One of the best, most effective ways to manage stress is to just get away from it. That’s right, just leave, and leave the stress behind. What do I mean by this? I mean leave the stressful situation, whatever it may be. There are two ways to do this. You can temporarily leave a stressful…
Are most of the stressors in your life, the things which cause you to feel stressed-out and anxious, internal or external; or are they a confusing mix of both? Are these stressors acute or chronic? Are you making your own life more difficult than it needs to be, or is the world around you simply…
Are you stressing yourself? Feeling too busy to finish every task you’ve set for yourself? Feeling like your job is taking too much of your “Me Time?” If so, you may be stressing yourself out. It’s time to get rid of self-induced stress. Even if we accept the premise that our world today is a…
Life seems to have become far simpler today for the gay, lesbian, and transgendered among us; with acceptance, rather than mere tolerance, having become the norm, even to the point of marriage equality in many states. Yet, despite the progress made in the past decade or two, coming out to family and friends remains a…
As the millennial generation reaches maturity and heads into the work force, it’s helpful to examine some of the most common myths about life that all of us seem to take as gospel truth when in our 20s. Dispelling these myths can reduce a great deal of the stress that young adults experience, if only…
The loss of a child can be devastating, even more so if the loss is self-induced; that is, by suicide. The loss of potential; the guilt a parent feels; the sheer magnitude of what may have been, but for a bit of understanding and effort on the part of a parent or guardian; may never…
Perhaps the most devastating experience a parent can have is the death of a child. When that death is caused by suicide however, the loss is even more devastating, as guilt and recrimination can become overwhelming, to the point that a parent may become completely unable to function for long periods of time. The feeling…
While many understand the emotional stress inherent in grief from a significant loss, the death of a partner, child, or parent for example, it is only recently that the physical toll of stress from loss has begun to be understood. Research into grief reactions has shown that the evolutionary fight or flight response to grief…
Do you possess a positive or negative sense of yourself? Do you feel good about who you are, or do you feel like you are somehow deficient? Does your concept of “I” include “I am competent,” or “I am capable,” or “I am worthy?” Or, do you instead, live with a negative internal dialogue of…
In my years of practicing psychotherapy and providing grief and bereavement counseling in the Littleton and Denver areas, I continue to be struck by the uniqueness of the grief process for everyone. For so many, coping with the death of someone you care about can be more than merely painful, it can be debilitating emotionally,…