Social anxiety affects a surprisingly high number of us. Social anxiety “is an anxiety disorder in which a person has an excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations.” Sufferers of social anxiety will feel deeply uncomfortable both physically and mentally at the thought of BBQs, music festivals, outdoor events, even friendships, and relationships. What was really interesting was a study conducted by the…
I will be the first one to admit that at times, I will let a situation overwhelm me and, therefore, steer my response. I did this for a while, and I am not proud of it. Jumping from one mood to the next simply because at times, I could hardly see the bend on the path in front of me. Well, that is…
Are all negative thoughts bad? Consciously challenge a negative thought about an event by coming up with alternate explanations for what caused it. Learning how to challenge your negative thinking takes time. Be patient and forgiving of yourself. Focusing on your strengths is also a good way to deal with it. You can identify one of your best traits and find a new…
I have a confession to make… I know meditation is meant to be good for you but I don’t meditate every day. I go through cycles of meditating 20 minutes a day and then slowly ‘forget’ and slide into not meditating until I feel I need to — until I feel like crap. Sound familiar? But recently things have been different. For the last 30 days, I’ve…
With everyday stresses putting pressure on all of our lives, it sometimes becomes hard to feel motivated and with the weight of the world on your shoulders, you may become unhappy with your life. Meditation and Mindfulness are two approaches that are generally associated with relaxation and appreciating the world around you. However, they can also be used as a part of everyday…
Lucid dreaming isn’t just a way to have mystical experiences—it’s also an incredibly useful day-to-day life skill. Here are five ways you can use it to gain incredible advantages in your life Once a relatively obscure practice studied only by sleep scientists, artists, and mystics, lucid dreaming has become an incredibly popular subject. Although many are aware of the phenomenon of being consciously…
This is my story of how listening to people and their personal stories changed me and my life. I hope it will inspire you to be kinder with those around you. On September 22nd, 2013, 9:17 of a sunny and crisp Sunday morning, my father died. The heart attack was not entirely unexpected, but sudden nonetheless. This incident changed my life forever. I was…
Who doesn’t love celery? It adds a crunchy texture to salads and aromatic intensity of flavor to all kinds of soups and stews. But there’s another way to deliver that spicy flavor, with even more intensity and to a much wider range of foods. It’s celery seed, a spice that’s easily available but sadly under-used. The spice with the misleading name. It seems…