Worrying can be a productive way to try to anticipate adverse events and take steps to shore them up. But for many of us, worrying has the opposite effect. We get so caught up in hypothesizing every worst-case scenario that we lose sight of the big picture and find that our mental and emotional energies are completely zapped. For worry warts, the apprehension brought on by worrying can immobilize you. Read more
Graduating from college is a Kodak moment in your life. It marks the transition from being a kid to being a full-fledged adult. It can also seem to be a source of relief, as release from studying means a release from all-nighters, stress, and a very tight budget.
As exciting as graduating from college may be, it is a major transition. And as with all major transitions, the change can have some pretty drastic effects on a person’s emotions. You may initially feel a surge of happiness but then be confronted with a painful emotional state: depression. Read more
Raising a child hard. It’s made more difficult when a parent’s basic expectations and hopes about their child’s behavior are let down. Parents assume that their kids will engage in certain standard habits, such as eating dinner, sleeping at night, playing with friends, and going to school. A child’s refusal to go to school can be especially perturbing for parents. Read more
The first day of school holds a special place in the memories of families everywhere. For parents, it a potent symbol of a child growing up and moving towards a new stage of life. For a child, it’s often the first set of friends and memories that they’ll make.
But first day jitters are common for kids when facing a new school year. Read more
We’ve all suffered from an anxious thought once in a while — the unpredictable nature of life can bring forth a multitude of worries. But chronic anxiety that comes more often than not can be debilitating and prevent you from living out a full life. Additionally, chronic anxiety can be a sign of a generalized anxiety disorder, damaging stress, and a high risk of depression. These factors are all detrimental to your overall quality of health.
The good news is that anxiety is a treatable condition, and there may be natural options you haven’t yet explored. Read more
Life coaches, happiness gurus, and therapists of all stripes say the same thing: feeling happy starts with happy thoughts. They say: think positive! Banish negative thoughts from your mind, and fill it with images of achievements and that sports car you’ve always wanted. While positive thinking certainly has an important role to play in success, it turns out that negative thoughts may play an important role in enabling you to create the life you want. Read more
Breathing is something we rarely think about. It was our first natural action at birth and it happens automatically: Air comes into our lungs and air comes out. But breathing can also have a substantial impact on our mental and physical health. Read more
Despite the fact that 40 million adults suffer from anxiety disorders, anxiety doesn’t have an easily traceable cause. Like many mental health issues, anxiety is still something that is being figured out.
But there are several theories on how and why anxiety disorders come about. By having a better understanding of where anxiety comes from, you can learn the root cause of your anxiety and yank it out. Read more
Nostrils flaring, heated skin, curled fists, and a sweaty brow. You’ve gotten angry before — we all have. It happens, and maybe more often than we’d like.
But you don’t need to let anger take over every time it creeps up. Calming down isn’t out of reach, no matter how furious you may feel. Read more
Many, if not all of us, are on a journey to find happiness. But happiness isn’t an end destination — it’s an ongoing practice, much like patience or mindfulness. More often than not, we can choose to be happy. We can train our brain to be positive. We can let happy thoughts flow in and out of us. A happy life is within reach; we just have to make sure we’re equipped with the right tools to reach for it. Read more
