Washington, D.C. was recently rated the “#1 Most Stressed Out City in America” by a real estate blog, which based its ratings on criteria including commute time, high cost of living, hours worked, and population density. Research suggests that high levels of stress have a negative impact on health and well-being, including fighting illness, thinking … Read more
There are over 30,000 suicides in the United States every year, making it the 10th leading cause of death for Americans (3rd among youth and 2nd among college students). We lose someone to suicide every 13 minutes, and 60% of us will personally know someone who dies by suicide. It is important to remember that … Read more
As parents, we strive to do the right things for our kids. Unfortunately, many of the things we do in an effort to meet their needs actually work against the real goal of parenting, which is to create an environment in which children can grow into motivated, mature, and independent human beings. Below are a … Read more
I recently read an interesting article in The New York Times about raising a moral child. The article, “Raising a Moral Child,” was written by Adam Grant, a professor of management and psychology at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and author of “Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success.” The … Read more
Believe it or not, the end of summer is almost here. For families with school age children, this time of year often brings up a range of strong emotions. The return to school can arouse positive feelings, such as excitement, and also negative ones – apprehension, worry or even dread. Both parents and children often … Read more
Driving down Chain Bridge Road in the storm a few weeks ago, the obstacle course through the fallen trees and the power outage brought back memories of the last bad storm that I experienced, Hurricane Katrina. Storms upset our lives. They inconvenience us. They take things away from us. Laying in bed in the hot … Read more
Wishing something would happen but it never does. Wanting someone to do something different, but she never does. Worrying about what someone else thinks of us, getting angry when the rain spoils our cookout, and stressing about what the traffic will be like when we leave work tonight. These are all things we have no … Read more
As children get older, they often become more reluctant to talk to and listen to their parents, especially as entities outside the home, such as peers and the media, start to exert a stronger influence over them. Whether we like it or not, children learn a lot about life from the media, especially movies and … Read more
Divorce brings up many emotions, including anger, sadness, loss, and/or relief, and individuals often need time away from their ex-spouse in order to work through their feelings and move forward. For spouses who also are parents, however, ongoing interactions with one’s ex-spouse are inevitable. That is, even though they are not married any longer, they … Read more
For many, the holiday season is a joyous time of year full of friends, family, and laughter; however, for some, the thought of spending extended time with certain relatives can evoke feelings of dread and anxiety. Dealing with difficult people can be a challenge, especially when those difficult people are related to you by either … Read more
