Self Improvement Site
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
Positive Psychology Articles
We are currently looking for an Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to "Positive Psychology". If you have expertise in Positive Psychology and your own website and/or product for this topic, please review this form for complete details. The Official Guide Position is part of our Premium Placement Package
- Cultivating Good Sleep Hygiene - by Submitted on Sep 17, 2018 from Pax TandonGet rid of any electronics or devices in the bedroom. It’s meant for two things: sleeping and sexing (I said sexing, not sexting). When you allow too much of the outside world into the bedroom, distractions infiltrate the sacred space meant solely for rest, relaxation, and procreation. Shut ...
Views: 35 - Be The Body. - by Submitted on Sep 17, 2018 from Rick HansonAs a kid, I was really out of touch with my body. I hardly noticed it most of the time, and when I did, I prodded it like a mule to do a better job of hauling "me" - the head - around. This approach helped me soldier through some tough times. But there were costs. Many pleasures were numbed, ...
Views: 20 - Getting Help: 3 Ways Therapy Can Keep You out of Trouble - by Submitted on Sep 11, 2018 from Brooke ChaplanWhen you break a bone or become ill, most people wouldn’t think twice about going to see a doctor. When it comes to trauma or other mental health issues, however, there seems to still be a great deal of shame that surrounds the idea of seeking out the help of a counselor, therapist or other ...
Views: 46 - Back to Basics. - by Submitted on Sep 10, 2018 from Rick HansonIn middle school, I thought it would be cool to play a musical instrument and picked the clarinet. My wise parents rented one rather than buying it, and I started practicing. (In the garage because it sounded pretty screechy.) After a week or two of doing scales, I got bored and picked my way ...
Views: 37 - Caught in a Thought - by Submitted on Sep 06, 2018 from Sheryl PaulA coaching client recently shared the following (shared here with her permission): A few weeks ago, I found myself obsessively thinking about a situation with a friend of mine – someone to whom I’ve given my power for many years. I was completely caught by this theme and I couldn’t get out ...
Views: 56 - Know You're a Good Person. - by Submitted on Sep 04, 2018 from Rick HansonFor many of us, perhaps the hardest thing of all is to believe that "I am a good person." We can climb mountains, work hard, acquire many skills, act ethically - but truly feel that one is good deep down? Nah! We end up not feeling like a good person in a number of ways. For example, I once ...
Views: 59 - Whose Feelings Are You Responsible For - Yours or Others? - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2018 from Margaret PaulDo you believe you are responsible for causing others' anger, hurt, sadness or anxiety? Is this causing you to feel guilty? "My wife is so upset that I have to travel more on my new job," Chuck told me in our phone counseling session. "She feels so alone and lost when I'm gone. When I talk ...
Views: 124 - Feed The Wolf Of Love. - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2018 from Rick HansonI once heard a Native American teaching story in which an elder, a grandmother, was asked what she had done to become so happy, so wise, so loved and respected. She replied: "It's because I know that there are two wolves in my heart, a wolf of love and a wolf of hate. And I know that everything ...
Views: 58 - Seven reasons to stop being a doormat! - by Submitted on Aug 21, 2018 from Lynda HudsonPeople may be taking advantage of your good nature But perhaps you are letting them do it! Maybe you are too ready to say ‘yes’ when people ask you to do something even when it isn’t what you want. Or even when it is really inconvenient. You may begin to feel very resentful after a ...
Views: 117 - Drop Tart Tone. - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2018 from Rick HansonTone matters. I remember times I felt frazzled or aggravated and then said something with an edge to it that just wasn't necessary or useful. Sometimes it was the words themselves: such as absolutes like "never" or always," or over-the-top phrases like "you're such a flake" or "that was ...
Views: 67 - Lower The Pressure. - by Submitted on Aug 13, 2018 from Rick HansonThings come at us with so much urgency and demand these days. Phones ring, texts buzz, emails pile up, new balls have to be juggled, work days lengthen and move into evenings and weekends, traffic gets denser, financial demands feel like a knife at the neck, ads and news clamor for attention, ...
Views: 70 - See Beings, Not Bodies. - by Submitted on Aug 06, 2018 from Rick HansonWhen we encounter someone, usually the mind automatically slots the person into a category: man, woman, your friend Tom, the kid next door, etc. Watch this happen in your own mind as you meet or talk with a co-worker, salesclerk, or family member. In effect, the mind summarizes and simplifies ...
Views: 87 - Step Into The Cloud. - by Submitted on Jul 30, 2018 from Rick HansonI had a lightbulb moment recently: I was feeling stressed about all the stuff I had to do (you probably know the feeling). After this went on for a while, I stepped back and kind of watched my mind, and could see that I was thinking of these various tasks as things, like big rocks that were ...
Views: 100 - Positive Health Effects of Having a Garden - by Submitted on Jul 26, 2018 from Ronald WolfThere is no greater way to combine a complete body workout, get mental tranquility and produce nutritional products for your dinner table than to do gardening. By having your little private green heaven, you will not only reap what you've sowed but also you will have a chance to blend in with ...
Views: 106 - Love The World. - by Submitted on Jul 23, 2018 from Rick HansonYour brain evolved in three stages (to simplify a complex process): Reptile - Brainstem, focused on AVOIDING harm Mammal - Limbic system, focused on APPROACHING rewards Primate - Cortex, focused on ATTACHING to "us" With a fun use (to me, at least) of animal themes, the first JOT ...
Views: 111 - Hug The Monkey. - by Submitted on Jul 16, 2018 from Rick HansonTo simplify a complex process spanning 600 million years, your brain developed in ways that are loosely related to three major stages of vertebrate evolution: Reptile - Brainstem, focused on avoiding harms Mammal - Subcortex, focused on approaching rewards Primate/human – Neocortex, ...
Views: 134 - Feed the Mouse. - by Submitted on Jul 09, 2018 from Rick HansonGot cheese? The Practice: Feed the mouse. Why? As the nervous system evolved, your brain developed in three stages: Reptile - Brainstem, focused on avoiding harm Mammal - Subcortex, focused on approaching rewards Primate/human – Neocortex, focused on attaching to ...
Views: 137 - 3 Tips for Better Connections - by Submitted on Jul 02, 2018 from Daydree HornerRelationships are built on many things, one of which is communication. Love is the easy part, as my mom would say. It’s easy to fall in love. But how do we stay in love? How do we remain happy together? And, how do we handle the bumps of life and yet, continue on the road? Staying connected can ...
Views: 183 - Pet the Lizard. - by Submitted on Jul 02, 2018 from Rick HansonI've always liked lizards. Growing up in the outskirts of Los Angeles, I played in the foothills near our home. Sometimes I'd catch a lizard and stroke its belly, so it would relax in my hands, seeming to feel at ease. In my early 20's, I found a lizard one chilly morning in the mountains. ...
Views: 150 - 3 Ways to Make Check-Ups Easier on Your Pets and Vets - by Submitted on Jun 27, 2018 from Brooke ChaplanTaking your pet for a veterinarian checkup should not result in all-out war between you and your pet, or the pet and vet. A routine exam or vaccination visit should go smoothly for everyone involved. However, if your pet balks at going to the vet, here are a few tips that may help. Schedule ...
Views: 644 - Empty the Cup - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2018 from Rick HansonOnce upon a time, a scholar came to visit a saint. After the scholar had been orating and propounding for a while, the saint proposed some tea. She slowly filled the scholar's cup: gradually the tea rose to the very brim and began spilling over onto the table, yet she kept pouring and pouring. ...
Views: 164 - Are you making this HUGE happiness mistake? - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2018 from Martha BodyfeltI thought my world had ended back in January. I had this job and career that made me comfortable and paid well. It was not necessarily a job that I loved, but it made me feel secure and gave me the validation that I thought I needed. Until I was laid off. I started to panic, because ...
Views: 163 - Remember The Big Things. - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2018 from Rick HansonIn every life, reminders arrive about what's really important. I’ve received some myself, as I’m sure you have, too. Perhaps it was news of a potentially serious health problem, the death of a loved one, or an accident that could have turned fatal. These are uncomfortably concrete message ...
Views: 143 - Backbone Power | Newsletter Sign Up - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2018 from Dr. Anne BrownSUBSCRIBE TO GET THE LATEST BLOG POSTS, NEWS, & MORE UPDATES FROM DR. ANNE BROWN. http://backbonepower.com/newsletter-signup Dr. Anne Brown, PhD, RN of Sausalito, California, formerly from Aspen, Colorado in her private practice has served as the trusted advocate and advisor to Influential ...
Views: 492(1 vote) - Making This Summer Your Best Summer - by Submitted on Jun 17, 2018 from Nicole ASummer has always been my favorite season. I grew up on the beach, and summer entailed long days in the ocean followed by long evenings on my bike. To me, summer is synonymous with both a sense of freedom and a sense of hope and possibility. Always another adventure, another barbecue, another ...
Views: 211 - HOW TO DEAL WITH THOUGHTS LEADING TO NOUGHT - by Submitted on Jun 13, 2018 from Dean FraserOccasionally we all get those moments when we feel a little sorry for ourselves or that the world is not always quite so fair. Happens to all of us, certainly has done to me and I am sure it is the same for you as well. Having the odd moments of Thoughts Leading to Nought are part and parcel of ...
Views: 178 - Rest. - by Submitted on Jun 12, 2018 from Rick HansonThis practice is definitely a case of teaching what you need to learn: I've been working through a big bucket of tasks lately with little chance to rest. (I console myself with knowing that the bucket is emptying a lot faster than it's filling with new tasks.) Sometimes you can really feel ...
Views: 137 - Relax, You’ve Arrived - by Submitted on Jun 04, 2018 from Rick HansonWe spend so much of our time trying to get somewhere. Part of this comes from our biological nature. To survive, animals – including us – have to be goal-directed, leaning into the future. It’s certainly healthy to pursue wholesome aims, like paying the rent on time, raising children well, ...
Views: 150 - Why Are We Obsessed With Perfectionism? - by Submitted on May 31, 2018 from Irving SchattnerMerriam-Webster dictionary defines perfectionism as “the setting of unrealistically demanding goals accompanied by a disposition to regard failure to achieve them as unacceptable and a sign of personal worthlessness. You may want to ask yourself if your goals are so unreachable as to cause ...
Views: 170 - Are you over programmed in life? - by Submitted on May 30, 2018 from Joan Marie WhelanAre you one of those people who have made so many commitments that you are having a hard time keeping them? You have compromised your health and sacrificed your family life because you had a strong need to help others. You are a leader in your community, but you fail your family. So how do ...
Views: 212 - See Your Part. - by Submitted on May 28, 2018 from Rick HansonIn situations or relationships with any kind of difficulty - tension, feeling hurt, conflicts, mismatches of wants . . . the usual crud - it's natural to focus on what others have done that's problematic. This could be useful for a while: it can energize you, bring insight into what the real ...
Views: 141 - Four Ways to Change Your Current Perspective to a Happier, More Enlightened Outlook - by Submitted on May 26, 2018 from Courtney MyersWe all have days where we wished we would have stayed in bed. For some, all it takes is a little dreary weather, and the blues start cropping up. Or, maybe a series of small incidents and setbacks during your morning routine has thrown your entire day off balance. Either way, once you’re stuck ...
Views: 199 - Drop the Case - by Submitted on May 22, 2018 from Rick HansonLately I've been thinking about a kind of "case" that's been running in my mind about someone in my extended family. The case is a combination of feeling hurt and mistreated, critique of the other person, irritation with others who haven't supported me, views about what should happen that ...
Views: 136 - If Worrying Were a Currency, You'd All Be Rich! - by Submitted on May 20, 2018 from Rossana SneeYou all do it! Worry, that is. You all entertain those thoughts, images, or emotions, usually negative in nature, about some potential catastrophe that might happen (although it rarely ever does). You actually think that by “worrying” you might prevent whatever it is from happening. Guess what? ...
Views: 231 - Early Stages Of Schizophrenia Can Be Treated With These Nutrients - by Submitted on May 18, 2018 from Taryn DeCiccoThis article was originally posted at http://www.apple-a-day-clinic.com/Health_and_Nutrition_Blog?m8:post=early-stages-of-schizophrenia-can-be-treated-with-these-nutrients Two million Americans suffer from schizophrenia, a progressive mental illness that is characterized by disabling ...
Views: 249 - How Your Feelings Affect Mental Health - by Submitted on May 18, 2018 from Irving SchattnerYour emotional health plays a large role in your ability to deal with life problems and stress. You can establish good emotional health by first identifying what it is you are feeling. This may sound like a no-brainer, but many people have difficulty honing in on exactly what they are feeling ...
Views: 220(1 vote) - Is It Worth It? - by Submitted on May 14, 2018 from Rick HansonLife is full of tradeoffs between benefits and costs. Sometimes, the benefits are worth the costs. For example, the rewards of going for a run - getting out in fresh air, improving health, etc. - are, for me at least, worth the costs of losing half an hour of work time while gaining a pair of ...
Views: 189 - 5 Ways To Boost Your Self-esteem. - by Submitted on May 08, 2018 from Christiana StarA sense of self-worth, self-respect and confidence that you can handle what life presents to you are all features of self-esteem. But appreciating and liking yourself is not always easy, especially if your sense of self was seriously undermined in your youth, toxic relationships, negative ...
Views: 250 - Receive Faces. - by Submitted on May 07, 2018 from Rick HansonAs our ancestors evolved over millions of years in small bands, continually interacting and working with each other, it was vitally important to communicate in hundreds of ways each day. They shared information about external "carrots" and "sticks," and about their internal experience (e.g., ...
Views: 154 - After You Get Everything You Want, What Else Is There Left to Want? - by Submitted on May 05, 2018 from Rossana SneeHave you ever wanted something so badly that your days and nights were spent dreaming about it? No matter what you were doing, your thoughts would eventually travel back to that “thing” you coveted. Then the day would finally come—the Day of Acquisition. You felt beyond excited. There were no ...
Views: 253 - Hold Wants Lightly. - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2018 from Rick HansonGetting caught up in wanting - wanting both to get what's pleasant and to avoid what's unpleasant - is a major source of suffering and harm for oneself and others. First, a lot of what we want to get comes with a big price tag - such as that second cupcake, constant stimulation via TV and ...
Views: 164 - Children Anxiety Disorder Symptoms - by Submitted on Apr 23, 2018 from Homer LATHAMChildren and adults alike experience feelings of nervousness, fear, or worry from time to time; these feelings are part of a normal response to a stressful situation, but when they occur to such an extent that they interfere with normal life, children anxiety disorder could be the underlying ...
Views: 273 - Embrace Fragility - by Submitted on Apr 23, 2018 from Rick HansonThe truth of anything is like a mosaic with many tiles, many parts. One part of the truth of things is that they are robust and enduring, whether it's El Capitan in Yosemite or the love of a child for her mother and father. Another part of the truth is that things bruise, tear, erode, ...
Views: 184 - It Takes Courage to Put Ourselves Out There - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2018 from Mike RobbinsIn the past few weeks I’ve been thinking a lot about the courage it takes to step out, take risks, and put ourselves out there. Even though I know how important this is for growth, in business, and for life – I still find it tricky, scary, and challenging at times. I also realize it’s one thing ...
Views: 350 - 5 Myths That Surround Autism and Its Issues - Busted! - by Submitted on Apr 12, 2018 from Ron SpencerIn simple words, autism is defined as the mental condition where a person from his/her childhood faces problems with social interactions and has impaired communications. They do not behave or react to situations normally where repetitive behaviour, the inability to understand body language and ...
Views: 259 - See Progress. - by Submitted on Apr 09, 2018 from Rick HansonThere are always things that are getting worse. For example, over the past year, you probably know someone who has become unemployed or ill or both, and there's more carbon in the atmosphere inexorably heating up the planet. But if you don't recognize what's improving in your own life, then ...
Views: 236 - Trust In Love - by Submitted on Apr 04, 2018 from Rick HansonTake a breath right now, and notice how abundant the air is, full of life-giving oxygen offered freely by trees and other green growing things. You can't see air, but it's always available for you. Love is a lot like the air. It may be hard to see - but it's in you and all around you. In ...
Views: 225 - The Body Keeps The Score - by Submitted on Mar 27, 2018 from Irving SchattnerThe body is a magnificent creation. It lets us know when we’re feeling well, and when things are off kilter. If we take good care of it, most likely it will take good care of us. If we abuse or ignore what it is telling us, we fail to recognize the message(s) it is trying to ...
Views: 259(1 vote) - 5 Healthy Relationship Boundaries To Establish Now - by Submitted on Mar 27, 2018 from Susan BakerCreating and maintaining boundaries is important to for building healthy relationships and developing your own confidence and self-worth. There are lots of personal boundaries you might set, but here are a few that I think can help you right away — whether it’s with a friend or your significant ...
Views: 363 - Do You Accept The Gift? - by Submitted on Mar 26, 2018 from Rick HansonLife gives to each one of us in so many ways. For starters, there’s the bounty of the senses – including chocolate chip cookies, jasmine, sunsets, wind singing through pine trees, and just getting your back scratched. What does life give you? Consider the kindness of friends and family, ...
Views: 249