What is happiness? The dictionary says it’s “A state of well-being and contentment.” That’s a good start, but how can you know if you’re happy? What does happiness look like? Although happiness is in the mind of the “beholder,” you’re probably happy when the following things are true about your life: Happiness is more than…
An animal can be a good source of comfort and a much-needed physical presence during distressing times. They promote emotional stability by providing companionship and helping remove the focus from everyday challenges. An emotional support animal can be a dog, cat, or even, as shown on Eyewitness News, a pig if it comforts its owner….
What good parent doesn’t want their kids to be happy and successful? But how do we do that, exactly? We compliment and affirm, support them, tell them to chase their dreams, and teach them to live for something bigger than themselves. What else can we do? According to experts, we should teach them how to be…
Does modern life’s fast pace and complexity ever feel like too much? Do you ever wish things would slow down long enough for you to jump off the hamster wheel and rest a minute? Maybe it’s time to simplify your life. Maybe it’s time to say, “Enough!” and regain control. Maybe…it’s time to realize that…
There’s no way of sugar-coating it. To unlock your best life – to be successful and happy – you must learn how to eliminate self-destructive behaviors and replace them with healthy ones. Shame Shame can make eliminating self-destructive behaviors challenging. It’s easy to sink into shame when we mess up. Instead of realizing that we…
We need mental toughness today now more than ever, not just to survive but to flourish. Self-monitoring is a kind of self-awareness that develops mental toughness and resilience. What is mental toughness? According to Mental Toughness Inc., “Mental toughness is the ability to resist, manage and overcome doubts, worries, concerns and circumstances that prevent you from…
Imagine being fully in charge of your life and reaching a level of personal freedom where you only have yourself to answer to. Imagine dreaming, setting, and achieving goals. Being independent and practicing personal autonomy is a dream that few people seem to achieve. But, personal autonomy is more than just focusing on you and…
It’s been said, “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.” Procrastinators have learned the habit of delaying something they must do until the last minute or until it’s past due. Sometimes it’s not a big deal and might even be helpful. But it can create anxiety and stress, harming…
Willpower is “the ability to control one’s own actions, emotions, or urges.” And self-control is “restraint exercised over one’s own impulses, emotions, or desires.” Imagine the kind of life you could unlock if you were that person. Well, you don’t have to imagine because here are ways to strengthen your powers of willpower and self-control. Willpower Strength…
Avoiding problems is a band-aid approach to handling life’s challenges that makes things worse. According to Christina Smith, LMHC, “Avoidance is a maladaptive coping skill that offers the mind an escape from uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and/or experiences. It may seem like avoiding discomfort could be helpful, however, it results in never addressing the actual issue….
