Acceptance on the Path to Healing From Neurotic Loops

Anger is a common automatic reaction to an unpleasant event or circumstance. Powerlessness might be hiding beneath a self-protective shield of anger. Anger can be resolved through a process of awareness, grounding, and compassion. When was the last time you were angry? Ten minutes ago, two days ago? As you...

Approximately two-thirds of divorces are initiated by women. Walking away from a marriage brings a mix of positive and challenging feelings. The "left-behind" partner in a divorce or long-term breakup may experience and express a wide range of emotions, so plan accordingly. Women who make the decision to leave their...

Some are prone to self-blame on their fertility journeys, confusing their behavior with their character. Studies find that optimism has a “protective impact” against anxiety and self-blame during fertility treatment. Permit yourself to act less than perfect, especially while taking hormones, waiting for results, or being deluged with...

Having high expectations is one thing, but expecting perfection only sets us up for failure and disappointment. There are three fundamental types of perfectionism: self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed. Demanding too much and being too critical can be harmful to the parent-child bond. Ever tried to do everything perfectly?. Maybe...

Being of “sound mind” can be critical for one’s freedom, self-advocacy, and health. Finding ways to secure memory retention and thrive is important. Getting out of abusive situations is one of the first steps toward freedom and a thriving life. This includes self-abuse. Memory is freedom. Consider...

The three types of ADHD are inattentive, hyperactive, and combined. Inattentive is most likely to be overlooked or misdiagnosed. Although ADHD medications are controversial, they can benefit some children, allowing them to focus and complete work. Kids with ADHD can hyperfocus when they're engaged in a topic or activity, giving...

As important as having a positive self-image is being realistic about how others perceive you or don’t perceive you at all. Having a warped sense of being "special" might couple itself with tendencies of narcissism or entitlement. Not being "special" should be considered liberating. In a recent post on...

Hope gives us the power to endure the ills of the world, it is integral to resilience. People in a community can rely on one another with a sense of resilience. Feeding our negative emotions is not conducive to successfully processing trauma. Accurately quantifying the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic...

Living in a high-tech world rarely allows us the space to truly feel bored. Boredom is an emotion that has numerous benefits, especially in childhood development. There are several ways that parents can encourage constructive boredom. We live in a world with high stimulation; high-tech gadgets, toys, and screens. It’s...

Many people believe that they drink alcohol because they like the taste, yet their initial experience with alcohol tells a different story. This inconsistency may be explained by our need to resolve cognitive dissonance, an internal conflict between one's attitude and behaviors. We may trick ourselves into changing our opinion...

Escapism, a way of avoiding an unpleasant or boring life, can be adaptive or maladaptive. Adaptive escapism is motivated by self-expansion; maladaptive escapism is driven by self-suppression. Runners motivated by a self-expansion mindset tend to have higher subjective well-being scores. Escapism is marked by "a habitual diversion of the mind."...

Not taking oneself seriously is not the same as being playful or funny, aspects of personality that can easily coexist with deep seriousness. Taking ourselves and each other seriously is important for cultivating trust and emotional intimacy. Rather than focusing on not being serious, you can seek partners with a...

Awe is typically associated with deep feelings of wonder and astonishment, but we can also find it in everyday experiences. Research demonstrates that awe-inducing experiences have important mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual benefits. A sense of awe can be intentionally cultivated and strengthened by paying attention to what is around...

Managing emotions means managing the situations we enter, our orientations to them, and our interpretations of what occurs. The most engaging situations are those where our personal qualities match well with the challenges presented there. Emotions register contrasts between our judgments of what is occurring and what we feel should...

The metaverse is promising for the delivery of personalized mental health care. The metaverse could solve the problems of accessibility and affordability. The metverse could provide community and consciousness transformation. The metaverse could be a venue for creativity, beauty, and safe treatment while reducing stigma. At the World Economic Conference...

There are no words. I had written a lighthearted, joyful Lunar New Year post before the Monterey Park shooting happened, and planned to upload it on New Year’s Day. Then the shooting happened, and I could not find any words for days after, until now, when I searched this site for other posts on the shootings (Half Moon Bay as well, just two days after Monterey Park) and found nothing.

Parents play a significant role in mediating the disappointment of losing, of not being number one. Given the right tools, children can learn to bounce back from setbacks and failure. Parents can foster a growth mindset in which kids are made aware that the ability to learn is not fixed...

When unusual events of our childhoods have labels and a diagnosis, it can open doors to different directions in our lives. A parent doesn't have to physically molest a child for it to be an abusive situation. Martin's memoir shows how helpful a therapeutic relationship can be in changing the...

Research shows small sacrifices can have a big impact in relationships. Consider things you can do often, and pretty easily, that will be meaningful to your partner. Grit is a key component for lasting love: it requires passion, coupled with perseverance. Love isn't solidified with extravagant dates or grand gestures;...

The emergence of ChatGPT in education forces us to think more carefully about student motivation. AI in education will turn standard educational tasks into busywork. The purpose of education may come to be seen as furthering human meaning. The student experience has always involved a combination of work and play....