Category: Stress
The Good Therapy Blog
December 3rd, 2010 |
This, my first article as a new Topic Expert, is dedicated to my late mother, Elinor Dorsey Fagin - poet, writer, artist, and high school creative writing teacher to many devoted students, including me. Today would have been her 96th birthday.
One of my favorite television series of past years is the 10-episode PBS documentary “Connections”. The idea behind the show was that progress is not always linear; it’s often the result of connections between seemingly random events in history - whether made through happenstance, proximate causality, or invention - and that often the developments... Read More
December 2nd, 2010 |
Being mindful means being aware of inner and outer processes as they present themselves in the moment. The main inner observations are the observations of thoughts, emotions and body sensations.
One of the instructions that I give while introducing the basic mindfulness meditation is: “The moment that you notice that you are thinking (rather than being involved in the thinking) is a moment of choice. You may choose to shift awareness from the thought and come back to the breath or you may choose to go on thinking, developing the thoughts, following them, and so on”. During the formal practice... Read More
November 30th, 2010 |
So far this series has explored how the body-mind reacts to situations in early life where there is stress from external tension or inconsistent care. But what happens when care is forthcoming to the point where a growing child feels stifled? Let’s conjure up a scenario to explore this.
Imagine a child who is oohed and ahh-ed over. This is a good thing right? Right, but the saying “everything in moderation” has merit even here. When a baby is fondled and oohed and ahh-ed over, it is meant as encouragement and an exchange of joy- this is essential for healthy development. But for... Read More
November 30th, 2010 |
What is it about the Holidays that causes more stress than fun? Why are women more susceptible to stress during the Holidays? How can women not only survive the Holidays, but actually enjoy them?
These are questions most women face (and typically ignore) as Holiday demands and expectations start to build. When stores are filled with Christmas music, commercials chide you to buy just the “right” gift, and Hallmark images of family perfection abound, it is hard to gain perspective. Who has not succumbed to last minute buying, late night present-wrapping, and dashed hopes of family harmony... Read More
November 29th, 2010 |
Did you wake up Saturday morning flashing back to Friday and how many times you took your credit card out of your wallet to purchase something? Are you having difficulty remembering all that you bought and even more disconcerted at trying to recall the reasons you gave yourself to buy certain items? Did you wake Saturday morning curious about the hoards of items lying on your closet floor? Or are you oblivious to what you may have endured Friday, the most anticipated, built up in your mind, shopping day of the year?
Each of these scenarios is common for most of us and also indicative of... Read More
November 29th, 2010 |
We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts we make the world.
attr. to Buddha
I hope that many of you will have had a warm, happy Thanksgiving, surrounded by people you enjoy and care for, feeling a deep sense of connection. For those of you who were fortunate in those ways, I feel grateful on your behalf!
As November comes to an end, I’m reflecting on just how much we may not only want to be, but believe that we should be (even must be), happy and healthy, surrounded by loving friends and family, really enjoying it all – especially during... Read More
November 26th, 2010 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
Depression, stress, and anxiety lead people to find a therapist or counselor at all times of the year. But emotional triggers and stressful tasks and obligations are especially close-packed during the holiday season. Most of the time, the holiday celebration itself—the gathering of family and friends—is a positive, uplifting experience. But the weeks leading up to the holidays are fraught with errands to run, gifts to buy, donations to make, gatherings to plan, and food to prepare. With so much to do, the holidays aren’t all joy and laughter: you don’t... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Louisville Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
November 24th, 2010 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
Certainly the college experience can be a lot of fun: parties, new friends, travel abroad, extracurriculars, and even some exciting classes. But to anyone who has experienced college and then looked back from the other side, it’s no surprise that this is a highly stressful time. Adjusting to new living environments, transitioning from dependence to independence, rigorous academic expectations, demanding responsibilities to clubs and organizations, and generally exploring the various life choices that come with newfound freedom. These are all common undergraduate... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Anchorage Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
November 23rd, 2010 |
Workplace wellness programs were really gaining some momentum before the economy hit its rough patch in 2008. But new a new study shows that, even in tough economic times, such programs are more than worth the initial investment. From an employee perspective, good wellness programs offer various structures and outlets that make better physical and mental health possible: healthy eating choices, affordable and convenient exercise opportunities, access to counseling and therapy, stress-reduction mechanisms, and social... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Fort Lauderdale Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
November 19th, 2010 |
I recently heard someone say that his goal at the Holidays is to put the fun in dysfunctional family. Families and holidays; this is a stress point for many of us. We have a wealth of TV Christmas programs to watch this season. But most of our families and holiday events don't live up to the Hallmark moments.
So why?
Maybe our expectations? In Christmas Vacation, Ellen Griswald warns Clark about setting such a high of an expectation for their holiday that no family could meet his expectations.
What are your expectations? Read More
November 19th, 2010 |
Do you dread the holiday season? Have you had a history of holiday events that have left you feeling angry, hurt and lonely? When you think about spending time with your family are you immersed in self pity because you feel more pain than pleasure being around them? You are not alone. These feelings are experienced by millions of people who have been emotionally abused by someone they love. Emotional abuse can be subtle or obvious, direct or indirect. Here are some examples:
Constant criticism
The person can’t be pleased
Regular use of sarcasm
Consistent focus on your ... Read More
November 18th, 2010 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
It’s not uncommon for a person to seek counseling because they feel overrun, worn down, stressed and unhappy. Many of the factors explored in therapy have to do with relationships, past experiences, and family or workplace dynamics. But as we continually learn about how humans think and feel, the role that less individualized factors play in our daily happiness seems to be growing. What does this mean? Modern life is fraught with distraction, and it seems that the more distracted we are, the less happy we become. Three recent studies have shed light on varying... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Portland Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
November 16th, 2010 |
Where should we spend the holidays this year? Should I give a gift to my neighbors? How can we invite so-and-so to dinner without inviting that annoying ______ of hers?
The holiday season can be a minefield of decisions that make us question ourselves and our goodness, competence and worthiness. Obligations to others vs. desires of our own: It’s an everyday tension that gets ratcheted up about a hundred notches during the holidays.
We feel responsible for “getting it right” by making others happy. And if we don’t put everyone else ahead of ourselves, we’re not doing it right. Read More
November 14th, 2010 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
Stress is bad for you, mentally, emotionally, and physically. This is a commonly held belief today, within the world of therapists and counselors and in the general public, and there’s plenty of data to back it up. A comprehensive study just released by the American Psychological Association is titled 2010 Stress in America and looks at stress across the whole board. Particularly interesting in this study is how stress plays in family dynamics. The average parent reported a stress level of 6.1... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Laguna Beach Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
