The philosopher Eric Hoffer stated, “The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.” Gratitude is an inward sense and an outward acknowledgment of a gift or benefit received. Gratitude is the appreciation of what is valuable and meaningful to you and represents a general state of thankfulness, gratefulness or […]
Words Do Mean a Lot
An old Chinese proverb stated, “The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names.” There are two meanings associated with words – denotation and connotation. Denotation is the literal meaning of words while connotation represents the various social, cultural or emotional associations with words. For example, families that do not consist of […]
Our Sense of Control
As discussed previously, worry, the cognitive side of anxiety, occurs in the higher brain (prefrontal cortex). Thus, it is important to ‘stop-thought’ the brain from worrying about something right from the start, especially if the something is out of our control. It is the mind that tells us that we do or should have control […]
Your Brain on Anxiety, Stress & Worry (and what to do!)
Did you know that while everybody experiences some level of anxiety, 23% of Canadians aged 15 or older report most days as quite or extremely stressful (Statistics Canada, 2012). What exactly is anxiety? Anxiety is a natural danger alerting response which includes: body sensations (e.g., increased heart rate, tight chest) behaviour (e.g., talking fast, avoiding/withdrawing) […]
Communication: Is Anyone Listening?
Often during conversations we feel we are not fully understood by the listener. Over time, this lack of being heard can lead to feelings of disconnect, ‘Why bother say anything in the first place?’ frustration, self-doubt, and arguments. It takes both a good speaker and a good listener to make meaningful connections. We can start with some […]
Loneliness in Our Lifes
“Loneliness … is the central and inevitable fact of human existence.” Thomas Moore Loneliness is defined as “the quality or state of being alone including isolation, singleness and solitude.” Loneliness is a discrepancy between one’s desired and achieved levels of social interaction, while solitude is simply the lack of contact with people. Loneliness is a […]
