Happy & Healthy U: The Monthly Message

Self-Compassion The month of February is over.  However, its theme of love is worthy of celebrating year round.  Healthy love begins with the self and then extends to others. Let's embrace attitudes  and treatment toward ourselves in a compassionate way that is consistent with loving ourselves in a healthy way.    Research demonstrates that healthy self-compassion is correlated with improved psychological well-being, lower depression, decreased anxiety, and increased happiness and greater life satisfaction. The psychological term, self-compassion is defined as unconditional love and self-acceptance. Here is what it looks like in practice: Being kind toward oneself   vs.   Being harsh and punitive toward oneself Example: Allowing oneself opportunities to relax and have fun  Versus  Berating oneself for taking a break or focusing on what one "should" be doing, instead  Being caring and empathetic vs.  Seeing on...

 Feeling Good Leads to Well Being Neuroscience has provided consistent evidence that a relaxed brain is the most efficient brain. A relaxed brain, therefore, enables us to mentally function at our best. For instance, some studies demonstrate that relaxation is related to improved learning and memory. Likewise, studies show that relaxing and reducing stress promotes physical and emotional well being and feeling good in both dimensions. Here is a short list of general ways to achieve a relaxed state and a reduction in stress. Following the list are links to websites, that provide greater descriptions and the "how to" of practicing such preventive and health promoting behaviors. 1. Get good quality sleep 2. Practice deep breathing 3. Meditate 4. Exercise at a moderate level 5. Take tech breaks (from all devices and in particular, social media) 6. Do something fun 7. Laugh and experience humor 8. Connect with others in socially pleasant ways 9. Practice a hobby eng...

Being Happy and Healthy in 2019 Practicing Positivity by Being Optimistic Winston Churchill was quoted with the following statement: "Pessimists see the difficulty in every opportunity; optimists see the opportunity in every difficulty".  The science surrounding Positive Psychology has provided research based evidence that persons, who tend to be optimistic or focus on thinking in positive ways enjoy both physiological and emotional benefits.  Being happy bodes for a longer and healthier life. It is important to note that a sense of happiness is not a brief state of elation or a sporadic burst of positive emotions. It is best defined as a sense of satisfaction, fulfillment and social connection. We can enhance and sustain our happiness by practicing the following: Being grateful and thoughtfully acknowledging those things we appreciate in our lives Being curious and taking reasonable risks to expand ourselves, grow and have new experiences Seeing ourselves as c...

Being Patient Is Not Being Passive: The Power in Being Patient Many times, we struggle with being patient, particularly when we are waiting for something we want or desire to happen.   In that struggle, we often perceive ourselves to be powerless and dependent on the external entity to grant that thing, we are awaiting.   This sometimes generates anxiety and other forms of emotional distress (i.e. frustration, irritation, doubt, insecurity, etc.) that can lead to impatience.   In our impatience, we may act impulsively. Such behaviors typically do not result in our getting what we desire. Acting, primarily from a place of impatience, may result in even more undesired and disastrous effects. I propose that we find some healthy guidelines for managing our minds and emotions around being patient. Let's consider healthy attitudes around being patient, so that it can work for us and enhance our well-being. Take the expression, “exercising patience” seriously....

Nurturing Our Being Human Enhances Our Wellbeing Often we treat ourselves as though we are objects or machines. A good example of this is the over emphasis in American society on producing outcomes that are tangible or material in nature. Our tendency to over value what is is we do in this sense, as opposed to focusing on nurturing our well being. Taking care of our well being is the key to enjoying benefits that promote wellness, happiness and a positive sense of self. When we direct our energy and engage in practices that address our needs from the inside out (as opposed to ), we are more likely to experience the following states that research shows are most likely associated with being successful. Feeling a sense of value and priority Feeling energized Feeling relaxed Feeling self-confident Feeling motivated Feeling empowered Feeling a sense of clarity Feeling a sense of purpose Feeling a sense of passion Feeling accomplished Feeling connected to others This is the...

Taking good care of ourselves is our responsibility and our right. This includes our emotional well-being and ability to feel good and effectively manage our emotions. We surrender our power by allowing others to control, mistreat, manipulate or take advantage of us.  Therefore, it is important to value our well-being and exercise our ability to treat ourselves well. When we nurture ourselves, make ourselves a priority and enable ourselves to enjoy life, it energizes us and promotes our happiness.  This process creates a reservoir of abundance, from which we can give to others with a healthy spirit of generosity that does not leave us depleted.  Treating ourselves well also sends a positive message to others and sets a healthy standard and expectation about the treatment we will accept from others. Here are ways to treat yourself well : Nurture your spirituality and your sense of purpose, mission and calling Celebrate yourself and appreciate being alive Focus on w...

What TAG are You Wearing?   What Does Your TAG Reflect About You? A TAG is typically thought of as a label, which identifies, describes or provides information about the object, to which it is attached.  The term, "TAG", as it applies to a person's career life, specifically refers to one's talents, abilities and gifts. Talents:   One’s natural or intrinsic strengths; those things that come easy to a person.   Typically, talents become apparent when persons are encouraged to express them and provided with the opportunity to develop them. Example: A parent might notice that their young child is especially good at drawing and reinforces the expression of that talent with positive praise and feedback. What are your talents?    Reflect on your talents by assessing your accomplishments and successes Recognize what it is that you find particularly of interest and easy to do Explore your talents by exposing yourself to different experiences...