Positive Psychology Articles

Did you ever have so much to do that you didn’t know where to begin? So you just stared at what appeared to be a mountain before you, and you felt totally overwhelmed. Trying to take on too much at once can make you feel like you can’t handle any of it. It causes anxiety, distress and confusion. You lose your focus because your energies are scattered. And you feel pulled in every direction. Slowing down isn’t an option because then you would just get further behind and that would only cause more stress. What exactly is stress?

The majority of my clients resist mindfulness meditation at first, although the time commitment is small and the payoff is enormous. One insisted that it wasn’t necessary and that she didn’t have enough time in her day to devote to a regular practice. Then she went through the loss of a parent, and had such trouble coping that she couldn’t even drag herself out of bed. After missing work ten days straight, she called me for my advice. I told her to mindfully meditate while in bed. Terrified and bewildered, my client did and, in a few days, found that she could face going to work again.

Max Lerner says, "I am neither an optimist nor a pessimist. I am a possibilitist." If you agree with our learned friend Max Lerner then you can adopt a mindset that says “I can make it happen…or nothing is impossible”. We are well into 2005 now and often held back by our state of mind. Fear and anxiety keep us in a constant state of planning and preparation and what we need to do is engage the “forward” button and go with what we have.

Babies are always more trouble than you thought and more wonderful. ~Charles Osgood Expecting a baby is a very exciting time in the life of couples wanting a child. As this precious new family member is carried in its mothers womb, the couple immediately begins to connect and care and wonder.... What will he or she look like? Will she have moms eyes? Will he have dads sense of humor? They even think ahead into the future. What talents and interests will he have? What will she do with her gift of life? How will he contribute to this world?

“A List of Happiness” A list of happiness is things that would be listed of how thankful that you are about something or a list of things that make you happy. We take for granted sometimes the simple things in life such as life, health, and strength that allows us to function. We even forget about time, technology, and the mind that allows us to choose. I would encourage everyone to create their happy thoughts as an element of encouragement and being reminded about the benefits of creation.

Not all people believe this but the mental and emotional aspects of a person, when combined, can lead to better self improvement. Emotions can dominate our actions and reactions, even though we don't want it to happen at times. Society often see emotions as a sign of weakness, so people are used to hiding them and focusing on the rational aspects of life more. It doesn't matter how strict and logical you might be, you will always feel in one way or another that someone or som

n n Overcoming Adversity nIt seems there are two main types of coaching clients: Those who are defeated by nothing and those who give up at the first "bump in the road". The operative word is "bump", not "hill", not "mountain", not "mountain range" but "bump”.nnWhat does this mean? This refers to the type of person who chooses a goal and plans a way to accomplish it, but gives up at the first minor setback, disappointment or adversity. Perhaps the goal is to get physica

What does it take to live the life you desire? Definitely, having goals you are passionate about, focus, and self-discipline give you a good start. Also there are stages in life that are natural times for thinking about living the life you desire. Many of these times signal a transition which means some part of your life is ending and another part is beginning. Graduations are like that. It is a time of opportunity.

With our environment consciousness these days, we are all being careful to ensure we use energy wisely. But what about our personal energy? Just as we want to make sure the heat doesn't leak out the windows and doors of our houses, we need to have the same awareness of the energy leaks in ourselves. Here are some tips to make you a better ecologist of you own energy: 1) Write down your energy expenditures.

When you look up the word accept, you get many definitions because it can be used in various ways, which we all know. I recently met a very intelligent, inspiring, and motivated individual. I enjoyed meeting with her because she is such an amazing entrepreneur that she caught my attention. Even though we had much in common when it comes to being an entrepreneur, there was one thing we did not agree on. The word “accept.” We both interpreted “accept” in Identity’s tagline, Ac

Compliment yourselves, believe in yourselves, and give yourselves credit. You are wonderful people; each and every one of you has many talents. You have achieved much in your lives. You are dear people. All you have to do is acknowledge it, believe in it and cultivate it. I once heard a dear person say – “The perfect person for being myself – is me”. And so, the most perfect person for being you - is you”. It is a wonderful sentence.

1. Do at least one thing every day that makes you smile. Maybe it’s visiting the pet store, going to a matinee, reading poetry out loud, or listening to the wind chimes on a blustery day. If you have no clue about what makes you smile, put a basket in any high traffic area in your home. Whenever something happens that makes you smile, jot it down on a piece of paper and drop it in the basket. After a week or two, empty the basket and you’ll be surprised by the things

Hank Rearden from Atlas Shrugged, reflecting on the steps he took over the years to invent a new metal alloy: “After a while, he realized that he was thinking of his past, as if certain days of it were spread before him, demanding to be seen again. He did not want to look at them; he despised memories as a pointless indulgence. But then he understood that he thought of them tonight in honor of that piece of metal in his pocket. Then he permitted himself to look. He saw the

What does it mean to be mature? According to Merriam-Webster, mature is defined as having completed natural growth and development. That is, being fully grown, complete, ready. I do not believe that we arrive at a state of complete emotional maturity with no further need for growth and development. Rather, emotional maturity is a life-long process. We continually grow in our experience of love, acceptance, stability, adaption, and so forth.

To be demanding isn’t all bad, but there are many ways in which it can be unloving. It is one thing to be persistent in asking or requiring something, but excessively demanding one’s own way regardless of others’ rights or how they are treated indicates self-centeredness. Overly demanding people are not conce ed with what others want because they are mostly conce ed with themselves. And they can be very insensitive and uncaring when it comes to getting what they want. Demanding people are often forceful in trying to get their way.

Let’s talk about your mental health. Note your initial reaction to that suggestion. What do you expect when someone wants to talk about your mental health? In our society, people often expect to hear some kind of criticism. The little man or woman inside may be accusing me of thinking you are crazy. Pay attention—I want to talk about your mental health—your mental and emotional assets. I believe that discussions about anything “mental” in our society should begin wi

Everyone always talks about living a fulfilling life or achieving one at minimum. The term fulfilling can be difficult because to one person with small children that might be fulfilling, while another person may not feel fulfilled until they have a million in the bank. Different things are important to different people so it is difficult to place a blanket statement on what fulfills everyone, in fact it is impossible. Instead the focus of finding fulfillment must be guiding o

Byron Katie, a spiritual teacher of the wisest kind, has given us the gift of seeing how arguing with reality only exhausts and stresses us. And that when we give up our story, we can find the freedom and peace we long for. Here is what I have learned from 15 years in the personal development industry: Your attachment to your story is stronger than you think. Your attachment to your story is what keeps you in that place of “everything is fine”. Your attachment to your story

There are many stress management techniques and ways to manage stress. Before we get into that let's quickly discuss some causes of stress before we learn these stress management techniques Most of these are those little four letter words like: work, kids, (Though they are also very much a blessing, I realize how stressful raising them can sometimes be!) Debt, Cash and it's four letter counterpart LACK. getting sick or being in pain are also causes of stress. Loss can cover a

In relationships, we are always on the lookout for ways to please the other person. Nothing wrong with that, except when you constantly try to seek validation from others and act in a manner that is not the natural ‘you’ then the relationship suffers. Personal empowerment and a belief in your self-worth are essential aspects for the success of any relationship. If you are depending on your relationship to fill the voids in your life, then you are looking for trouble. It is a much better idea to empower yourself.

If someone were to throw a punch at you, you would likely try to defend yourself from getting hit. And if you were to feel the heat of a flaming fire, you would keep yourself far enough away to avoid getting burned. Self-preservation comes naturally as no one wants to experience pain and injury. So threats to our well-being motivate us to distance ourselves from anything with the potential to harm us. It is a necessary and reasonable response in many situations.

Most of us live in a perpetual state of doing, doing, doing: creating lists, striving, working hard, reaching for goals, running on empty. Cultivating the capacity for stillness in the midst of your busy day can yield enormous benefits. The ability to be still… can nourish and sustain the mind and body in ways that might seem hard to fathom. These moments are like micro-vacations, providing relief from the stress of our every day lives. They can allow us to reconnect with a

A positive frame of mind is vital for several reasons. Confident positive thought patterns are normally shown to raise overall performance in productivity and quality. We very often will think much more creatively and function much better anytime we're feeling positive and well. If you are on top form, your esteem levels will go through the roof and this can only help you in your work and personal life. If you possibly could sustain yourself using regular challenges and also

Research by leading universities in the field of cognitive and behavioral science proves the existence of so called “automatic thoughts”, i.e. thoughts that come to mind involuntarily and effortlessly as an automatic response to certain stimuli. These are the thoughts that ultimately determine ...

Are you aware of the number of times every day that you either say “Yes” or “No,” to yourself? You are essentially saying one or the other with every thought you think, word you speak, decision you make or action you take. Or don’t. You’ll know which side of the scale your yeses and no’s are weighted on by how alive you feel. Or don’t. On Saying YES to You! Every “yes” you say to yourself increases your sense of aliveness. Your aliveness is the degree that

I am a nurse and shift work is hard on the body. I have 12 hour days and 12 hour night shifts to contend with which makes it hard on circadian rhythms and getting proper sleep. I also work every other week-end. Some workplaces that have shift work have two weeks on one shift and then two weeks ...

A lot has been written about the effects of our thinking on our life. By now many people know that in some way or another our thinking affects our life. We hear things like: “Think positive, there are two sides to the coin, the glass is either half empty or half full”. Does this sound familiar? ...

A person's mindset as well as thought process contributes significantly for their character. Individuals who stay positive possess a much better lifestyle as well as a driven attitude. They are factors which have an effect on your own belief with regards to making the kind of life you want. Research has shown that you simply perception of life also affects your wellbeing as well as nicely-being. Most of the negative thoughts come from presumptions all of us help to make. We

“Smiling and Laughing is Good for the Soul” Did you not know that smiling and laughing at yourself is good? A smile is a facial expression that displays happiness. A smile with a buildup of emotion goes from silence to sound, which is expressed in laughter. Yes, a build of happiness that must be echoed by your distinctive sound in laughter. In the practice of smiling and laughing one is able to bring healing to their body. Smiling can even make you look more attractive, younger, and improve your stress level. Are you smiling now?

We all have strengths and weakness. Our strengths are usually referred to in positive terms such as "smart," "strong" or "talented." Rarely do we view our weaknesses or deficits as potential clues to our strengths. Some common and negatively perceived characteristics can actually help us discover some very positive qualities and underlying strengths. Following is a list of 7 common negative labels and some other ways we might look at them:

The Acceptable 3 F’s (Faith, Family, and Friends)” Our focus today should be faith, family, and friends. I want to emphasize the importance of all three because each increases the quality of your life. Find time out of your schedule for each priority of faith, family, and friends. These three things will create a foundation for happiness. When you are overly busy with work and rushing from place to place, you will realize that an important area of your life is keeping in touch and connecting with your faith, family, and friends.

rnMy life has changed so much in the past year that it is truly unbelievable. I don't want to sound like someone who is trying to promote anything, but seriously, since I have began a life coaching relationship with Maia and went through her personal development program (YOU University) my whole everything has changed. The most noticeable to me is the way I feel inside. I am 42 years old and for the first time in my life I don't have internal turmoil going on inside of me. I

Here's a tip that I learned from my Grandma that works extremely well in the classroom. Growing up, when my grandmother would talk to my brother and I, she would finish sentences with the phase "Do you know what I mean?" or "Do you know what that is?" Constantly, confirming that my brother and I understood what she was saying. nn In truth, my brother and I, who were teenagers, found these verbal confirmations almost silly at time. I remember one time when she told us about he

If you've been following the personal development world, you might have come across a new product that's been launched recently. This product is called “Crack Your Egg” , and is made by Henk Schram. Henk is the creator of the previous “Revolutioniz” self improvement program. I'm on the mailing of many self help experts , and I notice that a number of them are emailing me about this product. Greg Frost of “Mind Secrets Exposed” promotes it. Dr. Robert Anthony of â€

Do you wish you had just a few skills to turn negative conversations you have with yourself and others into a solution-oriented problem solving direction, instead of a bitch session? The trick is in asking the right questions. Unconscious questions like "Why does this always happen to me?" often result in negative unconscious answers like "Because you're just not good enough." This kind of thinking can keep you in an endless cycle of chasing your own tail, often resulting in feelings of inadequacy.

Especially in the western world millions of people of average intelligence and education started with nothing and were able to create successful lives. In terms of success, background and education are not deciding factors. Your ability to continuously focus your mind on positive thoughts, ...

Understanding the role of the ego in how we live our lives is essential to understanding the mystery of life. Usually when people describe themselves they are referring to the egoic self or the personality, the finite side of the whole package we call me. We speak about our likes, dislikes, what we do to fill up our days. We speak of others regarding the actions they take in their lives.

n n Gratefulness nWhat would your day be like if you started and ended it by simply noticing all that you have in your life? If you count all your assets, you always show a profit. Gratitude is a natural high. When you live in tandem with your spirit, appreciating all of life and what you have, you discover more joy and kindness in the world. Miracles happen everywhere all the time, but only those with an “Attitude of Gratitude” seem to notice them. This circle of

I have come across many articles and discussions on infidelity lately and find that there is a consensus. Infidelity, adultery, having an affair, cheating, betrayal... or whatever it is you want to call it, is a growing problem. Why is this? Some say that our culture has contributed to an increased discontent and unhappiness in our lives. We seek pleasure and expect our partners to meet our needs. If they don’t, we blame them for our unhappiness. Marriage becomes more about meeting my needs and making me happy.

Evaluating your personal core values is an important part of any personal growth plan. It is a key factor in cultivating a positive attitude . rnPart of any good personal development plan should include an evaluation of your personal values. Values are: A principle, standard, or quality considered worthwhile or desirable. What do you hold as important in your life? I do not mean material things or even money. If you could just forget all that stuff for a bit and try to focus

Self talk is the dialogue or 'inner chatter' that plays out in our mind. Whether it's positive self-talk or negative self-talk this is a behavior that's ever-present in all our lives. We all talk to ourselves constantly throughout the day. Everything that goes on our life is usually accompanied by our own 'running commentaries'. The problem is however, much of our self-talk is of a negative nature. It is often colored with regrets and disappointments about our past, and fears

We all crave to be seen, heard and acknowledged. Whether I say that to individuals, groups or large audiences, heads nod in the affirmative. When I first began working in a counseling agency, I was thrilled with the supervision. My manager smiled, nodded and listened as I worked out my problems through non-stop, extroverted talking. As I exited from his office, I would turn, thank him for his time and he would respond with a generous laugh and a big “You’re most welcome.” I left notes of appreciation on his desk and the occasional homemade muffin.

Ever wonder why people are the way they are or where they learned to be a certain way? We cannot discount the influence of upbringing, peers, environment and genetics. Although we have very limited or no control over some of the things that shape our children, we can do our part to make a positive difference. We teach them by the way we treat them and the way we treat others. We can lead them by our example and how we react and cope with people and situations. It is empowering and encouraging to know that children can learn love and happiness when it is manifested in our own lives.

Segregating the genders in schools is nothing new. We've been doing this for centuries from the primary grades on. In the United States, this policy is largely limited to private schools, however, there are a few public and charter schools that do have separate classrooms for males and females. In other countries, separating the genders is standard procedure. <img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T6LzjLzNb0E/UJ6wjaNUesI/AAAAAAAARGs/XFDLsfPVZOo/s640/IMG_1182.JPG" width="480">

Past experiences do shape our world view. Things we learn, often as children, keep us safe and teach us how to get along in the world. They also help us to form our view of the world and our beliefs about ourselves, other people and the world in general - we call these core beliefs. These beliefs affect our behaviour, attitude to self and others, and our thoughts and feelings. As we continue through life, we have other experiences, some add to our learning and some reinforce

The holidays are some of the best times and opportunities we have to continue our family traditions. Many of us can recall how our families celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, or birthdays every year. There are some extra special traditions we may remember. Maybe every Christmas we got together with our grandparents or we went out of town to visit friends or family members. Maybe we participated in the local Thanksgiving parade every year or there was a certain dish we especially enjoyed that was prepared specifically for Thanksgiving day.

If you were to write a list with all the things you need to be happy, what would you put on that list? While the list may vary from person to person, it is often interesting to see how many dependencies people put on happiness. Naturally, the answers will vary from a loving relationship to ...

I am Thankful for… A Healthy Mind & Emotions If we stop to think about it, there are so many things to be grateful for. As I was reflecting on all the good things, people, and blessings I enjoy, I starting compiling a long list. It seemed it would never end. In all actually, it never will end because our blessings are new every morning. In this series, I am going to share different areas of gratitude in my life. I am going to start the first of this Gratitude journal Series with: I am Thankful for A Healthy Mind and Emotions. 1. I am thankful to be free from negativity.

Have you ever wanted…. To be able to keep your self-control and presence of mind when everybody around you got panicked? To stay calm, when people around you annoy you and get on your nerves? Not to get angry or despaired when everything is messed up and circumstances are not in your favor? To know what to do if something unexpected happens to you? To be self-confident that even though everybody is against you, not to take offence personally and not suffer from it, especial