As I write this blog, terrible wars are going on in Ukraine and the Middle East, virtually every country has enemies that with whom they have no diplomatic relations, politics are more polarized than ever, and even the party that has the majority in the House of Representatives hasn’t been able to agree on a…
Being social is part of being human, and it’s nice to have a good set of friends, co-workers, and family members with whom you regularly relate. Holding a special place among those relationships are the groups of individuals who make up your support system – that network of people whom you can rely upon for…
Do you find that some of your friendships “feel” more right than others? Do you feel like you are being used – or maybe you are the user? Do either you or your partner have to be more flexible or tolerant than the other for the relationship to continue? No relationship goes smoothly all the…
The Harvard Study of Adult Development is 85 years old. It is probably the longest study of human development in history. During the few decades that I’ve been following its updates, the study consistently leads to the conclusion that there is one factor that leads to greater happiness, health, and longevity. That factor is the…
At this time of the year, when we just celebrated Mother’s Day and prepare to celebrate Father’s Day next month, it always brings to my mind a question that I remember from my youth. It was pretty universal in my generation to ask the following question – particularly after seeing parents receiving gifts and being…
Some very compassionate people have a difficult time expressing self-compassion. According to Dr. Kristin Neff, self-compassion expert at the University of Texas, the practice of self-compassion involves giving ourselves the same kindness and care that we’d give to a friend. Why do some people find that concept so difficult? In some cases, the problem is…
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…
Social connectedness is one of the cornerstones of mental health. I consider it as being one of the “non-negotiable 4” elements necessary for emotional growth – along with keeping the brain active, eating healthy, and owning your body through exercise, proper sleep, and meditation. The average person has various categories of social connections, many of…
In working with individual patients, I’m often intrigued by the fact that individuals with low self-esteem can be quite critical about others with whom they interact. It’s actually quite paradoxical but frequently observed that a person with low self-esteem is bothered by the fact that some of their peers choose to act in ways or…
Among the things that people are never trained for is how to be a bystander. Whether we are a bystander at the scene of an accident or we are supporting a friend or relative who is dealing with an injury or illness or death of a loved one or we are navigating the process of…
If I were to become King of the World, or at least the social media world, the first thing that I would decree is that the administrators of all the social media platform get together and forever banish the word, FRIEND, and come up with a better term to describe those with whom you connect…