For many of us, this is a special time of the year. So much so that we think of it as a season of joy because joy involves changing how we engage in the world. Find out how this feeling of joy is related to Maslow’s 1964 concept of peak experiences in this week’s blog.
Read MoreFrom the beginning, the Levelhead approach to developing a mindfulness practice was based on the assumption that people have busy lives and need to be able to practice whenever, wherever it fits their lifestyle. We realize that people are time-starved and have a limited desire for practices that require more than 5 minutes. Take a look at what recent research says about what is needed to develop a mindfulness practice…
Read MoreRecently, I saw a study that captured my attention because it aimed to understand the extent to which participants could establish a habit of gratitude thinking before sleeping (Lo & Leung, 2020). The researchers defined gratitude as an inclination to appreciate and savor daily events and experiences. Here is what the researchers found.
Read MoreToday, I took a giant leap of faith and booked flights for Thanksgiving. Like most of you, going to the grocery store has been my big “travel opportunity” lately. So, booking airfare ten months from now was a big step. Almost immediately, I felt a little better and began to imagine what it would be like to travel without fear and anxiety. Reflecting on how my plans boosted my mood, I wondered if there was research on this topic. Here’s what I found…
Read MoreDealing with today's enormous challenges may have led us to act out in ways that are not characteristic of our behavior, especially toward others. We may find that we are a little more impatient, irritable, and intolerant of others. However, allowing ourselves to go down this path is not good for our mental or physical health. It is certainly not good for our relationships. A powerful antidote for these feelings is injecting kindness into our thoughts and deeds.
Read MoreEven those of us who are usually upbeat and positive have bad days occasionally. These bad days may be prompted by something that happened or for no apparent reason at all. So, what can we do about it? How can we turn these bad days into something more productive and positive?
Read MoreResearch shows that only about half of us are satisfied with either the quality or amount of sleep we get (Lau et al, 2018). And this was before Covid-19. With so much going on in the world and in our personal lives, it is understandable that we may be experiencing even more difficulty with our sleep habits. So, what can we do about it?
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