Tom North 1/16/23 Tom North 1/16/23

Why Mattering Is So Important to Our Mental Health - Susan Krauss Whitbourne PhD, ABPP

Mattering is the general belief that you are important to others. "Anti-mattering" means that you feel you just don't matter at all.

New research developing the 5-item Anti-Mattering Scale shows how people high in this quality can be vulnerable to mental health disorders.

Learning to recognize anti-mattering in yourself can be an important first step to overcoming loneliness.

Tom North 1/16/23 Tom North 1/16/23

How to Love Yourself For Real, According to Therapists - Amanda McCracken

Think of self-love as a practice, not a destination—and define it for yourself.
Know that you don’t have to love your reality in order to love (or accept, or forgive) yourself.
Challenge your negative mental narrative by sticking to the facts.
Acknowledge that oppression and trauma can make self-love even more challenging.
Practice setting boundaries—in real life and online—to build self-worth.
Remind yourself that loving—or at least accepting—yourself is a worthwhile pursuit.

Tom North 1/16/23 Tom North 1/16/23

The Essential Ingredient for Happiness and Well-Being... and what to do if you feel you're missing it. - Arash Emamzadeh

Well-being is associated with living an engaged, pleasant, and meaningful life.

High levels of engagement, increased meaningfulness, and better mood may require greater levels of autonomy.

We experience more autonomy when we perform an activity for internal reasons (e.g., self-expression) than external ones (e.g., rewards).

Tom North 1/16/23 Tom North 1/16/23

What It Means to "Matter" - Isaac Prilleltensky Ph.D.

When a person both feels valued and adds value to themselves and others, they become happier and healthier.

Wellness and worthiness depend on fairness in relationships, at work, and in the community.

A "me culture" focuses on one's right to feel valued. A "we culture" balances one's rights with a responsibility to feel valued and add value.

Tom North 1/16/23 Tom North 1/16/23

6 Steps to Self-Acceptance - Karyl McBride Ph.D.

Self-acceptance means that you understand you are human, with all your strengths and weaknesses.

Self-acceptance does not mean you’re perfect or better than others.

Accepting yourself will help you become more accepting, and less critical, of others.

Tom North 10/17/21 Tom North 10/17/21

What are 'awe walks'? - Kirti Pandey

No matter where you are, the key is to be in the right frame of mind -- to turn an ordinary walk into a series of awe-inspiring moments, filled with delightful surprises.

Find your awe factor while on the walk today
Shell out just 15 minutes each day to go out and find your "awe". Find wonder and inspiration through a simple stroll.
As you move through your day, take note of the moments that bring you wonder, that give you goosebumps
During your walk, try to approach what you see with fresh eyes, imagining that you’re seeing it for the first time.

Tom North 10/17/21 Tom North 10/17/21

Awe Makes You Feel Better. Here’s a Surprising Way to Find It - Elizabeth Anne Bernstein

Most of us associate the ‘wow!’ emotion with something rare and beautiful: nature, music or a spiritual experience. But people in our daily lives can make us feel awe, too.

Tom North 10/17/21 Tom North 10/17/21

What Makes You Happy? Why Fun Matters to Your Happiness - Travis Tae Oh Ph.D.

The sense of liberation is essential to your psychological well-being.

Aristotle proposed that eudaimonia, or leading a virtuous life by chasing success and mastery, is the pinnacle of happiness.
Epicurus proposed that happiness was achieved from ataraxia—a state of being completely free from anxiety or fear.
Research suggests that the experience of having fun reflects Epicurus' philosophy, when people feel liberated from the constraints of life.

Tom North 10/15/21 Tom North 10/15/21

6 Ways to Make Meaning of Life - Amanda Dodson LCSW

A few ideas to kick off the search for the meaning of your existence.

Finding life's purpose can promote resilience during times of suffering.
For the non-religious, building a personal system of meaning is a necessary but daunting task.
Altruism, self-knowledge, fatalism, absurdism, and surrender are all ways to make sense of life.

Tom North 10/15/21 Tom North 10/15/21

Your Five Core Emotional Needs Keep You Feeling Alive - Richard Brouillette, LCSW

Caught in a cycle of detaching from it all? Try these simple tips to reconnect.

We are all born with core emotional needs that are part of who we are for life.
Growing up, the way these needs are fulfilled or frustrated forms our character.
We can learn to live without some needs being fulfilled, but this can cause us trouble as adults.
It’s never too late to learn how to re-connect with your core needs and improve your quality of life.

Tom North 10/15/21 Tom North 10/15/21

7 Ways to Boost Eudaimonic Well-Being - Tchiki Davis, Ph.D.

Eudaimonia has been defined as a life well-lived, or human flourishing, and usually includes authenticity, excellence, growth and meaning.
Ways to promote eudaimonia include standing by one's values, writing down one's biggest goals, and developing skills that bring one joy.
Being authentic to one's true self, engaging in positive activities, and focusing on the quality of relationships can also promote eudaimonia.