October 2019 – I am updating my Fall Season Wellbeing post from last year. Its lessons stand the test of time. They also remind me to practice what I preach. But, there are a few updates required. Last year, I gave advice about “handling the November [midterm] election” noting that it was a “politically fraught [...]
From: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame “He therefore turned to mankind only with regret. His cathedral was enough for him. It was peopled with marble figures of kings, saints and bishops who at least did not laugh in his face and looked at him with only tranquility and benevolence. The other statues, those of monsters and demons, [...]
What do you do when you need to quickly clarify what you are feeling, or what your emotions are? Your friend asks “How are you feeling?.” Your wife asks “How are you feeling about us?” Your counselor asks “How are you feeling about your life?” What happens when you just want to check in with [...]
As the damage and economic losses from climate change grow, so too do the emotional impacts of climate change. When an entire island like Puerto Rico is threatened to be uninhabitable or an entire town like Paradise, CA is burned to the ground with a loss of 86 lives, impacts of climate change become much [...]
From the Openist Podcast: How can you sculpt a life that's as healthy as it is sustainable? How do you meet the challenge of finding a meaningful balance in your relationship with nature and technology? Dr. Thomas Doherty, a licensed psychologist in Oregon, has some profound insights on these questions that are as timely as [...]
Want a different feel for your New Year’s Resolution? Here is a true “hack”*: Reverse your planning procedure. Start from the end (imagining the goal accomplished) and then work back to today. While it’s a simple idea, you’ll find this approach takes some effort to do at first. (I felt a clear mental block when I [...]
As 2018 comes to a close, it’s a good idea to … (stop, take a breath) … pause and reflect on the things that matter most. That may seem counter-intuitive if you’re rushing around for that last gift, but doing so can make the holidays more meaningful and enjoyable—no matter what is happening around you. [...]
The Election... A psychology client notes that he has had trouble finding any friends willing to attend an election night party. “They all have PTSD from Election Night 2016,” he says. Another client says he is trying to avoid getting caught up in the news running up to the election. We talk about the private [...]
Now is a good time to do a bit of a fall “tune-up.” You have probably experienced how time tends to speed up at the end of the year: Picture the last grains of sand running out of an hour glass or imagine the venturi effect when a river speeds up when going through a narrow [...]
If you have hiked or climbed, you might be familiar with the “ten essentials” – a list of things to pack along to keep you safe and to use in case of accident or emergency (like water, map and compass, extra clothing, and a first aid kit). I was lucky to visit the Canadian Rockies [...]
