Cognitive Restructuring – Common Thought Errors that Lead to Depression and Anxiety

Sometimes, we allow ourselves to think in ways that lead us down paths of destruction. Common errors in thought processes can lead to a number of negative symptoms; most notably anxiety and depression! Disqualifying the Positive – Discounting the good things that have occurred in your life or that you’ve accomplished, saying “that doesn’t count.”Continue reading “Cognitive Restructuring – Common Thought Errors that Lead to Depression and Anxiety”

How to Deal With People Who Drain Your Energy

Stop feeling depleted every time you interact with an energy vampire Let’s eavesdrop on a conversation with an energy vampire. THEM: They insist that you invest your energy in their cause, and their cause always seems hopeless – or it’s just not your cause. YOU: To avoid being rude, you accept their agenda. Now yourContinue reading “How to Deal With People Who Drain Your Energy”

Stress from Multi-Tasking

When we multitask, by definition, we can only do the one thing we’re attending to directly well. We think working this way—doing more than one thing at a time—is efficient, but it may not be, for several reasons: Multitasking impairs future recall. Memory is a function of attention and concentration. Why do you think youContinue reading “Stress from Multi-Tasking”

How to Make Peace With Something You Cannot Control

Feeling safe when you’re not in control is a valuable skill Source: ibreakstock/Shutterstock Being in control feels safe, you can feel safe when you’re not in control too. The world is unpredictable and your power is limited, so feeling safe without control is a valuable skill. When the world disappoints your expectations, your brain releasesContinue reading “How to Make Peace With Something You Cannot Control”

The Conveyor Belt

This is one of my favorite exercises to ease anxiety and start gaining control over emotions. Imagine a conveyor belt, and that your thoughts are coming down the belt. Name the thoughts and feelings to yourself as they come down the belt — “I am having a feeling of sadness. I am now having aContinue reading “The Conveyor Belt”

5 Better Ways to Deal With Disappointment

…and why being hard on yourself isn’t part of the solution. When people marry, they are usually determined to make it through thick and thin, impervious to divorce and discontent, even though two out of five couples will separate and only 30 percent will enjoy a happy marriage. Nearly 80 percent of people have an optimism bias when itContinue reading “5 Better Ways to Deal With Disappointment”

Dialectical (“Open Minded”) Thinking

Many times we can find ourselves in rigid thinking patterns that keep us from being able to effectively problem solve or get our needs met, leaving us in conflict with ourselves or other people. “Dialectal” means that two ideas can be true at the same time. There is more than one way to see aContinue reading “Dialectical (“Open Minded”) Thinking”

4 Ways to Survive Unexpected Situations

Expert advice for maintaining your confidence and finding a positive outcome. Life throws unexpected things at us all the time. Some we like—such as finding a $20 bill on the sidewalk—but many of them we don’t, such as missing a flight due to an extra long line at airport security. Sometimes unexpected events can be muchContinue reading “4 Ways to Survive Unexpected Situations”

The Power of “No”

How rejection can be a positive form of support. When we talk about our most valuable friends, we usually begin by listing those who are kind and caring, there when we need them, and supportive of our choices. While these qualities are certainly important, there is one other type of support from trusted friends, colleagues,Continue reading “The Power of “No””

4 Mistakes We All Make When Trying to Cheer Someone Up

We’ve all been there: A friend seeks us out to open up about an issue in their life that’s causing them distress. Maybe we think what they’re going through is trivial, so we spout off a quick reply in attempt to reassure them it’s nothing. Or maybe we think what they’re up against is soContinue reading “4 Mistakes We All Make When Trying to Cheer Someone Up”