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.
How to Set Boundaries with Anyone In Your Life - Rachel Wright, M.A., L.M.F.T.
You know boundary setting is important, but how do you actually do it? A therapist shares an easy-to-follow script so you know exactly what to say.
The 5 Love Categories: Do You Really Know What Love Is? - Robert Enright Ph.D.
People differ widely in how they understand what love is. Most ideas of love center on mutuality, pleasantness, and low conflict.
One concept of love, the ancient word "agape," is given less attention, including in psychological research, than the other kinds of love.
Agape is defined and its paradox discussed: As you are in service to another, despite your own pain, you benefit as may your relationship.
8 Easy Tricks to Quiet Negative Inner Dialogue - Melody Wilding, LMSW
Take your power back from the inner critic. The harsh inner voice says things like:
"No one wants to listen to you."
"You're not working hard enough."
"You’re such an idiot!"
How to Deal With Your Childhood Trauma As an Adult - Rachel Fairbank
Recovering from childhood adversity is no easy feat—but these strategies can help.
Harvard's happiness expert shares the two secrets to being happy - Anagha Srikanth
Author Tal Ben-Shahar’s new book "Happiness Studies" introduces a new interdisciplinary field of study dedicated to exploring happiness.
The co-founder of Wholebeing Institute proposes a simple process for holistic well-being.
The "SPIRE" strategy calls for breaking down wellness into spiritual, physical, intellectual, relational and emotional well-being.
In a Relationship, but Still Feeling Lonely - Robert T Muller Ph.D.
Loneliness in a committed relationship can feel difficult.
How Much Is Enough to Feel Happy? - Ilene Berns-Zare PsyD
4 ways to stop running after more and find happiness now.
One way to feel more fulfilled is to recognize that happiness is not somewhere out there, but that it's possible to feel happy here and now.
It can feel like doing more or having more will bring happiness, but recognizing that one is innately enough is key to wellbeing.
Strategies that can help one recognize enough-ness include being kinder to oneself, strengthening gratitude, and embracing a growth mindset.
Why We Treat Others as We Have Been Treated - Jessie Stern, Ph.D. and Rachel Samson, M.Psych
Research reveals a twist on the Golden Rule.
Parents' interpersonal strengths, such as kindness, love, and social intelligence, matter for nurturing these same strengths in their children.
People learn through first-hand experience. When people recall someone who was kind to them, they are kinder toward strangers, research shows.
Instead of punishing children to reinforce good behavior, parents can set limits in ways that prioritize children's experiences and empathy.
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.
Nourish the Wolf of Love
There are two wolves in one's heart, a wolf of hate and a wolf of love.
Why Your Well-Meaning Defenses Are in Over Their Heads - Leon F Seltzer Ph.D.
Have you ever thought of your defense mechanisms as “parentified children”?
People experience defense mechanisms as life-saving when they are children, for they helped lessen scary feelings of insecurity and instability.
In adulthood, outdated, habitual defenses often continue to take over and sabotage people in ways that they may not even be aware of.
Identifying one's defenses and actually talking to them, updating them about one's physical and mental development, can help change them.
The Power of Forgiving Yourself - Dyanne Brown
Why you need to free yourself from emotional debts.
Why We Can’t Forgive Ourselves - Annie Tanasugarn, Ph.D.
How toxic shame keeps us stuck in the rabbit hole.
Limiting Regrets in Relationships - Sunshine Zombiegirl
Learn to communicate your needs and boundaries.
Stop Trying to Control Everything and Focus on What You Can Change - Amanda Dodson LCSW
It is natural for us to avoid pain, but this only intensifies our suffering.
Radical acceptance is the practice of accepting the difficult parts of life.
Once you make peace with what you cannot change, you can focus on what is within your control.
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.
5 Ways to Develop Self-Love, and Why You Need To - Jade Wu Ph.D.
Listen to your body and give it exactly what it needs, including rest and nourishment.
Allow yourself to really experience your emotions, even difficult ones.
Express yourself creatively, and spend time on the activities you care about.
Be patient and forgiving to yourself, and set boundaries where you need them.
Romantic Love Is Just a Fantasy at First - Geraldine K. Piorkowski Ph.D.
Fantasy magnifies positive qualities and whitewashes negative traits in a potential partner.
Unresolved psychological needs influence sexual attraction.
Commitment, communication, and companionship are the "big three" sustaining factors.
