Let’s get this out of the way first: Being alone over the holidays doesn’t mean you’re unloved or failing at life. Connecting with people in person is tough right now, and seeing loved ones — especially those who live far away — might not be an option. So, as the holidays inch closer, it’s understandable if you’re anticipating feeling lonely. As a society, we’ve gotten used to the nostalgic images of holidays being full of family, food, travel, and quality time. If the pictur

How to win the war between what we want to do and what we want to have done. We often struggle with what we want to do versus what we want to have done. Recently, Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, the Director of the Interdisciplinary Affective Science Lab at Northeastern University, wrote an article in The New York Times entitled, “Your Brain Is Not for Thinking.” Instead, our brain is very good at keeping us alive and well. All the time, it is monitoring how things are going in our

When COVID-19 hit America in early 2020, millions of people were placed under shelter-at-home orders and began to practice social distancing. Social distancing recommendations include limiting the events and activities you attend, as well as the overall number of people you interact with on a regular basis. Now, with winter approaching and a global pandemic still upon us, we are all faced with needing to continue practicing safe social distancing during the holidays. But when

The Best Compilation of Relaxing, Soothing Traditional Christmas Jazz Melodies for Full 10 Hours! Music by Richard Freeman. Playlist: Aunl Lang Syne Jazz Silent Night Jazz Angels We Have Heard on High Jazz Oh Little Town of Bethlehem Jazz The First Noel Jazz In The Bleak Midwinter Jazz Oh Holy Night Jazz Away In The Manger Jazz

You have more control over your emotions than you think. After three decades of studying emotion regulation, Stanford psychologist James Gross has gotten much better at managing his emotions. Yet, he still feels anxious when running late for his appointments. That’s good news, at least for safeguarding the mystery and complexity of what it’s like to be human. Gross’ research has enriched our understanding of the behind-the-scenes workings of our emotional worlds. Firstly, as

Dig into the psychology of how memories are susceptible to false information and why we shouldn’t treat them as truth. -- In a 1990’s study, participants recalled getting lost in a shopping mall as children. Some shared these memories in vivid detail, but there was one problem: none of these people had actually gotten lost in a mall. They produced these false memories after psychologists told them they’d gotten lost and parents confirmed it. So what’s going on? Daniel L. Scha

Five tips on preserving your friendships. Who is your best friend? If you are a married man reading my words, you will probably answer, “My wife.” But, if you are a woman, married or not, you will probably say, “Jennifer!” (or Sue, or Michelle, etc.). Most women place high value on their same-sex friendships, and we should. Friends are vital for a happy and healthy life. I read a study once that cracked me up. Women were given beepers (remember beepers?) and were randomly con

This article takes a look at the link between trauma and chronic pain. Discussion of types of trauma and the effects of trauma are included: please read with care if you are vulnerable. The research available indicates that while trauma may not directly cause chronic pain, it certainly makes people more vulnerable to developing chronic pain. There are many studies which link chronic pain to trauma. The Institute for Chronic Pain states that up to 90% of women with fibromyalgi

Learning to respect both styles. If you’re partnered with an introvert, when they take the solitude time that they need, it can be challenging. You don’t find two introverts paired up as frequently as you find an introvert-extrovert pair. The extrovert is all about connecting, communicating, and sharing. To the extrovert, the quiet and solitude that the introvert needs to take can be experienced as rejection. Many conversations will be necessary to smooth out the difference t