Podcasts

Distraction is a skill to use when you can’t change a situation. If you stay focused on what is upsetting you (like the Corona Virus) it won’t be helpful and can be overwhelming and depressing. Keeping up with the updates is important, but you also need a break. There are many ways to distract yourself. ACCEPTS is a way to remember the categories of distraction skills. The A stands for Activities.

Psychologists like to study everything!  Often they study what’s going wrong but sometimes they study what’s going right. What does the research show about successful families? They’ve identified some characteristics that could be helpful in strengthening your family relationships, especially if you find yourself in very close quarters now, due to the stay-at-home order.

With life slowing down and, well, being in close quarters, there are a lot of adjustments. You had a normal way of living and your routines that worked for you. Suddenly in the pandemic period, your way of life could be turned upside down.

In mental health, vulnerability factors are the circumstances and experiences that affect your ability to cope well or regulate your emotions. For example, being tired, hungry, experiencing financial difficulties or having a history of PTSD would be vulnerability factors for many. When your vulnerability factors are higher, you are more likely to act in ways that make the situation worse instead of acting skillfully.

When you enter into a conversation, what is your intention? When interacting with certain people, such as the representative for your cell phone bill, your priority is getting your bill fixed (a task) not maintaining a relationship. At other times the relationship is more important than getting an answer or solving a problem.

Bringing mindfulness into your everyday life is part of making a difference and helping decrease the anxiety you might feel. There are many ways to practice mindfulness every day. Remember mindfulness means to be present and pay attention in the moment in a particular...

Wise Mind is a core concept in DBT. Wise mind includes rational mind and emotion mind. In many ways It's a simple concept. You want to use facts and emotions to make decisions and responses in order to act wisely and be effective. Both facts and emotions contribute to...

You know that moment, that instant, when you know there's going to be a conflict? The tension hits. There's a disagreement or you're irritated. Your voice tones change so you don't sound melodic and inviting but lower and maybe even sharp. Your friend's face is flat;...

Think about the beliefs you have about yourself. If you described your positive beliefs about yourself, what would you say? Stop for a minute and think about it. Be completely honest. No one's listening. Do you believe you are smart with numbers? Are you confident in...

Eating when you aren’t physically hungry can be so frustrating, in addition to being a problem for your health. You promise yourself you aren't going to do it, and then you do. Again. Afterward, you’re miserably full and bloated and upset that you overate or binged...