence, you'll spend more time …

First, if you eat infrequently, as shown in the top diagram above, your body slows down fat burning while ramping up fat storage. Similar problems occur when you eat foods that turn off the metabolic thermostat. Essentially, your body begins to sense that you are starving (for lack of nutrients …

But, these are not your life. Just parts of it. You are an expert on one thing in the Universe. YOU. Who else, after all, could you ask if you want to find out what makes you happy? So what does make you happy? The things that you have come …

Looking in the mirror and facing our standards and goals by looking in the eye would help weight loss. In this way, it is easier to stop eating and remember why you want to lose weight. The Disease Control Center in the United States has revealed that simply climbing up …

This step requires asking the question, "What experiences have I had to support the healthier and more productive view I discerned in Step Five?" After all the feelings are sorted out comes the moment when the truth is told. Admitting that your feelings are yours, owning them as your reality …

A sixteenth-century philosopher who laid the foundations of scientific inquiry, Bacon advises us to clear our minds of certain preconceptions that can destroy our ability to think objectively. Within the general structure of my life I also have some schedules. Life goes better if I stick to a schedule. This …

Barry has some strategies for major problems but he seems to let the smaller things go by. Maybe that's a strategy too. Would his life be better if he used strategies for those smaller things? Everywhere you turn in society, there is seduction that reinforces our insufficiency. There is always …

At the beginning of each day, read this definition aloud to yourself. Over time, the definition will evolve; this is natural, so feel free to amend it as time moves on. You have made the first important step toward happiness by processing this simple yet powerful question. Each step on …

So Kant entreats us to exercise tolerance for others by treating them as persons and not mere objects. This means letting them decide and act for themselves. Abraham Lincoln addressed the need to exercise prudence in our attempts to control others, stating: "No man is good enough to govern another …

But you could wash one fork. Yes, you could. But if not, get the soap out and set it on the counter. You can wash the fork tomorrow. OK, you have a lot of big important things to do and washing one fork isn't going to take care of them …

If we have ADD, we generally have a shortened attention span, although if something has really turned on our focus center we may be able to stick with it for a long time. We're on a roll. We're in hyper-focus. What did you tell yourself about yourself? Were you self-critical …

Perhaps you tried your best to do only good for your children, your parents, or your friends, but things simply didn't go according to plan. Then: "Oh, I should have known better! Why didn't I see that coming? It's all my fault!" The difference between you and the mouse, says …

Brain freeze may be new to you, but it's a significant problem if you have it. Let's go through these problems and, of course, some strategies for coping with them. That was slow and laborious. Then I realized I could use the "find and replace" tool in Microsoft Word. I …

Able to run 14 apps at a time and effortlessly switch between each without breaking a sweat. Able to do several projects at a time with ease. You're able to keep going on a project (if it's interesting, ADDers are more into creative and entrepreneurial activities than clerical and repetitive …

For example, I have had students as well as clients who were afraid to try to succeed because they feared that they would fail, which was worse than actually trying and failing. They never excelled in anything because they never even tried to do so, despite their often strong potential …

Not being able to see didn't help either. The vision problem has nothing to do with ADD, unless there's some brain damage affecting both, which I doubt. With no fine motor coordination nor ability to see, I couldn't play baseball or basketball, but I could play in the line, somewhat …

Do you let others know how you are feeling on the inside? Do you ever look for something you have done wrong, thinking that there must be something? If so, give an example. Do you ever feel like you are putting one over on others who are impressed with you …

But if you take the time to calm your body down, turn off your fear-based reactive brain, and turn on your thinking brain, you will be in a much better place to respond to the specific event that triggered your anxiety. The key is "think small." In fact, the smaller …

I just finished reading about this guy!" These two men are close in age, good athletes, intelligent, and have frustrated parents who are sometimes critical and tired of supporting them. Both men have difficulty with bosses, with holding a job, and with finding a field that works for them. This …

In each of these instances, your fear-threat system -- the part of your brain that is supposed to help you respond to imminent threats to your health and safety -- is actually being hijacked by something that may be concerning but is certainly not an imminent threat. What difference does this make …

In this case, return to normalcy or homeostasis is linked to getting rid of the stressor--namely, eliminating the lack of approval. Anxiety, on the other hand, is akin to suffering a pinched nerve in the brain's fear-threat system. The pain is real enough, but it's the result of something happening …

Other people are in charge of theirs. You are the expert on your life, and you get to judge what is best for you. You do not have to justify yourself to others. Others do not have to justify themselves to you. People can ask you anything they want to …

This makes them more likely to agree with the good points you make. Point out common ground. Draw attention to the things you agree on with the other person. This helps make the differences between your opinions feel smaller. The key to healthy, adaptable perfectionism is in your expectations. So …

Are they accurate? Professor Stephen Schnaars of Baruch College analyzed the forecasts published between 1959 and 1989 in sources like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Business Week, and found that they were wrong about 80 percent of the time. The predictions of major think tanks fair …

Remember, you're not trying to eliminate your tasks, but to develop the willingness to simply reduce the number of tasks that await you. Numerous research studies have consistently shown that well over 90 percent of all people who committed suicide or attempted it were suffering from some form of mental …

When you develop the mindset of doing everything the right way and to the best of your abilities, no matter how small, it changes your life. You no longer accept second-rate efforts and results from yourself and others. It permeates every area of your life and you become a more …

It could be when there's a large gap in your schedule, it's a particular time of day, or you're doing a certain activity. Notice what causes a poor mood, the moments when you get trapped in TRAPs, and the times that you forget to plan. Because Sheila knows that her …

It's what made him who he is today. There's a big difference between helplessly riding out a panic attack and not allowing one to hold you back, and the same is true with procrastination. While you might not like your procrastinating ways, there could be those times when you just …

Become involved in order to show them your winning spirit (you don't just care about your needs being met, but the needs of everyone around you.) If that doesn't get you loyal followers, nothing will! Eyewitness testimony is also powerful because eyewitnesses are often very confident in their identifications. As …

They are the cornerstones of your script of life, creating boundaries and barriers to who you can become and what you do. Remember this: money doesn't necessarily define success. Success can be measured by self-fulfillment, awareness, emotional intelligence, and education. I've always felt that as long as I could support …

Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, professor of neuropsychology at the University of Southern California, who has long studied the effects of nutrition on the brain says, "Food is like a pharmaceutical compound that affects the brain. The more balanced you make your meals, the more balanced will be your brain function-ing." Consider choosing …

We've discussed the hurdles you might encounter. Now you'll be reassessing the beliefs and rules that have protected you and have been your reality. Changing that now can feel risky and even frightening. Your mind may go blank when you try to come up with ideas. I want to start …