When you're mindful of your thoughts and feelings that are arising, you've created a choice. You don't have to react to your thoughts or do what they tell you to do. This generates a sense of control as you become aware of the choices you have. If, while you're driving …

You spend ninety minutes in what should have been a forty-five-minute meeting and leave with your energy flagging and frustrated. The next time you attend a staff or committee meeting, request the opportunity to lead an exercise aimed at making meetings more productive and less draining. Tell the group you …

Another was a lady in the USA who thought she'd had a type of cement injected into her vertebra following a fracture that left her in severe pain; she could be seen two weeks later playing golf, pain free. She did not have the procedure, she just thought she'd had …

Simply plunk down and unwind with some tea or coffee. In the struggle for survival, nearly every form of life has its mimics--right down to some of the most primitive pathogens. By adopting certain critical features of useful hormones or nutrients, these clever bacteria and viruses can gain entry into …

Both men and women in the study ate more in response to larger portions. Fewer than one half of the men and women reported they noticed a difference in the portion sizes they were given. Researchers suggest that people have the expectation that the amount of food served to them …

As a bonus, the fibers are very beneficial to prevent constipation, which can round your belly. There is a scientific explanation for the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets: large amounts of carbohydrate from white flour and added sugar can wreak havoc on your blood sugar level (the amount of sugar in …

Now he's trying to find a direction. The second quality that consolations will always point toward is intimacy. Research in positive psychology points out that happy, peaceful people work hard to make their relationships as strong and healthy as they reasonably can (Seligman, 2004). Our Catholic tradition agrees that strong …

Alternatively, we could also indulge in self-destructive, sinful habits to make ourselves feel better in the face of hardships. In our coaching session, Tim uncovered and disclosed his feelings of anger, hurt, frustration, and hopelessness. We unearthed the initial incident and started to repair the damage from the past so …

During his workday, he also consumes various energy drinks and 16 oz. sodas to "keep him going." From the high dosages of salt, sugar, and caffeine from these drinks, Alex's blood pressure soars, and he sometimes gets jittery and anxious. In the evening his body crashes, exhausted from work, his …

At least I didn't have to call my wife for help. It's always a moral victory and a personal triumph when I can find something without needing my wife's help. Premature Invalidators can be protective in nature, keeping you from trying new things so you won't be disappointed. On the …

It's not so difficult, but it is required. It's okay if you're skeptical. Consider opening up your mental door of possibilities. This is your journey into the workings of your inner self. The journey that will enable you to start understanding you and what it takes to make changes that …

For them, a good relationship is one where people leave each other alone. Unfortunately, that's not the whole picture. Life would be much simpler if you only had to deal with only the "I cans." Have you ever heard voices that say the exact opposite and talk you out of …

We sometimes hear about near-death experiences from the news or even from someone we know and trust. These mysterious and powerful experiences usually involve a person being pronounced clinically dead for a few minutes but who is then brought back to life. It is fascinating, and for many of us …

Nevertheless, your choice of the first guiding virtue to work on will depend on what type of perfectionist you are. For example, if you are an achievement perfectionist, then adopting and working on unconditional self-acceptance as your guiding virtue can help you overcome the self-destructive tendency to belittle yourself when …

This respect avoids damning the world as a whole just because it has some negative aspects. Instead, you appreciate that an imperfect world, where there are bad or undesirable things, can still be a good place. So, for example, despite the existence of poverty, sickness, and death, you do not …

I acknowledged that she was feeling lousy and was disappointed and discouraged. I persuaded her to do the math and she was able to see that she had still lost fifteen pounds, which is not a small feat. Then I asked her to name some of the ways she was …

Yes, you do have a say in your life. Remember, No excuses. Find a way. Believe for a miracle. Press on till you win. Don't quit! What is your relationship with your health and money? Explain. What is your level of discipline over your health, and finances? Are you more …

How is meditation benefiting you? Make a list of benefits. If you have never practiced meditation before, when do you plan to get started? Are you ready to go to the next level of meditation? If so, what do you plan to practice? Wilton would have a stressful day at …

Still, when I'm getting ready to file something, or to put it on the pile on my desk, and I hear myself saying, "Oh, I'll need to get to this later," I stop and ask myself, "Could I possibly take care of this now?" Adjust this to your audience. For …

That is, the participants have to be "blind" to the treatment they receive. Are these controls tight enough? Not yet! Studies have found that if the person giving out the pills knows who gets the drug and who gets the placebo, he can give subtle clues, even unknowingly, that tell …

And master it. Your bottomless discipline will transform into greater elements in all areas of your life. To maintain bottomless discipline in every level in your life, be aware that discipline is not easy. It takes practice, practice, and practice--every day. Then your discipline will start becoming easier because it …

There is a great deal of false information circulating out there about natural supplements, and this is not a well-regulated area of the health marketplace.) However, the psychotropic medications used to treat anxiety often have side effects. Some of them can also be habit-forming (another way of saying they can …

People don't evaluate how they got there; they're just there. That passive approach is what I call the Popeye theory of life management: "I am what I am." It's an approach that asks no questions, seeks no answers, and leaves you stuck right where you are. It's an attitude that …

This shame fed his discouragement and demoralization and they fed the shame, in a vicious cycle. The sense of shame fed his sneakiness and his evasions, and motivated his hiding the truth from himself as well as from others. Shame is not technically a part of ADD itself, but usually …

Tack your next one-week vacation onto a three-day weekend to stretch it to a little more than a week--but just a little. Sadly, no matter how long a vacation may be, its impact after you return to work is likely to be minimal. The same study found that on the …

That might make a difference in whether a person would do better with varenicline or bupropion or with a nicotine patch. Research is under way here as well. We know that cortical controls are weakened by the chronic use of many substances, resulting in the diminution of executive functioning, including …

Don't tolerate being absent, late, and not keeping commitments. Don't tolerate dishonorable, disrespectful, and disgraceful behavior. Don't tolerate having a victim mindset. Don't tolerate losing because you didn't strategize, prepare, and make an effort. Don't tolerate excuses, stories, and blame for why a goal wasn't reached and a target wasn't …

The concept is straightforward and the salience great. Our brains are physiologically organized to react through the neurotransmitters and neural circuits that chemically and electrically drive mental operations, including how we feel and think. The stronger the stimulus, in the form of a powerful exogenous substance, the bigger the neural …

What you've "done" holds more weight. It's more powerful. It's money in the bank. Do it first, and then, if you still need attention, share your progress with others. Discussing progress is better than only discussing plans! Getting your act together never happens overnight - and that's the problem. We live …

They were told that the work that year would be challenging and the pace would be rapid, in keeping with their special gifts. Across the hall, by contrast, the Yellow Birds were told that they would have to work extra hard to keep up with their assignments; that they were …

When you engage in these activities, your brain associates your bed with wakefulness. Just as regular, relaxing bedtime routines can help your brain and body know when it's time for sleep, your bed itself is another important trigger. By helping your brain associate your bed with sleep, the transition into …

When her friends say, "You look great!", Elisa never knows what to say. She feels hurt and frustrated that they do not see the pain she is in, yet she is tired of explaining how she feels. Also, some of Elisa's friends ask a lot of personal questions about Elisa's …

It means that you regulate your daily routine and make efforts to improve current relationships. Effective management also includes attending to self-care, following a healthy lifestyle and diet, getting physical exercise, and following the treatment plan you developed with your provider. Self-management is best done in collaboration with your health …

It made the reading come alive. Daffy was on time this morning; sometimes he arrives a little late for his talks. His shirttail was tucked into his pants; often it has come out and is flopping loose. However, three buttons on the front of his shirt were unbuttoned and there …

Each neuron has a primary axon, which sends out information to many other neurons, and tens of thousands of branches, called dendrites, which receive information from other neurons. Neurons make contact with one another at points called synapses, and every neuron has from one to ten thousand synapses. As a …

It is the biggest barrier to regular physical activity and, by extension, one of the biggest barriers to long-term weight loss success.But let me state it simply: You really need to do it.One thing we know for sure is that people who have long-term success are physically active …

So try to eat protein-rich foods several times a day, especially when your energy level needs a lift. Healthy choices include beans and peas, lean beef, low-fat cheese, fish, milk, poultry, soy products, and yogurt. As I've said elsewhere, avoid processed proteins--such as packaged lunch meats and wrapped cheese slices--and …

Research has shown that CBT alone is at least as effective as antidepressant medication at treating less severe forms of depression, but it is usually recommended in combination with drugs for people experiencing more severe symptoms. Once more, it's clear that CBT has an important role to play, but used …

The urge then, of course, is to resume using to end the agony of the crash. Anxiety and panic will never "drive you insane." There is no causal link between anxiety and other mental illnesses. Excessive anxiety or panic will not cause you to start hearing voices, seeing things, or …

For example, you value family but currently are not able to see them as much as you would like. If you keep avoiding activities because they might be painful, you never have the chance to see how your body is changing. You are not able to learn when the activity …