“God, you can be so stupid sometimes.”“Why would he be attracted to YOU?”“You’re just going to screw this up.”These are things you would probably never say to another human being unless you’re a real jerk. But how many of us have that inner critic that says these kinds of things all the time.Most of us treat ourselves far more harshly...[ read more ]
Life is challenging when you’re an introvert. What are simple interactions for many people can feel anxious and uncomfortable to you. The mere idea of taking part in certain social events can be exhausting and emotionally draining to an introvert.While some social functions, such as business meetings, cannot be missed, there are social gatherings that can be, and it is...[ read more ]
Are you acting as a caregiver to a loved one? Maybe your elderly parent or a spouse or child that is battling a serious illness?According to womenshealth.gov, 36% of Americans provided unpaid care to another adult with an illness or disability in 2012, and that number has almost certainly climbed as the baby boomer population continues to age.Acting as a...[ read more ]
Are you one of those people who has never quite felt like an introvert but are definitely not an extrovert? Have you read descriptions of either personality and thought, “Mmmm, close, but not quite?” If so, you might be what is called an extroverted introvert (EI).Extroverted introverts, also called “outgoing introverts” or “social introverts” have qualities of both personalities. They...[ read more ]
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 15 million U.S. Americans, or 6.8% of the population, suffers from Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). SAD, also sometimes referred to as social phobia, is an intense fear of social situations. The sufferer believes they could become humiliated and embarrass themselves somehow in front of other people. They tend to focus on...[ read more ]
How many times do we hear about senior citizens who move cross-country to be closer to children and grandchildren? Maybe this person will see their family on a daily or weekly basis. But then again, maybe it won’t be that often, and now they’ve given up their social life and are far away from friends.As an older person, what’s healthier,...[ read more ]
It is Good Friday as I type this. Easter/Passover weekend, for my family, has always been a time to celebrate relationships with people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and religions. I find myself feeling sad today knowing those celebrations can’t happen this year. There are also a lot of birthdays this time of year in my family. Those too are...[ read more ]
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 40 million adults over the age of 18 suffer from an anxiety disorder. If you are one of them, you know how difficult your life can feel most days.When anxiety strikes, the world around us can become a sort of funhouse, only not that much fun. It’s important to be able...[ read more ]
Self-care is complex. Anyone can tell you to do it, but only you can bestow the gift of self-care onto yourself. But before you can begin bestowing, you’ve got to first recognize that you are worthy of caring for yourself as you do others.How do you do this? By noticing the ways in which you are currently not taking very good care of yourself.Here...[ read more ]
As our parents age, we want to treasure them for as long as we can, so we look for ways to help them stay healthy and active. But many older people suffer from depression, a condition that is not always easy to battle.According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, depression affects more than 6.5 million of the 35 million Americans...[ read more ]
