The idea of making a resolution for the New Year is a 4000-year-old practice believed to have begun with the ancient Babylonians. Yet, according to recent research, while as many as 45 percent of Americans say they usually make New Year’s resolutions, only 8 percent are successful in achieving their goals.1 Considering most resolutions are [...]
I love being around young children as they are learning and honing their speaking skills. Even though infants and small children are able to communicate quite effectively without words, most quickly start vocalizing to better express their wants and ideas. As we get older, we become more skilled at using our words in speech and [...]
Listening is something we all do every day, sometimes effectively and sometimes not. When we are “listening” to other people while multitasking, looking at something else, or thinking about what we are going to do later, the quality of the interaction is diminished. Leadership expert and author Susan Scott says that people often think the [...]
Learning to manage your nervous system can be crucial to good health. The sympathetic nervous system controls your fight, flight, or freeze reaction, which is activated by your response to stress. Instinct and human conditioning support this natural response as far back as caveman days, and it used to serve a daily essential purpose. (As [...]
Your breath is one of the only involuntary bodily functions that you can control. By taking control of something that usually operates on auto-pilot, you can use it as a tool to improve a variety of aspects of your life. Managing your breath with breathing exercises can: Relax or energize you Help you feel grounded Bring [...]
One of the most fascinating and surprising things I discovered when I began to study stress and its impacts on the individual and the organization, was that I was creating my own stress by my thinking and perceptions. Up until that time, I had imagined that stress was coming from someone or something out there—the [...]
Having been a proponent of mindfulness for many years, I am often asked questions about my beliefs, such as: “If you are living in the present moment, how do you plan or have ambition for the future? How do you get stuff done? Doesn’t living in the moment mean you just go through life letting [...]
Who doesn’t want some stress relief? Whether it’s work deadlines, traffic, or just plodding along without enough free time, a ton of people are up to their eyeballs in stress. There are many ways and methods people use to provide themselves with temporary stress relief. According to the APA 2015 Stress In America Report, the six [...]
I have compassion for cigarette smokers. It’s a habit—just like mindfulness. I don’t smoke, but I teach the “healthy habit” of mindfulness. While researching this blog topic, I learned that about 80% of all deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are caused by smoking. We know smoking kills. In fact, cigarette smoking is the leading [...]
Practicing mindfulness is a great way to reduce stress, gain clarity on what’s most important, and experience more fulfilment in daily life. That’s why the new frontier of practicing mindfulness is becoming popularized with both individual people and organizations. In fact, many notable companies have already introduced mindfulness training into their culture. They have recruited [...]
