A person’s comfort zone is a psychological state of mind in which a person is operating in familiar territory and feels in control and relatively free of anxiety and stress. It is a psychological space marked by performing routine behaviors that carry little risk. As the name implies, it is comfortable to be in your…
There are a number of wonderful medications that provide benefits to a targeted physiologic process or area of your body. Some even do more than one helpful thing. But there is no drug that does so much for you as exercise and other physical activity. A regular program of exercise obviously helps with muscle tone,…
On many occasions, I’ve discussed the importance of social connectedness. Being socially connected provides you with more opportunities to have fun and to have a support system. Furthermore, during the aging process, there is a strong association between loneliness and poor health and a shorter lifespan. Something that can get lost in the process when…
No matter how positively we approach life and how satisfied we are with our situations, nothing ever turns out right all the time. We all wind up being disappointed at times, feeling regretful at times, and feeling that we are being treated unfairly at times. During those times, it is pretty normal to try to…
Many years ago, when I was in school, we would occasionally get a test where you lost more points if you got the wrong answer than if you left the item blank. In essence, there was a penalty for guessing. I could never understand why. Perhaps my thinking in that regard may have been one…
Among an oversupply of bad news that gets reported on a daily basis, there is occasionally some really good news. One of those positive developments is associated with lifelong learning. Studies in recent years have found that approximately 75% of Americans engage in at least one educational activity annually to seek extra knowledge beyond that…
When meeting with a new patient or client for the first time, I routinely ask several questions beyond the obvious demographic ones. One of those questions is, “What do you do for fun?” You would be surprised at how many times the question leaves somebody dumbfounded – as if it is a trick question that…
Researchers who study a particular topic don’t always agree with each other’s conclusion, but one subject on which there is universal agreement is the importance of movement. A sedentary lifestyle ranks right up there with smoking and obesity as health destroyers and longevity reducers. Movement has not only been found to be good for your…
In the world of advertising, one of the most iconic slogans that exists is Nike’s, “Just Do It!” Together with its famous “swoosh,” it has made Nike one of the most recognizable brands on the planet. The slogan also has an inspirational message that reminds us to not get stuck obsessing about a decision –…
We all have to deal with some commitments and deadlines and requirements in addition to having things on our schedules that we choose to do. The bottom line is that most of us lead pretty busy lives. There are essentially two ways of dealing with busy schedules: either let the course of events control us…
While this is the time when people tend to make resolutions having to do with specific habits or behaviors, I think that this is a particularly good time to look at whether you are maximizing your potential and sharing your awesomeness with the world by being involved with your community. That community may include your religious, political,…