Nature-based stress reduction is a term I coined a number of years ago. It brings together two separate but very complementary strands of thought about (1) the benefits of mindfulness and (2) the experience of nature and the natural world. There is a well-established school of thought around the benefits of mindfulness that includes the [...]
Building on my post about “psychological operating systems,” I want to discuss the related concept of “code debt” as a metaphor for old patterns and mindsets that can hold us back. In the computing and technology world, “code debt” (and the related concept of technical debt) refers to a buildup of old programs, patches and [...]
This article was originally posted by Dr. Thomas Doherty in 2017. "Ground Hog Day" is always on February 2. The forecast is cloudy for the Pacific Northwest tomorrow, so likely to be challenging for people or other mammals to see their shadow! Think about the time around Groundhog Day as opportunity to celebrate that you made it [...]
May 1st, “May Day” is a world-wide holiday celebrating events in history and culture. It is a marker of the seasons, and a touchstone for many political traditions including the International labor movement, the old Soviet Union, and Cold War-era US patriotic observances. In the context of your personal health and sustainability, the beginning of May [...]
Imagine Alcoholics Anonymous mixed with an environmental humanities course and you’ll begin to get a sense of the ”good grief” group started by Schmidt. Its goal is to help people cope with what’s been called “climate grief”— anxiety, sadness, depression, and other emotions provoked by awareness of the planet’s march toward a hotter, less biologically [...]
What does adulthood mean for men in 2017? And what does science say makes a happy adulthood? Is there an optimum way to communicate your emotions in relationships? How can you make the most of the victories and losses in your past, and set positive goals for the future? How can you connect with nature [...]
If we can call on an ability to remain present, this increases our options. We can be more resourceful. We can act rather than react. You practice mindfulness so that this state becomes more common in your life. Mindfulness, as in “mindfulness meditation,” has been defined simply as “paying attention, on purpose, in the [...]
"Ideally your office should have a clean, living, generative sense—one that fosters a renewed sense of physical vitality, alertness and creativity for your clients and yourself..." At the 2013 American Psychological Association (APA) Meeting, I provided a therapist's perspective at presentation "Design of the Psychotherapist's Office – Lessons from Research and Experience." During [...]
There are two basic coping strategies that people use to deal with the emotional impacts of environmental issues. It’s helpful to be aware of these, and to know your habitual style. It’s even better to learn how to be flexible and use both strategies to support yourself. Note: I'll be doing a series of posts in [...]
The story goes that during Reverend Martin Luther King’s famous speech at the March at Washington on August 28, 1963, the gospel singer Mahalia Jackson shouted to Rev. King, “Tell them about the dream, Martin!” at which point King set aside his prepared notes to improvise the famous, “I have a dream…” section of his speech. [...]
