Rumination is the phenomenon of continuously, obsessively thinking about negative or unpleasant thoughts in a way that makes it hard to let go. By definition, it is a repetitive thought process that has a negative tone because it is focused on negative experiences, which often get replayed over and over. Many people struggle with excessive […]
Life Coaching
Boost Your Mood By Creating a “Brag File”
Building confidence is an active pursuit that requires regular effort, which is why creating a so-called “brag file” can help. It’s an easy way to boost your mood when times get tough, or if you’re feeling down, jealous, or exceedingly self-conscious. Making a brag file is easy. Keep a running list of things that you […]
11 Helpful Tips for Optimizing Postpartum Nutrition, Recovery, and Healing
The postpartum period is one of life’s most truly challenging phases. Postpartum nutrition– aka nutrition during the first 40 days after delivering a baby– plays a huge role in how well new moms heal and prepare their bodies for this next critical phase of nurturing and developing along with their baby. Thus, it’s worth paying […]
6 Science-Backed Tips for Improving Mental Age
Innovative new studies show that how old we feel mentally has a huge impact on how well we fare, physically and mentally, as we age. You can, quite literally, think yourself into better health– and feeling younger. According to the latest research, the younger you feel, the longer you’ll live– or so the theory goes. […]
12 Things That Are Better Predictors of Happiness Than Money, “Success”, or Accolades
If happiness is all that matters at the end of the day, then why obsess over money and success when everything you need to be happy is already within your control? This is the premise of what I call the “Dirty Dozen” of Happiness: 12 key attributes, circumstances, and personal qualities that are better predictors […]
How To Use Glimmers (The Opposite of Triggers) to Relieve Stress
I first heard about glimmers and the concept of a “glimmers list” when somatic coach Sarah Baldwin mentioned them both in a tutorial about how anxious people can learn to understand and regulate their nervous system. After 10 years of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and about ~3 years of Somatic Therapy, I was surprised that this […]
80-Year Harvard Study Finds Key Secret to Meaningful Living
The key to a fulfilling life is not how successful you are, how much money you have, or even how healthy, lucky, or physically capable you are. According to recent studies, the most essential part of living a meaningful life has to do with relationships and love— nothing more, nothing less. As Fast Company reports, […]
5 Ways to Stop Emotional Eating, According to Experts
Emotional eating and impulse control is an aspect of feeding ourselves that is almost solely psychological. It’s a broadly interpreted term that means many different things. Boredom eating qualifies as emotional eating, as does stress eating and eating when you’re sad or scared. “Emotional eating is basically just eating for any reason other than physical […]
How Climate Change Affects Mental Health
For all the endless chatter surrounding Climate Change, not much of the global conversation has centered on the connection between Climate Change and mental health. The psychological impacts of a warming world might seem intuitive, and rightly so. But on a personal and macro level, changing habitats and unpredictable weather patterns have had a universally […]
A 5-Step Method for Identifying Misplaced Emotions
I believe that ~60% of the emotions we feel on daily basis aren’t really what we think they are– and emerging research is beginning to support this claim. Often, these feelings are better classified as misplaced emotions. Misplaced emotions occur when a feeling or thought doesn’t match the situation at hand. For example, “You’re not […]