Positive Psychology & Stress Resilience
I hope you enjoy my one minute meditation retreat.
Visit my YouTube Channel for more psychology videos.
In my TEDx Talk I discuss how to THRIVE under pressure using 3 stress resilience tools: challenge, control and commitment.
The purpose of this talk and my blog is to help students develop positive coping techniques in fun, interactive, and uplifting ways.
By first focusing on what is right, before examining what is wrong, students can be transformed by their challenges and adversities.
If you like, please share my TEDx video with friends and family and on social media. The wider its reach, the more people I can help thrive under pressure!
This month I published my first psychology advice column for a Canadian magazine. The same magazine that profiled my work in positive psychology.
My intention for the psychology article is to inspire and comfort individuals experiencing loneliness during the holidays.
I have been writing psychology textbooks for McGraw-Hill Ryerson since 2009 and blogging since 2015.
But truth be told, I have always longed for something more. To write a psychology advice column for a magazine and eventually a book about psychology in everyday life.
My intention is to make psychology accessible, engaging, and easy to apply. Integrate all of the stories, life lessons, and adversities I have witnessed over the years as a former school psychologist and now professor.
Which is why I am thrilled to share an excerpt from the December PSYCH DRIVE column for The DRIVE Magazine.
Lean into Loneliness — Introduction
When we feel a painful emotion, our first instinct is to pull away. To numb the pain. To hide from the intensity.
This was the case for Sarah and Jack, two unique individuals with vastly different circumstances. But they each experienced the same emotion: loneliness.
An emotion that is heightened during the holidays.
Knowledge is power
1. Understand the emotion
We need to first understand an emotion before we jump to the conclusion that it’s either good or bad, because in reality, emotions are almost entirely physiological in nature. There’s not a negative or positive to them. It’s in our mind that we make it one or the other. This concept is supported by Schachter-Singer’s theory of emotion..
To continue reading article… click here ←
Our right brain lives in the here and now.
The other sinks into the present moment, trusting all is well.
I choose my right brain.
Fully present.
All is well.
A walk around Blue Heron Lake.🍃
Related Post: Is Happiness a Choice?
So many people in this world are struggling with what to do with their lives.
An existential struggle that did not exist 100 years ago when jobs were more clearly defined.
Which is why it is essential to explore life purpose in many different ways.
We must not confuse life purpose with occupation.
My occupation = Psychology Professor.
My life purpose is to lift people up and help them feel better.
Something I can do on weekends, at work, with friends, in my community, and well into my retirement years.
Our occupation transpires 9-5. Our life purpose unfolds 24/7.
The topic of finding one’s life purpose was an active discussion on social media (see screen shot below) and in psychology class (link to video) this week.
Social Media: What’s my gift?
This is how I walked a fellow instagrammer through the process of (re)discovering their life purpose:
Life purpose is a way of being.
A way of living and giving.
It is all encompassing.
We are 1 in 7.5 billion.
No more waiting. No more searching.
A daily mission. Big and small.
Supporting others and sharing our gift.
Breath by breath. Step by step.
We are the domino effect.
I hope you enjoy this video message on life purpose too.
Boost your motivation and raise your energy by laser focusing on what is within your control during challenge and adversity — Your Mindset
Related Post: The stories we tell ourselves.
This post was inspired by a stressful situation that I couldn’t let go of, long beyond its solution. No matter how hard I tried. Day in day out. The worry would reappear. Then someone close to me suggested “I shed the stress”. And a lightbulb went off. Each time the repetitive thought appeared, I imagined a tree shedding its leaves. A golden leaf for every anxious thought. This visualization process made all the difference. And so did writing about it. 📝🍂
What would you say good-bye to?
Once and for all.
It could be an emotion. Or a thought.
A relationship. Or a job.
A place or a thing.
It’s time to let go of what drains you.
Let go of what holds you back.
Let go of what keeps you down.
It could be a mindset. Or a memory.
A situation. Or an attitude.
Write it down. Shout it out.
It’s time to let go of what weighs you down.
Release it to the universe.
Declare your freedom.
Vow to move on and beyond.
Once and for all.
In this video clip of my keynote speech at the “You Can Do College Event” I share the biological origins of stress and anxiety with 300 high school students from Ontario, Canada.
In this segment, I also demonstrate simple strategies for dealing with high stress situations. Including deep breathing exercises, mindful awareness, and personal responsibility.
To learn more about the role of positive psychology in stress management & resilience, check out my TEDx Talk “Thriving Under Pressure” on the TED TALKS site.
It’s in the middle of a challenge where we need positive energy the most.
So let this be a gentle, encouraging voice reminding you that “You didn’t come this far, to only come this far”.
And that one day it will all make sense.
All the pressure will be worth it.
You are resilient.
You are strong.
You are a diamond in the making.
You sparkle.
You shine.
I see it.
And one day you will too. 💎
TEDx Playlist: Diamonds from Pressure
◊ In this video clip from my “Pitch with Passion” seminar with student and community entrepreneurs, I discuss the importance of being authentic and true to oneself. ◊
Not everyone is going to like who you are.
What matters most is that you stay true to you.
In business and in life!
Visit my YouTube Channel
