The orange cones are out and the length of your morning commute just doubled. It’s summer in America when construction crews seem to shut down miles of highway to work on one tiny 10-foot section at a time. Slowly snaking traffic plays havoc with your schedule, creating stress and anxiety. You worry about being late for […]
College Graduation: Living without a Net!
Taking those first steps into the “real world” can be an anxious time for college graduates. The thrill of achievement can be overwhelmed by new responsibilities as collegiates take their first fledging steps into adulthood. Finding a job, renting an apartment, managing finances, moving away from friends and family — college graduation is a time […]
Is Your Child Addicted to Computer Games?
School is out and the long summer stretches ahead. It should be a time for outdoor fun, playing with friends, baseball games, reading, craft projects and lemonade stands; but many children spend their summers glued to the computer, playing games on the Internet for hours on end. Gaming, which seems to be particularly appealing to […]
Combating Dangerous Pattern Perceptions
Perceiving patterns where none exist, a psychological phenomenon called pattern perception, is a mental coping mechanism used by many people to combat uncertainty when events spin their lives out of control (see our June 10 post). It’s a phenomenon that’s on the rise in these times of economic uncertainty where rising unemployment, catastrophic investment losses, […]
Is Uncertainty Making Us More Superstitious?
The need to feel that we are in control of our lives is so basic to our sense of well being that many people may be finding safe harbor from uncertainty in superstitious thinking. When any aspect of our life spins out of control, as it has for many during these uncertain economic times, our […]
TV Watching Interferes With Sleep
Preparing the body for sleep is one of our most important daily rituals, although few people realize the importance it plays in maintaining good health. Our bodies need from seven to eight hours of sleep per night to adequately recharge. Many Americans chronically receive less sleep than they need, unwittingly increasing their health risk. Getting […]