Tag Archives: stress

Performance Anxiety:
“I want to be totally relaxed instead of anxious when I compete in sports or engage in public speaking.”

Posted on Friday, February 22, 2013 by Alison

Think of how little anxiety you experience when you are sitting comfortably on your couch at home watching TV. Now imagine that you are going to perform a concert, give a speech, compete in a tournament, or go on a … Continue reading →

Posted in Attitude, Sports | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Live and Improve Every Moment
“Life is a drag.”

Posted on Friday, January 4, 2013 by Alison

Life is made up of many more ordinary moments than extraordinary ones, like working at the computer, going to the store, or sitting in traffic. Yet, brain research shows that happiness is related more to your state of mind than … Continue reading →

Posted in Attitude, Happiness | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:
“Since he lost his job, he doesn’t seem to care about our relationship.”

Posted on Monday, May 14, 2012 by Alison

When people are immersed in fear, they generally don’t feel secure enough to focus on higher-level aspirations such as improving their relationships or expressing their creativity. Abraham Maslow’s pyramid of needs is an elegant picture of the order in which … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Relationship Skills | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Effect of Newborns on a Relationship:
“It’s about time that YOU got up at night and fed the baby!”

Posted on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 by Alison

Having a newborn can put a lot of stress on a relationship. Understandably, most of your focus is on the baby rather than on your partner because newborns are totally dependent on attention and care. You may be exhausted, overwhelmed, … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Parenting | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Procrastination: “I can’t deal with that now. It’s too stressful.”

Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 by Alison

Procrastination makes easy things hard, hard things harder. ~Mason Cooley People who procrastinate put off things because they hope to avoid the stress in dealing with them. However, procrastination is really a form of self-sabotage, actually increasing a person’s stress … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationship Skills | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fear, Loathing and Expectations:
“Nothing ever works the way I want.”

Posted on Monday, January 30, 2012 by Alison

Imagine seeing your new love with a another woman. The bitter disappointment felt in your body reflects what you are thinking — that he’s cheating on you or that he’s no longer interested in you and too selfish to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Happiness | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Stress: “I’m so stressed out. I don’t know if I can handle a promotion.”

Posted on Monday, January 23, 2012 by Alison

The purpose of stress: The human stress response evolved as a response to emergencies when fight or flight was necessary for survival. When physical survival is your goal, stress is very helpful. Stress hormones rev up the heart rate and … Continue reading →

Posted in Thinking and the Brain | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

“I need to eliminate all stress from my life.”

Posted on Thursday, December 29, 2011 by Alison

Is it healthier to have stress or no stress in your life? It depends. As you would expect, longevity and well-being tend to be greater for those with less stress in their lives rather than more stress but no control … Continue reading →

Posted in Happiness, Thinking and the Brain | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment