This post continues on what to do during the worry hour, more specifically what to do with unproductive themes/topics, see earlier posts. You can choose among several strategies: 1. If stressed, calm yourself by pointing out that the thoughts are likely consequences of stress and hence see the worry-theme as a mainly stress symptoms and…
There has been much research into the field of happiness since it is close connected to perceived wellbeing. Professor Sonja Lyubomirsky, a renowned researcher within the field of happiness, claims that 40% of happiness can be influenced by the mind of a person! Her main points are to include more of the following dimensions in…
Imagine giving a speech here? Do not worry if your stomach cringes, giving a speech is one of the things the majority of people fear the most. Fear is an extremely important feeling since it has a huge survival value. It makes us instantly react to perceived threats by avoiding the danger and instead seeking…
Another way of reconnecting to yourself and find your inner motivation and drive is adding activities that you miss or are interested in. Our own stories about ourselves are a part of self-esteem/self-worth. These stories are partly constructed by what we cherish and do with our time. Research has shown that when you validate yourself,…
This post continues on what to do during the worry hour that was introduced in last week’s post. Worry hour is a tool to handle anxiety and rumination, but also when stuck in unproductive problem solving, mourning a loss etc. by reducing the time spent on nonurgent unproductive or hurtful thoughts to maximum one scheduled…
You have heard it before, but one of the absolute best way of handling stress short and long run in addition to recovery activities, see last week’s post, is exercise. Research has shown that both aerobic exercises, like walking, running, swimming and biking, and building muscles, as in strength training but also work around the…
There are many important dimensions with regard to feelings as sources of information. As with all information we have to evaluate the truth/probability and the quality of the information that triggered the feeling. If we are scared of spiders and we see one we will get highly aroused by fear and move briskly away from…
Mindfulness meditation can be used for strengthening the ability to remain calm and postpone reactions during stressful situations. Here comes the second part of a body-scan-exercise that you can record and use: … Now pay attention to the lower back – an area where we easily feel pain, stiffness, tension or fatigue. Just breathe. Allow…
If feelings are our compass needles, we need to take them seriously as information sources.The purpose of your feelings is to help you focus attention and action so that your brain will work out and carry out a plan of how to deal with the situation as adaptive as possible. As an example: If someone…
Feelings are very important since they are central both to human identity and to the experience of self. Feelings are also important messengers and guides of needs and desires, both for the individual and for communication among humans. Still, there is not a shared definition of feelings. The Tomkins Institute helps us with the following…