Before that loving Valentine's Day momentum fades away, think of this season as a great time to focus on effective communication with your partner. So regardless of what else is going on between the two of you, by keeping these essentials of good communication in mind, you can only make things ... Views: 1530
You may have already begun taking the steps to see your New Year's resolutions come to fruition. Perhaps you finally got around to joining that gym, or maybe you were able to confront a friend about something on your mind that's difficult to talk about. Whatever new you may have initiated so far ... Views: 1405
The holiday season seems to come upon us earlier and earlier each year. Even before Thanksgiving, I started to notice all of the signs -- colorful lights strung in front of houses, a glimpse of lit trees through windows and cheerful holiday tunes on the radio. Along with the high spirits the ... Views: 1305
Nobody -- whether single, in a long-term committed relationship or anything in between -- is completely immune from that often-painful feeling of loneliness. That is, however, until you can see it for what it is: an attitude that's completely within your power to change.
Merely being alone ... Views: 1230
The holiday season steriotypically has always been portrayed as a time of fun, joy and warmth with family, friends and colleagues. But it can also be a time of pain and high expectations. And the inevitable disappointments that follow those expectations are often to blame for holiday stress, ... Views: 1322
Most couples can name several ways in which they’re opposites: neatness versus sloppiness; extroversion versus introversion; being high-strung versus laid-back preferring city versus country living, etc. And I'm sure you have something in mind that's specific to you. It’s true that quite often ... Views: 1632
If your relationship were afire, is it still burning strongly? Flickering? Smoldering? Does it need kindling? A log? Or has the last spark of it burned out to the point where it's even too late for more oxygen? After all, your relationship at one time had to be on fire in order for it to burn ... Views: 1730
One of the best ways to think of a relationship on the rocks is to reflect on your expectations for your relationship. What are they? What is it that you really want from your partner? What could your partner do now that would — from your point of view — make the relationship work again? Make a ... Views: 1772
The title of a great and popular old Off-Broadway play captures one of the most common sentiments I've seen when working with distressed couples: I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.
If you have discovered that for some reason you and your partner are no longer growing together as a couple, ... Views: 1679
For some couples, the decision to have children is something that was discussed long before marriage---in some cases; I am told, on the first or second date ! But for many couples, deciding whether or not to have children can be one of their most daunting issues. With couples getting married ... Views: 1449
Practically everyone whose been in a serious romantic relationship with all of the deliciously intense and passionate feelings that go with it, have at one time or another experienced jealousy, which is really the fear that ---to some degree--- your partner is not being exclusive to you either ... Views: 1481
Stress protects you when you're in danger, helps you rise to challenges, and sharpens your concentration when it's time to focus. Does this sound like you when you're stressed out? For many, the answer is no! When working the way it's meant to, stress can be very productive. But when stress is ... Views: 1296
An unfortunate reality of difficult economic times is that layoffs and cutbacks become business as usual. And economic crisis or unemployment can throw even the best functioning families into emotional turmoil as nothing before it has.
With the current unemployment rate at 7.4% ... Views: 1128
Can you relate to the following scenario? You once approached your work in a dedicated, passionate and enthusiastic way. You were eager and excited about your responsibilities. While you were aware that there are built in frustrations in your work with coworkers, clientele, or the system ... Views: 1441
The term “helicopter parent” is a relatively new one in our culture, but the practice is quite prevalent. When a child leaves home (for college, for instance, or even overnight camp) the helicopter parent does exactly what the term implies --hovers. Helicopter parents usually have the best ... Views: 1425
If you’ve recently experienced a relationship breakup, regret is one of the many emotions you might be experiencing. But regret is usually just a form of temporary and needless pain. Here are a few perspectives to make the end of your relationship an exciting and bright start to a new ... Views: 1807
Many times throughout the years, I have observed anecdotally that people have a higher risk of mortality shortly after retirement. And there’s even some empirical evidence of this. For example, in a study of past employees of Shell Oil, the mortality rate was significantly higher for subjects ... Views: 1444
No one is perfect. And we all have numerous characteristics that comprise our personalities and abilities. But for some, that nagging voice in your head that points out your flaws might be drowning out your ability to truly reflect on and appreciate all you have to offer. The first step ... Views: 1307
I recently read an editorial in Philadelphia Magazine about parents demanding too little from their children. The author opined “we have caved in to the foolish idea that being a good parent means being nice to our children, and making their youths as pleasant and free of stress as possible. ... Views: 1645
From the day of your engagement until your walk down the aisle there’s a lot to celebrate as you plan your wedding. There may be an engagement party, bridal shower, or bachelorette party. Maybe you make an event out of buying the perfect dress or choosing the perfect outfit for your engagement ... Views: 1711
When it comes to adult children who have “failed to launch”-- either returned home after being away to college, an attempt to leave the nest to live on their own or who have never moved out to begin with—there is generally a variation of one or both of these two scenarios: For some of these ... Views: 1665
“Success” is a very elusive word, simply because it means many different things to different people. Believe it or not, I’ve met some of the most successful and high achievers you could imagine in my psychology practice who actually consider themselves “failures” because they’ve set certain - ... Views: 1039
Whether you are in a long-term relationship or you're looking for one, you've probably noticed something rather obvious: that not all of us are looking for the exact same things in a love relationship. Most of us have unique priorities when it comes to what we value most in this as well as every ... Views: 924
If you are dating or new to the singles scene and thinking about dating, let me ask you this: What are your goals? Are you looking for a life partner? Companionship? A fun sexual relationship? Close your eyes and take a moment to focus on this. When an answer comes to you, read on.
If you've ... Views: 1110
Wouldn't it be nice if you could always approach big decisions head on, and feel little or no regret, regardless of the outcome? As Yogi Berra famously said; "when you approach a fork in the road, take it". But seriously, why are decisions often such a source of conflict? Usually, there are ... Views: 2399
We, as humans, are creatures of habit. But while patterns and rituals are typically helpful in maximizing brain space, certain patterns in our relationships don't usually serve us. For example, finding yourself in the "same relationship" over and over again can feel like deja vu- and not in a ... Views: 1585
Business leaders and manager at all levels usually agree on one thing: It’s a constant challenge to keep others in the work environment motivated and productive. This is especially true given the reality that what drives one person, can be quite different than what drives another. Thus, to be ... Views: 1059
If only you were less stressed, had more free time, felt better in general or with respect to a certain life area—what changes would now you make in your life? In my practice as a psychologist, I frequently hear people talking about waiting until they feel better, for example, to do something ... Views: 1489
It’s now been a few weeks since you set your goals for yourself for the upcoming year. Maybe you wanted to get in shape or eat healthier. Maybe you intended to manage some aspect of your finances better or start the process (resumes, networking, etc.) toward your next career move. If you’ve ... Views: 1562
Do you find that at times your emotions get the best of you? What do you usually do when you feel that you’re on the brink of a “meltdown”? Maybe you turn to someone else to console you or maybe you self medicate with drugs, alcohol or something less obvious like overwork. Perhaps at some point, ... Views: 1757
According to Forbes in 2012 only 50% of adults reported being satisfied with their jobs. Job dissatisfaction can greatly increase levels of anxiety, depression and stress. If this speaks to you, there are a variety of reasons why you may be dissatisfied with your job— ranging from disappointment ... Views: 1628
Feeling a little down from time to time is a normal phenomenon that most of us experience. However, when feelings of sadness, despair, or emptiness linger to the point where they are interfering with your ability to function optimally in your daily life, you may be suffering from depression. ... Views: 1257
Every milestone in your life comes with meeting new people. As you get older, it can be harder to make and maintain friendships than it was when you were a kid. As a child, you were probably surrounded by peers at school day after day. Perhaps you were involved in activities where you could ... Views: 2759
Do you sometimes find yourself thinking more about past and/or future things than what you're doing in the present? If so, you might be missing much of the beauty the life has to offer. Perhaps, you're not performing daily tasks to the best of your ability or it might be that you're very ... Views: 1335
Once you have acquired much of what you’ve ever wanted and achieved the main things you’ve set out to do, what’s next? How can you continue to grow and achieve even greater happiness in your life? You may have already attained personal success, but as most high achievers would tell you, even the ... Views: 1237
Meditation is a great tool to combat stress and help you feel happier and more at ease. But many people don’t know how to start to incorporate meditation into their busy lives. Meditation can make coping with daily stressors easier and give you the often much needed power to “let go” of ... Views: 1008
No two people can agree on everything, but disagreements or arguments in your relationship don’t have to end with one or both of you angry or in tears. Here are some suggestions to make the bumps in your relationship a little less difficult and more satisfying.
Create a code word -Very rarely ... Views: 1169
Whether your anger stems from road rage, your relationship, your job, or anything else in your life, the underlying cause might be the same. It’s easy to blame the driver who cut you off, your partner, or your boss for “making you feel angry”, but it’s your expectations that are probably the ... Views: 1246
Career change becomes a natural choice for many at some point in life, but it's an entirely different situation when you're forced to make a change, while the U.S. jobless rate is hovering at over 8 percent and you're part of that statistic.
Instead of being desperate to take any job that ... Views: 2549