The Power of Radical Acceptance When You Feel Miserable
“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” – Lao Tzu There is no denying that most of us know what it’s like to feel just plain miserable. That statement may strike you…
Read MoreInsecure Attachment Styles & Adult Relationships
“A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.” – Dalai Lama Attachment styles develop within the context of your earliest relationships… the ones with your parent(s) or primary caregiver(s). According to attachment theory, these formative relationships serve as the foundation from which you develop an understanding of how relationships work, what…
Read More5 Steps to Clear Your Mind & Get Focused
“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.” – Mahatma Gandhi How often do thoughts, worries, or other mental distractions interfere with your ability to focus on the task at hand? Sometimes worrisome thoughts get in the way of feeling alert, calm, and present. When your mind feels as if…
Read More5 Simple Mindfulness Sayings that will Change Your Life
“Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand – and melting like a snowflake…” – Francis Bacon It can be difficult to integrate mindfulness exercises and practices into the general attitude that you express on a daily…
Read MoreJump-Start New Year’s Resolutions & Healthy Habits
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not come. We have only today. Let us begin.” – Mother Teresa Did you make a New Year’s resolution this year? Many people view the beginning of a new year as an opportunity to make positive behavioral changes and let go of unhealthy habits. According to research conducted at the…
Read MoreCoping with Panic Attacks
“He who fears he shall suffer, already suffers what he fears.” – Michel de Montaigne If you have ever had a panic attack, you probably know what it feels like to experience a sudden burst of intense and overwhelming fear. Panic attacks are often accompanied by unpleasant physical symptoms, such as shortness of breath, chest…
Read MoreCommon Self-Defeating Thoughts… and Solutions
“A sick thought can devour the body’s flesh more than fever or consumption.” – Guy de Maupassant When you’re in the midst of a repetitive pattern of self-defeating thoughts it can be tough to see any alternatives. In fact, self-defeating automatic thoughts can become so repetitive that you may have never even considered the mere…
Read MoreBasic Assertiveness Skills for Interpersonal Effectiveness
“To know what you prefer, instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive.” – Robert Louis Stevenson Interpersonal effectiveness is one of the four modules of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) that focuses on specific skills to draw upon for effective communication,…
Read MoreGetting Unstuck: Surfing the Ups & Downs of Life
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” – Robert Frost One thing you can count on in life is change. Even during times when you feel mentally, emotionally, or physically “stuck” in a situation, change is happening. Change is an undeniable undercurrent of life, affecting us whether…
Read MoreHow to Break a Habit: Mindlessness to Mindfulness
“Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.” – Mahatma Gandhi In this very moment, how might the assumptions you make, the thoughts running through your mind, and the actions you take create…
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