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Browse published articles attributed to Debbie Mandel, with full-archive search.
When someone is mildly depressed, the first remedy that comes to mind: Exercise. In just a few minutes exercise burns off stress hormones and raises endorphin levels (the happiness hormone); now that’s a quick fix. This makes the depressed person feel better, more uplifted ...
Intellectually, we know that everyday is a good day. We are well acquainted with the proverbs: the glass is half full instead of half empty and it could always be worse. However, emotionally many of us just don’t feel that way. According to the gardening calendar June is the ...
We all enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded people who share similar characteristics and interests. We understand that in every life situation cliques form based on race, religion, economic class, work and children. In every imaginable situation likes and dislikes, alliances and exclusions form. ...
Just the word, mother-in-law, fills the heart with trepidation and self-doubt. This woman has assumed mythic proportions wielding criticism, guilt and coldness. When she visits, you feel like the inspector general has marched into your home. When she interacts with the children, she is ...
In the Northeast we have had some significant snow storms in early December forcing us to shovel and stay home. Our initial reaction was, “How beautiful and pure.” Then the next day when driving and walking became difficult, we began complaining, “Who needs snow!” By ...
The school year presents an opportunity for a fresh start, getting together with old and new friends, new accomplishments and exciting activities - a measure of growth. A new vibration can be felt in the air. Instead, in many households anxiety, stress and even sadness reign. Parents need to ...
We all dream about daily conce s, fears, desires and occurrences in the form of a jigsaw puzzle, or a surrealistic movie. Sometimes we recall our dreams vividly and in great detail and other times, they drift away from memory like ephemeral clouds. There are many dream encyclopedias listing ...
The common wisdom is that for a diet to succeed it has to have sex appeal. That means the air-brushed after-pictures have to show scantily clad, starry-eyed, smiling participants or the diet has to be associated with a celebrity or a beautiful, trendy locale like South Beach. Some diets feature ...
We fill our lives with dramas that rival the Greek Tragedies. We play the lead actors reliving the stressful scenes, keeping the conflict alive and ever present. Anger begins to dominate our thinking. However, who are we really angry at? When someone like a boss, a lover, a friend, or a family ...
Emotional and physical well being depend on the metaphysical balance between giving and receiving. Both the Jewish mystical work, the Kabbalah, and the Dali Lama’s Book of Transformations assert the same principle: Each one of us needs to establish a balance between giving and receiving. Easier ...
n ‘Tis the season to be jolly; however, many of us are mildly depressed, especially about ambiguous relationships. For example, “If he doesn’t give me a ring for Christmas, we are so over,” “I buy him a thoughtful expensive present and he gives me a ...
Recently, many articles have explored the painful relationship between bullies and their victims. Often rooted in childhood, the consequences are far-reaching and almost never ending for victim and bully. Patterns endure and ultimately define both adult ...
Every year around December we all start thinking about the New Year’s Resolutions we will be making on January 1st. At the top of the list are dieting, exercising, quitting smoking and organizing. Then we also remember the resolutions we didn’t keep: Dieting, exercising, quitting smoking and ...
A team of researchers has discovered that severe emotional distress, as experienced by those who divorce, lose a job, or care for an ill child or parent, accelerates the aging process up to a whole decade. The investigation was able to accurately quantify the aging process by ...
We all know how it feels to be stuck in a bad mood. Sometimes there is a biological component to our bad mood, hormonally driven, lack of sleep, poor eating habits or too many stimulants. Some moods emanate from home, an angry argument. And others seem to have no specific trigger, out of nowhere ...
It’s hard enough raising children, guiding and gently nudging them into careers and social relationships, but little did we know that our aging parents would pose the greater challenge. When our parents need help, but refuse it; when they have endless demands, but we never do enough; when they ...
Remember when you woke up filled with enthusiasm, eager to begin your day, savoring each vibrant moment? How long has it been since you felt vital in that way? If a photo were taken of you at this moment, would you smile for the camera or look nervous and serious, uncomfortable that the picture ...
Recently I was interviewed by the NY Post and National Public Radio about the latest hot national trend - finding true love at Home Depot. Men and women are meeting at Home Depot or other home improvement centers and ultimately marrying – a few couples have even held wedding ...
When adversity strikes, we are ready to listen to anyone who can help alleviate our pain and grief. And in fact, good advice can come to us from any source, even the most casual encounter with a stranger. There is a Zen saying walk around with our cup half full because then we leave room to ...
The new popular ABC comedy-drama with a hint of the Twilight Zone, Desperate Housewives, takes the viewer on a weekly tour of an affluent neighborhood inhabited by women living lives of quiet desperation, and their men don’t look too happy either! Its popularity can mean ...
Although the weather is hot and steamy, it is almost back to school and in many locales, classes are already in session. Just the thought of lunch preparation, after-school enrichment activities, homework supervision and report cards make us get a sinking feeling in the pit of our stomachs. Not ...
Do you get annoyed when he teases you about being clumsy or talking too much? Do you wonder if you married one of the Three Stooges when he tells a rehearsed joke with crass body language? Do both of you sit at the kitchen table slinging sarcastic remarks at each other? It’s time to ...
Are you feeling tired, the kind of tired where nothing really matters anymore? Have your energy levels dipped to the point that you feel like you are dragging around a leg iron? It’s time to relax and be patient. Save your energy the way water does when it cannot go over an obstacle. Water ...
Many of us are a bit wistful during the Thanksgiving holiday. Perhaps, it is because we are bullied into feeling grateful and happy. Perhaps, some of us feel alone and do not quite fit into the picture-perfect mold consisting of cherubic children and warm, loving family members seated around a ...
Everyday I receive at least five artistically photographed catalogues urging me to buy jewelry, evening wear, winter apparel, gadgets, cookware and foods. I get advanced sale coupons from department stores flattering me as a “preferred customer.” Commercials on TV and radio have ramped up the ...
Falling in love has been described as a thrilling adventure, a fluttering emotion and the ultimate life force. That’s why I wonder why the term, “falling in love,” is used to describe such a positive love relationship. It implies tripping, getting hurt, not ...
How do you achieve happiness, the kind that lasts all day? Robert Frost wrote, “Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.” While this is a beautiful aphorism depicting the spirit of the human condition, there are many concrete strategies to assist you in making happiness go the ...
To optimize your love relationship whether you are dating or have been married for years, you need some beneath–the-surface clues to decode his personality to communicate more effectively and get the best results. Saying it clearly is only part of the process. Fine tuning your words regarding ...
Yes, by now we have all sighed, “Life isn’t fair;” those annoyingly cheerful people in our midst lucky enough to be hardwired for happiness genetically. No matter what problems land on their doorstep, they resiliently return to their happiness set point to flow with life’s currents. How ...
It’s a New Year, a fresh beginning. The resolutions are as grand as our imagination with a drink in hand: Lose an exorbitant amount of weight, exercise daily like professional athletes, climb the highest rung on the ladder at work, do volunteer work and community service, get more involved in ...
A little stress in your life is actually good for you. It wakes up your creativity, fuels your vitality and keeps your immune system vigilant. The qualifying word is little. When you find yourself rushing from activity to activity and no personal time for yourself, it’s not the exte al world ...