Posts Tagged With ‘ goals ’

On many occasions, I’ve discussed the importance of social connectedness.  Being socially connected provides you with more opportunities to have fun and to have a support system.  Furthermore, during the aging process, there is a strong association between loneliness and poor health and a shorter lifespan. Something that can get lost in the process when discussing the importance of social relationships is the fact that having alone time is also important for good mental health. Spending time alone can permit you the opportunity to de-stress and reduce the pressure that many of us... Continue Reading

No matter how positively we approach life and how satisfied we are with our situations, nothing ever turns out right all the time. We all wind up being disappointed at times, feeling regretful at times, and feeling that we are being treated unfairly at times. During those times, it is pretty normal to try to figure out what caused the particular circumstance to happen, to try to resolve the situation more favorably if possible, and work to learn from it so that you can hopefully be in a better situation in the future. It is clearly unhelpful, however, to ruminate, become self-critical,... Continue Reading

Many years ago, when I was in school, we would occasionally get a test where you lost more points if you got the wrong answer than if you left the item blank. In essence, there was a penalty for guessing. I could never understand why. Perhaps my thinking in that regard may have been one of my first steps on the way to a career in psychology. Or maybe, I had been traumatized by losing extra points for an answer that I had consciously figured out and made sense to me, but it was wrong (I don’t know that to be the case because I don’t remember such an occurrence – but that may be... Continue Reading

Among an oversupply of bad news that gets reported on a daily basis, there is occasionally some really good news. One of those positive developments is associated with lifelong learning. Studies in recent years have found that approximately 75% of Americans engage in at least one educational activity annually to seek extra knowledge beyond that which is required for work. While some of these activities include non-required courses, workshops, etc., that enhance their employment opportunities, much of the learning that takes place is for general interest, learning a new skill or hobby,... Continue Reading

What does it mean to stay steady? Do you have to fulfill every goal you set? This post gives the criteria needed to feel steady even when changes need to be made. Originally Published on https://covisioning.com/ Continue Reading

When meeting with a new patient or client for the first time, I routinely ask several questions beyond the obvious demographic ones. One of those questions is, “What do you do for fun?” You would be surprised at how many times the question leaves somebody dumbfounded – as if it is a trick question that can’t be answered spontaneously. Others forthrightly state that, “I’ve never thought about it.” Perhaps the most distressing response for me is some variation of, “I’m not sure that I know how to have fun.” If a young child grows up in a supportive and safe environment,... Continue Reading

Researchers who study a particular topic don’t always agree with each other’s conclusion, but one subject on which there is universal agreement is the importance of movement. A sedentary lifestyle ranks right up there with smoking and obesity as health destroyers and longevity reducers. Movement has not only been found to be good for your body but also good for your brain. The Centers for Disease Control has identified several cognitive benefits from physical activity – including improved thinking, learning, memory, and problem-solving. In addition, it can help improve mood and... Continue Reading

In the world of advertising, one of the most iconic slogans that exists is Nike’s, “Just Do It!” Together with its famous “swoosh,” it has made Nike one of the most recognizable brands on the planet. The slogan also has an inspirational message that reminds us to not get stuck obsessing about a decision – but rather get started. Just doing it creates momentum that moves you forward rather than being unproductive. We don’t always have to have it all figured out before we can start. As important as that message is, some of us have a rather different problem; being able to... Continue Reading

We all have to deal with some commitments and deadlines and requirements in addition to having things on our schedules that we choose to do. The bottom line is that most of us lead pretty busy lives. There are essentially two ways of dealing with busy schedules: either let the course of events control us or take control of the course of events as much as possible. I prefer to do the latter. We may have to be at work or an appointment at a certain time, and our family’s meal and activity schedule may have a defined structure to it. But most of us have more flexibility in our lives... Continue Reading

While this is the time when people tend to make resolutions having to do with specific habits or behaviors, I think that this is a particularly good time to look at whether you are maximizing your potential and sharing your awesomeness with the world by being involved with your community.  That community may include your religious, political, service, school, professional society, or other organization. One of the easiest things to do is to complain about what’s wrong in the world, including that part of the world that’s closest to you – the community in which you reside or... Continue Reading