What constitutes trauma or adversity? Essentially anything that causes physical or psychological pain or injury. This includes personal illness or injury, witnessing the same in someone else, natural disasters, enduring abuse, the death of someone close to us, job loss, addiction, financial problems, relationship difficulties, and incarceration. The range and magnitude of trauma is vast. […]

It’s been said that we are human beings, not human doings. Reminding ourselves of this concept can help us to keep things in perspective. Busyness can masquerade as “getting things done”, which may temporarily bolster our self-esteem, at least on the surface. However, putting excessive focus on staying occupied can alienate us from ourselves as […]

Personal change and growth are healthy and in fact optimal approaches to life. We may fall into the alternatives of stagnation and regression from time to time, but to engage in these patterns on a regular basis isn’t likely to do ourselves or other people any favors. So, how do we get ourselves off auto-pilot […]

In order to figure what would constitute a truly fulfilling and happy life, we need to have a clear sense of who we really are. Not who our parents, friends, spouses, colleagues, or the world at large thinks or demands that we be. Discovering and being our true selves can be a challenging task – […]

Studies have demonstrated again and again that maintaining a formal, daily meditation practice benefits our bodies, minds, and souls in many ways. Reduced anxiety, depression, and compulsiveness, greater serenity, deeper sleep, and enhanced immunity to disease are some of the perks of consistent meditation. However, if you don’t feel you have the time, desire, or […]

Very few of us are strangers to depression or anxiety in some form, whether it be a mild but unpleasant funk for a few days or a more serious mood disorder lasting months or even years. After all, just being alive usually means that we’ve ridden the emotional rollercoaster, be it due to a personal […]

Whether or not you set resolutions for the New Year, you probably would like to maintain or increase your happiness quotient. If so, the following tips may prove to be helpful: Write down three positive things that happened to you each day and think about how and why they occurred. Maybe they seemed to happen […]

Do you find it hard to take a compliment, believing that you don’t deserve praise? Do you focus on minor mistakes you’ve made, rather than acknowledging all of the things you do well? If a friend compliments your smile, do you brush off the remark with a derogatory comment about yourself? If so, you may […]

Although the Thanksgiving holiday serves as a good reminder for us to pause and count our blessings, the truth is that gratitude represents an attitude and actions that we can seek to cultivate every day of the year. In addition to improving our relationships with others, expressing our thanks offers many other benefits. Some quotes […]

Why is it that some people bounce back from tragedy or even seem to thrive in the face of persistent hardship, while others collapse and stay down for the count? Are some people just born with this resilience, defined as “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)? Are […]