mental health
I Will Be Happy When__________________.
I can’t begin to tell you how often I have played this game. You know, “the happiness game” where I become fixated on this “major” situation that may or may not be so serious. But it is to me at the time, and if only I can accomplish the goal or avoid the calamity then I’ll be sooo happy.
Have you ever had a “major” thing, be it a goal, desire or wish that you fantasized and dreamed about daily, even to the point of obsession?
I bet that with enough sweat, hard work and tenacity you reached that major goal just like I have. Maybe you bathed in euphoria afterward, but how long did the high last?
According to psychological research, there’s a name to the drop off in happiness after having achieved or reached your coveted goal. The phenomenon is called hedonic adaptation and it’s essentially when we adapt to whatever it is we’ve achieved regardless of how grand the result. In fact, the idea is you return back to the same emotional state before your big reward. Read the rest of this entry »
The Power of Surrender
Surrender seems like an ethereal concept, one that takes more than power of will to remove the ego and to just let go. When stubbornness gets in the way of true change, we find that we’re stuck with old software uploaded into the most complex computer on earth — our brains.
We desire to improve but are often in the way of our own progress because unconsciously we continue to trigger emotions that reinforce negative childhood experiences, hold onto outdated beliefs and recreate negative behaviors, those of which we were taught long ago. We haven’t found a way to uninstall the old software and reprogram our brain with new, improved and healthier software that we’ve personally designed. It is not based upon forced ideals from circumstances, environment or society.
If we could only comprehend how much power we have over the results we wish to see in our lives, we’d stop doubting our capabilities and value the power we hold within us. It goes way beyond the overused concept of “self-esteem” and having “self confidence.” Plenty of successful people have confidence, but they lack the capability to expand outside of their box and welcome change regardless of how flawless their lives appear to be or what they’ve gained externally and the versions of themselves that they flaunt. Everyone today can create a social media profile, one that allows for a perfectly catered exterior and tastefully chosen posts in order to boast and throw up the illusion of an unblemished life. Read the rest of this entry »
Are There Mental Health Benefits to Joining Facebook Groups?
Small and large companies aren’t the only ones that bank on the convenience of the Internet. Obviously some of us who refuse to camp out in front of Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and any other stores opt to spend our money online to avoid the crowds. But as Cyber Monday has come to a close, some of us enjoy the comfort and convenience of the Internet for other reasons.
Everyone has a bad day, but some of us struggle with the lack of that “happy” gene more than others. According to a Huffington Post article by Michael Sigmen, approximately half of our happiness is linked to our genetic make up. How close are you to genetic happiness?
Wow, half is quite a chunk of our happiness pie, leaving the leftovers to be fractioned off to environment, circumstances and/or traumatic life events. If depression is more than a chemical imbalance and is actually deeply ingrained in our DNA, then what can we actually do about it?
The Internet is used for a number of reasons, only some of which have to do with viral marketing. Social media sites allow for individuals as well as organizations to connect with people from all over the world and share their individual brand. But behavior on these sites can run unchecked, which have literally given both social media and the Internet a bad rap. Lyrics posted on Facebook threatening to not only kill his wife but also kindergarten kids landed wannabe rap artist Anthony Elonis in jail for 44 months. Privacy, freedom of speech, an increase in social isolation, and a host of other number of issues arise when discussing social media and the potential negative ramifications. Read the rest of this entry »
Movie Therapy: Laugh Away the Blues
I find it interesting how comedy can make the most dramatic situations humorous. What could very easily be executed as a drama, comedy writers take a twisted approach to making the situation funny as hell.
Take a look at some of the funniest movies. In reality, most comedies wouldn’t be viewed as funny if it happened in reality. In As Good as it Gets, you’ve got Jack Nicholson playing Melvin Udall. Udall is a rude, angry and mentally unstable individual who also happens to degrade almost everyone around him. He is racist and sexist yet ironically a romance novelist. When his gay neighbor Simon Bishop is beaten nearly to death and robbed, Udall doggy sits Verdell. Udall is an anti-social, selfish jerk who winds up warming up to the Brussels Griffon and then unexpectedly falls in love with his favorite waitress, Carol Connelly, played by Helen Hunt. Read the rest of this entry »
The Bob Newhart 5-Min Therapy Approach-Hilarious
Video Posted on Updated on
This is great, if we could all direct our minds to simply stopping a negative behavior or thought. Imagine if we believed and visualized and just let go of old thought patterns? I believe we can, it just takes practice. For me, catching negative thoughts and reconditioning the way I think is a daily thing. But, like anything else the more you practice, the better you become and the less you struggle with it.
It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen. ~Muhammad Ali
- ← Previous
- 1
- …
- 15
- 16
- 17
- Next →
Writing With Hope 