Relationships. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a formula for them? Amazingly, there is! It is a magic formula. Really. The math is easy: 5 to 1. Dr. John Gottman (who has studied couple interactions for 40 years) found that when couples speak more positively than negatively to one another, there is a much higher rate of satisfaction in the relationship. And the math is so easy, but not exactly balanced.
Understanding Your Teen: Privilege Problems
Q: Can teens of caring parents with most needs & wants met and plenty of opportunities at their disposal experience unhappiness, disconnection, and mental illness?
A: In short, absolutely YES. And actually, according to recent studies, they appear to have a higher risk of experiencing these symptoms.
Understanding Your Teen: Depression
Is my teen just a “normal, moody” kid experiencing the roller coaster of their changing bodies and a desire to fit in and belong? Or is it depression?
This is just one of the many ways find it difficult to understand their teens these days. It’s important to pay careful attention to your teen’s behavior. Even if they won’t talk to you, their actions might just tell you what’s going on.
Understanding Your Teen
We’ve all been one. Some of us entered into young adulthood with more or less scars then others. But usually words that come to us when we think about the teenage years include awkward, identity, changes, and confusion. Thinking about middle school and high school can trigger memories of the crowded hallways, lunchroom decisions, peer-pressure, first relationships, and experimentation. Most of us are thankful we survived. So it’s not surprising that when parents experience their children entering this phase of life, they feel a little helpless. We find ourselves feeling confused all over again.
Infertility: Hormones & Stress Management (Part 2)
Learning to engage the deep relaxation response of your body and mind can greatly reduce stress and anxiety. The relaxation response is the complete opposite of the fight or flight response, which is the physical response to danger. Unfortunately, our bodies and minds cannot tell the difference between physical danger and psychological stress; thus, we experience the fight or flight response when we are stressed in any way. The relaxation response decreases heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing, allowing us to feel less anxious and calmer.
Hope After a Heartbreak
It’s been said, “Relationships are like glass. Sometimes it’s better to leave them broken than try to hurt yourself putting it back together.” Making this choice leaves a person heartbroken in many instances. Most of us have experienced this at least once in our lives.
Infertility: Hormones & Stress Management
If you’re struggling with infertility, you’ve no doubt heard that stress is a factor. You’ve probably also heard health care providers and other well-meaning people say “just relax,” which is about the least helpful thing someone can say to you when you’re struggling with managing the stress of trying to get pregnant, whether through natural means or infertility treatments. In our busy, achievement-minded culture, most people don’t realize the amount of chronic stress they endure and how it affects their physical body, particularly the hormonal system.
Being a Caregiver: Make Yourself a Priority
The role of caregiver is fraught with the demands of both time and energy, often when both commodities are at a high premium in one’s life. Many adults find themselves caring for parents and children simultaneously as well as juggling a work and home environment where added stressors multiply quickly. As in any demanding time of life, prioritizing what goes at the top of the list is very important. It may seem counterintuitive, but put your name at the top of the list.
Hey Couples: Arguing is Good!
Are you concerned about your relationship because you argue pretty often? Studies suggest that arguing 1 time a week can actually be healthy for a relationship because it can open up the lines of communication.
The Growing Parent: Trauma in the Media (Part 3)
The fact is, children are going to get the information they are looking for one way or another, whether from their peers, television programs, the internet, and so forth. Unfortunately, often times the information they find is erroneous. False information can be problematic for a variety of reasons and can lead our children down paths we don’t even want to fathom. As parents we have the opportunity to give our children accurate and healthy information, in turn giving them a better foundation.