Emotional snowballing happens when our reactions to uncomfortable emotions create more uncomfortable emotions. This core emotion grows as it goes, like a snowball gathering more snow as it rolls down a hill. A common example is worry about worry, but emotional snowballing can occur when any one emotional reaction builds from another. Before we dive into…
“Radical acceptance rests on letting go of the illusion of control and a willingness to notice and accept things as they are right now, without judging.” – “Despite my many ordeals, my advanced age and the nobility of my soul lead me to conclude that all is well.” Radical acceptance is the act of acknowledging…
The real tragedy of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is that he eventually gave it back. Okay, not really. But some aspects of Christmas have become pretty toxic, and here’s one reason why: Pluralistic ignorance is a circumstance of social psychology in which each member of a group privately rejects a norm, but believes everyone…
All of the good poets are not in their right mind when they make their beautiful songs A few weekends ago, when talking with a friend about the nature of creativity, and specifically creativity myths, the subject of the ‘tortured artist’ came up. My friend rattled off an impressive list of famous creative-types who have…
Emotional growth means growing in our emotional abilities. This means not only getting better at managing our emotions, but also in the ability to evoke emotions of our choice. We do not have complete control over our emotions. If we did, we’d all decide to be happy, and live happily ever after. But we do…
Raw emotions are those emotions that hit us right in the gut, in the immediate aftermath of some consequential event. These raw emotions usually leave us feeling that we need to do something, while not being sure what exactly what we could be doing. In other words, raw emotions are intense feelings inside us that…
No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. The importance of a support system is beautifully expressed in the quote above. This famous saying — no man is an island — describes the inter-connectedness of the human experience. Nobody can make it…
Realistic goals are a powerful thing. For many years, I overlooked the value of a good goal. They seemed hokey and destined for failure. More than anything, they seemed like a lot of unnecessary pressure. Then, for some reason, I gave it a try about a week into the new year. Around that time, my…
We have all heard the adage that money can’t buy happiness. Well, maybe or maybe not. While the jury is still out on that question, one thing we do know is that financial distress can wreck our wellbeing. Therefore, improving our financial wellness can only benefit our mental health. As a mental health professional, I have seen the numerous…
Interpersonal conflict can be defined as any conflict between two or more people. This can be a simple disagreement, an explosive argument, or, at its worst, interpersonal violence. A great example of interpersonal conflict can be found in the story of Moloch in the Bible. A how-not to guide: Moloch in the Bible Let’s look…
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