Last month, we talked about internal family systems, which is the idea that we have different parts within ourselves that are often in conflict. For example, there may be part of you that feels betrayed and excluded when you find out your two best friends went out to dinner without you, while another part of you completely understands, does not…
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Part of happiness is staying engaged in life, stimulated, and interested. While our brains enjoy habits, they also crave novelty. You are in charge of creating your own happiness, and you can create something unexpected in your life too. We challenge you to do something out of the ordinary. This could be something social, like messaging an old friend you…
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We tend to think of ourselves as having a singular identity, but really we have different parts of ourselves that are often in conflict. For example, have you ever been around someone for too long and gotten annoyed of them? Maybe one part of you is saying mean things in your head and wants them to leave as soon as…
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We are humans with concerns and fears, and it’s not uncommon for our thoughts to spiral in the downward direction. Once certain negative thought loops are activated, it can be hard to get out of them. So when we start to notice thoughts go south, what can we do? Sometimes simply reminding yourself of a loved one or the night…
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Imagine you are going on a family summer vacation. You book your flights and hotel rooms and have it all planned out. You begin to feel pressure to make the most of your trip because you are using your paid vacation days and spending your money on it. You can’t help but get angry when your flight is delayed. The…
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Manifestation has been a buzz word recently, and whether or not you believe it’s possible, there’s one thing that’s for certain: adapting a positive mindset can help good things come your way. Manifesting is the practice of thinking aspirational thoughts with the intention of making them come true. Imagine your dream job. Say you’re at a point in life where…
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We are social creatures who yearn to be respected, connected, liked, and loved. It is great to aspire to have these things, but the shadow side is that we sometimes compromise our own values and interests in order to gain approval. In some cases, we don’t even know our own values and interests because we have been so focused on…
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We live in a consumerist society. We’re constantly exposed to advertisements telling us all the things we need to be better, and it’s easy to get caught up in this mindset. We all want to be happy, so what does the science really say? Research over the past decade has shown that experiences make us happier than material goods. Why…
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If you had a day to go wherever you want, where would it be? Would it be a day trip to the beach to relax in the sun, or to the mountains for a long hike? Maybe you’d wake up and prepare a delicious picnic, grab a book, and go relax outside all day. Do you like tubing on the…
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When’s the last time you did arts and crafts? Almost every kid enjoys it, but we rarely see adults allowing themselves the same fun. The truth is, many of us stop doing art when we become more self-aware and self-conscious of what we’re making. We only want to do what we’re good at, and we find it embarrassing to make…
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Many of us meet with our friends over coffee or drinks. Does it ever feel like you meet just to catch each other up on your lives and then go your separate ways? If this sounds like you, we challenge you to reapproach your time with friends, and actually make some memories doing activities together. It can bond you to…
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Research shows that having regular family dinners is linked to positive mental health for all family members, and linked to better behavior in children. The busyness of modern life and family members’ varying time commitments may make it difficult for everyone to come together at the same time, so we don’t want parents to feel stressed about having a family…