Happiness is something that everyone strives to achieve, even if its definition is vague or person-dependent. The paths to achieving happiness are equally varied. For some people, happiness is being surrounded by loving friends and family. To others, it’s financial independence, experiencing a big belly laugh, or eating a delicious piece of cake. While the…
Living in our fast-paced often self-involved society, one might think the adage “it’s a dog-eat-dog world” holds true. Such a belief, however, would not be confirmed by research. Charles Darwin taught us that survival belongs to the fittest, and social psychologist, Dacher Keltner, in his book, Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful…
I recently saw an Internet meme that questioned whether a tolerant society should or can tolerate intolerance. After all, to be fully tolerant, you must accept (or at least hear and allow to exist) all points of view, even if they differ from your own, even if that viewpoint is based in total intolerance of…
The standard American diet lacks the essential nutritional elements you and/or your child’s body needs to function optimally. This is a sad truth that many people are unaware of and as a result may spend a long time suffering from emotional, behavioral, and physical unwellness with no relief. It is important to rule out if…
Every September, many students have big aspirations for the new school year. Developing a plan is key to achieving goals, and the start of the school year is the ideal time to make a plan for achieving academic success. Whether you are pursuing your own education or are the parent of a school-aged child (or…
We are in the midst of a presidential campaign like no other in recent memory. The Republican field has winnowed down from a record number of hopefuls to one (probable) candidate, and the Democratic side is down to two. Earlier in the process, there was a great deal of discussion about the entertainment value of…
In 1970 Erich Segal wrote the book Love Story, which was turned into a blockbuster movie starring Ali McGraw and Ryan O’Neal. The most famous line in the movie arguably was, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry”. I would beg to differ with that sentiment, however, and would suggest that instead love means…
Most animal lovers know how incredibly fun it is to own a pet. But did you know that pet ownership can have impressive long-term physical and mental health benefits? Studies exploring the health benefits of the human-animal bond have found that: Pet ownership, especially dog ownership, is associated with better circulation, reduced risk of heart…
With spring now upon us, what better way to greet the new season than with a twist on a yearly ritual: psychological spring cleaning. Just as we need to remove the dust from our tabletops, clear out the stale food from the refrigerator, and clean the cobwebs out of the attic, our brains – our…
There is an ever-growing body of research suggesting that mindfulness can help children improve their ability to pay attention, calm down when they are experiencing strong emotions, and think more clearly to make better decisions. In essence, mindfulness helps with emotional regulation and cognitive focus. Who doesn’t want that for their kids? Children often react…
