Is Purpose or Pleasure the Key to Happiness As We Age? - Meg Selig
Some argue that a sense of purpose is the key to healthy aging; others maintain that fun is more important.
Research bolsters the idea that purpose is highly beneficial as we age, but some research also points to pleasure as essential for healthy mood.
Creatively combining pleasure and purpose in these 7 ways might yield the best results.
If Your Self-Talk Is Ruling (and Ruining) Your Life - Beverly D. Flaxington
A person's inner talk can be either healthy and motivating or toxic and self-defeating.
It's possible to replace negative self-talk with more positive messages.
Being aware of harmful self-talk, watching out for triggers, and having a realistic perspective can all help someone flip the script.
Who Is Most Vulnerable to Narcissists? - Dianne Grande Ph.D.
Failure to distinguish between empaths and codependents has led to confusion about who is more vulnerable to the harmful behavior of the narcissist.
Empaths and codependents are alike in that both are above average in their compassion towards others.
While all empaths share highly perceptive nervous systems with which they are born, most codependents are known to have common childhood experiences which shape their personalities.
The vulnerability of the codependent lies in their extreme sense of responsibility for others, their need for approval from others, and their difficulty setting clear boundaries.
How Boundaries and Self-Esteem Affect Your Relationships - Monica Johnson Psy.D.
Thinking about relationship patterns in terms of self-esteem and shame can help us understand our behaviors and where relationships go wrong.
The Relationship Grid was developed by therapist Terry Real and is a way to visualize where your primary maladaptive relationship style trends.
No matter where you fall on The Relationship Grid, we should aim for the middle ground between extremes.
Detecting Bull**it - Laith Al-Shawaf Ph.D.
Many people who are drawn to psychology are also drawn to psychological-sounding woo.
Astrology, homeopathy, the Myers-Briggs, & the ideas in The Secret all lack evidentiary support -- and can be harmful.
If you're interested in psychology, you should know why these ideas are bunk.
Toxic Masculinity: What It Is and 3 Tips to Deal with It - Taneasha White
Masculinity does not have to be harmful, but when it is, there are many ways this affects the health of individuals and society.
How to Create Our Own Happiness - Robert Puff Ph.D.
We're capable of choosing what to think about and what to do in our lives.
These choices will have a significant impact on our happiness.
Each person has the opportunity to make their days happier.
The five things you need to be happy, according to a happiness expert - Tal Ben-Shahar
Spiritual wellbeing
Physical wellbeing
Intellectual wellbeing
Relational wellbeing
Emotional wellbeing
What Is Forgiveness? - Shireen Jeejeebhoy
Healing the wound in a healthy way is necessary for forgiveness.
The absence of peace and buried pain undergirds so much of what’s wrong with society.
Relationships Are a Negotiation - Steven Ing MFT
When it comes to relationships, people don't mindfully enter into negotiation.
A relationship will only be successful if it's based on equality.
The first step toward having an equal relationship is for each person to determine if they really want equality.
How Much Does Personality Determine Our Happiness? - The Center for Healthy Minds and Healthy Minds Innovations
Barring extreme circumstances, happiness originates from the inside more than the outside.
Certain personality traits such as low neuroticism, high positivity, benevolence and curiosity are closely linked to happiness.
Our personalities are not entirely malleable, but we can all do things to cultivate happiness-inducing qualities in ourselves.
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.
The Difference Between Reacting and Responding - Jim Taylor Ph.D.
Whether you react or respond makes a big difference in life outcomes.
Semantics are important because words act as a powerful lens through which we perceive, interpret, and analyze our world.
Reactions driven by our amygdala are grounded in our survival instinct where there is no time to deliberate.
What worked on the Serengeti doesn't work in the 21st century, where the pre-frontal cortex is better suited for responses that work.
Why Won't People Let Go of Their Anger? - David Hanscom MD
The greatest block to mental and physical healing is anger.
We aren't programmed to be vulnerable, so we have no reason to give up anger, nor will we ever want to.
Many, if not most people, do not want to give up their anger (pain).
Anger is a hardwired automatic survival reaction; it's impossible to get rid of, conquer, or transform it.
Understanding the various obstacles to dealing with anger effectively is an important step in learning how to process it.
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.
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.
How to Deal With Shame - Tchiki Davis, Ph.D.
Shame is a self-conscious emotion that arises from the sense that something is fundamentally wrong with oneself. When we have shame, we often feel inadequate and full of self-doubt but these experiences may be outside of our conscious awareness. That makes shame hard to identify and deal with.
Why Some People Become Narcissists or Psychopaths - Rob Henderson
Adults with unstable childhoods are more likely to have "dark" personalities.
Childhood instability is linked to increases in psychopathic, narcissistic, and Machiavellian behavior in adulthood.
Childhood instability is linked to decreases in kind, cooperative, and trustful behavior in adulthood.
Childhood socioeconomic status does not predict Dark Triad or Light Triad traits.
5 Conversation Killers - Robert Taibbi L.C.S.W.
Arguments can quickly get out of hand. Here's how to rein them in.
Arguments are usually fueled by five common triggers.
The key to managing the argument is realizing when the conversation is going off course.
When emotions ramp up, the problem is emotion not the issue.
Why Other People's Behavior Really Isn't Your Problem - Beverly D. Flaxington
Here's why you should focus on yourself first.
You don't have to agree with how other people behave—and nothing you say or do is going to change them.
However, understanding why certain behavior triggers negative feelings for you can help you choose healthier reactions.
Try focusing instead on what you want out of the relationship and be honest about mistakes you may have made along the way.