This article first appeared in Happify We generally think of February as a month to celebrate relationships. For most of us, this means flowers, gifts, and dinners—the more expensive, the better. But despite the money spent in service to relationships, as a species, we're becoming more lonely a...
Forgiveness is one of those topics that brings up two very strong and opposing instincts—the desire to rise to our highest self vs the need to protect ourselves from harm. How to manage both together is where we can all do with a little help. Let’s begin with an understanding of what forgiven...
A client was talking about a man she’d been dating for almost a year. She liked him, they went out regularly, but the relationship wasn’t moving forward. “I find it difficult to open up,” she said. “And I’m afraid he’ll leave because he wants a committed relationship.” I’m not a...
Like many of you, I’ve spent the last few days toggling between grief and hope, as we’ve witnessed the events since George Floyd’s brutal killing. And like many of you, I’ve been feeling a strong need to take responsibility for my role in creating a wiser, kinder, more compassionate wor...
“I need my space!!” It’s a phrase I’ve heard more times than I can count in the past few weeks. From clients who are struggling with everyone home, and not having quiet time to focus on their work. From friends who are sick of the constant arguments and lunches and negativity in the house. ...
This article first appeared on Happify Yesterday, a friend was sharing an argument she had with her husband the night before. It was over the groceries—something minor, like buying a brand of cereal the children won’t eat. Earlier this week, a client complained about something similar. A ...
This article first appeared on Happify As we head into the holidays and look forward to (or dread) spending time with friends and family, it’s a good idea to reassess our relationships so we’re able to communicate in ways that fill us up and not drain us out. Dr. Jennie Rosier, Associate Pro...
I hope you spent this week questioning some of the expectations you have of yourself, especially in the areas where you struggle or where the inner critic is loud – and modifying them if they’re unreasonable or bordering on perfection. Today I want to expand the topic by also asking you to look...
This article first appeared on Happify We've all had this experience: Someone says something, we think they're judging us, and we take it personally. Some of us may get angry and somewhat aggressive, while others may seethe in silence, pretending it’s not a big deal, but feeling tormented inside....
This article first appeared on Happify How often have you said something and instantly wished you could take it back? Maybe you spoke too soon. Maybe it didn’t come out right. Maybe it was the expression on the other person’s face that made you regret what came out of your mouth. How often did...
This article first appeared on Happify It’s easy to get frustrated by others. It’s easier still to get frustrated by people we are close to, because we believe they should know what we want. We believe they should have the same values and motivations that we do. And when things get rough, we be...
This article first appeared on Happify Have you ever been at the receiving end of other people's negative emotions? You might have a partner who gets needlessly critical at home because they've had a bad day at work. Or a friend or colleague who keeps passing snide comments without fully express...
This article first appeared on Happify We've all been let down by others at some point in our lives. A friend promises to join you for an outing and doesn’t show up. A colleague doesn't speak up for you in front of your boss. A superior takes all the credit for your hard work. It makes us angry, ...
This article first appeared on Happify Have you ever heard your own voice go Blah blah, blah blah, blah blah, blah blah? Everything about the person next to you is silently begging you to stop. YOU are begging you to stop, but still you go on: Blah blah, blah blah, blah blah, blah blah…. I kno...
This article first appeared on Happify It’s that time of the year. Family, friends, and colleagues surround us; holiday cheer is in the air; and it’s a time to give and take, eat and drink, and, of course, be merry. Naturally, this isn’t always so! There are also family politics, friends you...
