In the aftermath of the most contentious election in recent history, many people are talking about the need for empathy in order to heal our divided nation. Facebook posts are flying around that charge us to rise above the rancor and offer empathy to those with whom we disagree. Just recently, Meryl Streep spoke to… Read more »
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7 Ways of Managing and Coping with Anxiety Millions of people are coping with anxiety. Whether our worries are global, political, or entirely personal, it’s easy to become consumed by them. This can leave us feeling powerless and paralyzed, a state which is never conducive to either finding peace or making change. In order to be the… Read more »
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My biggest problem with New Year’s resolutions is that, too often, they’re grounded in self-criticism. And by self-criticism, I do not mean a positive or realistic aspiration to be a better human being. What I’m referring to is a deep, dark core belief that we are just not good enough. For many of us, this… Read more »
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The first noble truth the Buddha taught was that disease, aging and death are unavoidable forms of suffering (dukkha) which afflict all creatures. We see analogous events in the body of the planet, where events such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and fires can erupt without warning. So, too, the social body is afflicted with its… Read more »
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Our sense of self is often a divided thing. Most of us have a side in us that is “on our own team.” It encourages and supports us. It helps us fight for what we want and believes in what we can achieve. However, there is often an opposite force in each of us that… Read more »
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Why is nature good for our physical and mental well-being? “Wilderness is not a luxury but necessity of the human spirit.” –Edward Abbey At a recent conference, I was shown a satirical commercial advertising what they called Nature Rx. “Are you feeling tired, irritable, stressed out?,” a young man asks from a rowboat, setting the stage… Read more »
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Those of us who struggle with anxiety know how it can undermine us. We feel it impair our abilities, lower our spirits and limit the very quality of our lives. Yet, most of us have a hard time challenging our anxiety. Because of its evolutionary purpose and instant, almost instinctive intrusion, we tend to trust… Read more »
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For years, I’ve taught a weekly psychology class to students ranging from 7 to 14 years-old. In this class, I encourage self-reflection, asking kids to identify and express what they think and feel and to consider the thoughts and feelings of others. The results are often surprising. Strong, self-aware statements come out of their mouths… Read more »
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At any given point in life, it is possible to direct our thoughts in such a way that changes our perception of the same set of circumstances from bright and sunny to dark and stormy. Take a first date, for example. One minute, we may be thinking, “I’m so excited about this guy.” A moment later,… Read more »
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I was recently interviewing ABC News anchor Dan Harris, author of 10% Happier, for an upcoming online symposium on Uncovering Happiness. I really enjoyed spending time with him rapping about what happiness is really about and why mindfulness and compassion can help inspire it. But one of the things that really made me laugh was… Read more »
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