Letting Go of Rumination

Do you often find yourself thinking about a problem over and over? What about continuously replaying an unpleasant exchange in your mind and turning over every detail? If so, you might be prone to ruminating. Ruminating is the act of thinking about distressing issues or events at length. When ruminating, we dwell on problems and … Read more

Inspiration from 2016

Note: This is an adaptation of an article from the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California at Berkeley As we begin 2017, many of us are reflecting on the year that has just ended. I think most of us can agree, it has been rough. Acts of terror and violence continue around … Read more

Changing Our Relationship to Stress

Stress is a normal response to events that make us feel threatened or upset our balance in some way. These events can occur outside of our bodies within our environments, or even within our bodies caused by illness, or depressive or anxiety symptoms. These ‘events’ can be thought of as ‘stressors’ and we all have … Read more

Healthy Guilt, Unhealthy Guilt, and Shame: How to Tell the Difference and How to Let Go

While many people use the terms guilt and shame interchangeably, they are in fact, different constructs with very different psychological correlates and outcomes. Guilt is typically other-focused, and revolves around behaviors, whereas shame is self-focused and is more about character. Guilt is the feeling that results when you tell yourself that you have done something … Read more

Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Goal-setting is an important function of personal development. Learning how to set goals effectively is what makes the difference between a wish (“I hope I get all A’s and B’s this semester!”) and a viable action-plan. Goals that are too vague or too lofty are likely to create feelings of failure and frustration rather than … Read more

Know the Signs of Common Nutrient Deficiencies and Impact on Your Child’s Well-Being

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 … Read more

Screen Time and Your Kids

Kids are spending more time than ever using screens. In fact, most American children spend more time in front of electronic screens than they do in school. According to Common Sense Media, preteens spend an average of four-and-a-half hours using screens every single day. For teens, that number soars to nearly seven hours a day … Read more

Can stress be a good thing?

As the school year gets underway, we all are faced with greater demands and levels of stress than just a month ago. And for many of us, the beginning of school leads to thoughts of the holidays, and all the stresses that come with the changing leaves. We are all too familiar with the negative … Read more