https://youtu.be/fd9TrYI75o0?si=0gaSNLNAWVqWOAE8 The sweet spot is the moment in life when you realize you have arrived and the most interesting part is that you haven’t gone anywhere. Instead, you finally come home to the present moment. The here and now. The sweet spot. Nowhere else to be. But here and now. Right Here. Right Now. The... Continue Reading →
Fight or Flight Threat Response Every time we feel threatened (threat is the fundamental definition of stress) our first instinct is to “fight or flight“. This perpetual “fight or flight” response loop eventually creates a host of secondary problems, above and beyond, the original stressor. Powerpoint Slide from Broaden and Build Leadership Event, January 2022... Continue Reading →
I am a strong believer in keeping things simple. The less complicated things are, the more likely we are to repeat the behaviour. Especially when it comes to health and happiness habits. https://youtu.be/0i0tuqAmdaw Twelve Days Day 1: Mindful Mornings Add five to ten minutes of relaxation to each of your morning routines. Time expands when... Continue Reading →
Take a moment and anchor yourself with something that lights you up. That reminds you that you are not alone in this storm. You have been here before. It may have been a personal pandemic, not a global one. But somehow, deep inside, you made it through. And you will again. You have the courage,... Continue Reading →
Psychology of Change During this week’s health psychology lecture, we talked about the psychology of change, including the parts of our lives that remain ‘unchanged’ during rapid and unexpected change. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4UkgwELpI0M What Remains During Change? The Sun Still Rises Coffee Tastes Delicious Trees Greet You on Your Walk Favourite Movie Still Delights Bed is Comfie... Continue Reading →
1. Be Here Now https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EiuTpeu5xQc&feature=emb_title Stop Take a breath Observe Proceed 2. Create Space https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fXNo7GUDizM “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our freedom.” Viktor Frankl 3. Find Your Flow https://youtu.be/mZ_bI_t_L_E In psychology, flow, also known as being in the... Continue Reading →
Mindfulness Tip: Look Up The sky connects us to something bigger than ourselves. Challenges appear small in comparison to the vastness of the sky. Solutions seem plausible. Answers come more easily. In the presence of stars, we embrace the profound and surrender it all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gMq9BNKvOA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd9TrYI75o0 Never let the things you want make you forget the things you already have. Nothing Lasts Forever. Good or Bad. Enjoy Every Moment. Embrace it. Be it. See it. Everything you appreciate is you reflecting back. Homework for Today Look Around You. Notice Things Like You Are Seeing Them for the Very First Time.... Continue Reading →
One of my favourite ways to energize before teaching psychology classes at St. Clair College is to summarize a theory in practical and concrete ways in the parking lot.Literally! 🚘 I filmed this video 5 minutes before I was about to teach a lecture on personality and positive psychology in my liberal arts class. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUC7f_3EdHA Just... Continue Reading →
We are on a trip to California for our December birthdays and wedding anniversary and I couldn’t imagine a more mindful place to be. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pa_DVAmmTzY Nature everywhere we look. Luminous moonlight. Dancing campfire. Fresh ocean air. Water as far as the eye can see. Sunshine in every nook. 100 year old fig trees. Just outside... Continue Reading →
You have the ability to make positive changes in your life. Right here. Right now. Don’t wait for “the perfect time” to transform your life. NOW IS YOUR POWER.
Nature is a beautiful way to stop the monkey mind in its’ tracks. What is the monkey mind? “Buddha described the human mind as being filled with drunken monkeys, jumping around, screeching, chattering, carrying on endlessly. Fear is an especially loud monkey - screaming out all the things that could go wrong.” Source: HuffPost When we’re caught... Continue Reading →
“Self-care is giving the world the best of you, not what's left of you." Pause. Be still. Catch your breath. Take a rest. Practice self-care. As often as you can. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H8MKH2-QErg Pause at the end of my video ⬆️ for 30 fun self-care ideas. Do you practice daily self-care? Please share in the comments below.
“The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.” Our left brain lives in the past and the future. Our right brain lives in the here and now. One scrambles for solutions to problem after problem. The other sinks into the present moment, trusting all is well. Which side... Continue Reading →
This post was inspired by a stressful situation that I could not let go of. No matter how hard I tried. Day in day out. The worry would reappear. Then someone suggested that I “shed the stress" and a lightbulb went off. Each time the repetitive thought appeared, I imagined a tree shedding its leaves.... Continue Reading →
The next time you are under any kind of pressure. Stuck in traffic. Rushing from class to class. Dealing with a difficult customer at work. Desperately trying to recall answers on a final exam. Wake up to the formidable power that exists within you. Right here. Right now. Right under your nose. Breathe https://youtu.be/zRSQw-LjU8k The deeper the breath, the deeper... Continue Reading →
Look up ↑ Breathe ↑ Release One quick glance to inner peace. Related Post: Always Looking Up.
Happy Monday Everyone! I am excited to share my interview with The Drive Magazine on positive psychology and stress resilience. Inspired by my TEDx Talk: Thriving Under Pressure. The 3 C's of Positive Psycholog My favourite part of this photo is the story behind it.When the magazine was arranging the photo shoot, they asked where... Continue Reading →
https://youtu.be/BcKL7x18Fc4?si=DIMK9PLpsOuAAiHQ The Aftermath No matter how many times I deliver a speech or engage in media and events, I am frequently left with the same emotion for the next day or two. Sadness. A kind of longing. A sense of emptiness. A Change of Pace I spend weeks and months practicing, preparing, and editing my... Continue Reading →
Trust the process of your life. What looks like the end could be a whole new beginning. You just can’t see it yet.
When I'm struggling to get through a difficult day, I look to the trees for inspiration and refuge. All they do is give. And all we need to do is receive. Again and again. With every single breath. And every single step. Peace lives here.
Activate your free will today. The results will take your breath away. Related Post: Lay down your burdens.
Every morning and every night I visit my favourite place on Earth. The great outdoors. 🌿 Where do you go to quiet your mind and free your soul? Related Post: Taming your monkey mind.
Wishing you a day filled with joy. Related Post: Ordinary Joys
Take a long deep breath with me. Inhale Calm Exhale Chaos Release Let Go You are more powerful than you know. https://youtu.be/zRSQw-LjU8k Breathing Video — Watch Here
I look up every chance I get. First thing in the morning. On my run. On my way to work. In between classes. Out for a bike ride. From the skylight in my office. On the front porch before I go to sleep. https://youtube.com/shorts/0gMq9BNKvOA?si=4t_RZAoPOFph44ME Connected to Something Bigger The sky connects us to something much... Continue Reading →
Bring yourself back to the present moment. One long deep breath at a time. Herein lies the peace you've been searching for. All day long. Related Post: Just Breathe.
So many choices when it comes to stress relief. Which one will you choose today? Thriving Test — Click Here
This photo was taken on one of my daily hikes up Blue Heron Hill. One of my favourite places to go at the end of a long wintery day. Each breath. Each step. Shifts me higher. To a place of perfect peace. At one with the great big beautiful sky. A divine connection. No words necessary.... Continue Reading →
What images give you a sense of safety and protection in the midst of fearful thoughts? I imagine angels in the sky and lions at my feet. You: What images shift you from fear to safety? Related Research ⇒ The Effects of Guided Imagery on Anxiety
Thriving Under Pressure 