February is a month often spent celebrating relationships. Whether with a spouse, common-law partner or otherwise, Valentine’s Day festivities continue to enamour us all – well, at least a good percentage of us. The truth is, we often cannot see through the colourful façade produced by what is now an ...
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What do you aspire to achieve in life? Financial success? A healthy, happy family? The opportunity to travel and see what the rest of the world is like? Or, perhaps all of the above appeal to you and merely getting there has been a challenge. Dreaming is healthy for the ...
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Lately, we have been examining different ways to be better to ourselves. However, it is also essential to focus on how we present ourselves to others in order to prevent a vicious cycle of assumptions and misconceptions. Ironically, this involves blocking out the noise of the world and focusing within. ...
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All of us experience the sensation of fear and anxiety at various points throughout our lives. Fear is caused by a real and understood threat, like fear of being unable to cope or protect oneself, or fear of a real threat if attacked or assaulted. Fear is specific, immediate, and ...
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Anger, like other emotions, acts as a form of behavioural regulation, built into the neural architecture of humans over evolutionary time. Essentially, anger is an emotional response that produces a surge of energy and motivation within the minds of humans when specific situations or events demand such behaviour to be ...
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We all go through moments in life where we try to make someone else happy. Whether it be towards a spouse, an in-law, or a colleague, everyone has done more than their fair share of “people pleasing” in their life. Sometimes this can be an acceptable practice, like conceding to ...
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We’re constantly told how bad chronic stress is for the welfare of our health. It is a serious matter that needs to be reduced and controlled for the sake of your physical, psychological, and emotional health. How can you control chronic stress when it is influenced by factors outside of ...
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Although many of us have a tendency to group the term anxiety and panic attacks in the same boat, from a clinical perspective they are actually different. This is mainly evident in the variations among triggers, symptoms, occurrence, and treatment. Here’s a deeper look at what those differences entail. Triggers: ...
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Physically, our basic needs are nourishment, hydration and sleep. But our basic needs also include mental and psychological well-being. Ignoring these psychological needs may lead to anxiety or depression, which can have negative repercussions for every aspect of your life. Think of the old adage of the millionaire that has ...
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Effectively balancing your wants and needs is a difficult feat for anyone. It’s completely natural to feel a stronger motivation to go after your immediate wants than take care of your higher needs; to go after things that are easier to attain in the present and provide immediate pleasure and ...
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Divorce is tough. There’s no way around it. Even if the decision was mutual, the most amicable separations and divorces cause some level of emotional trauma for both parties. The level of trauma varies from person to person dependent on a variety of factors, but no matter the situation, going ...
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For those days in life when your fourth cup of coffee has you completely wired, or when those deadlines and “to do” lists pile higher than you can bare, or when life take the reigns and snaps away your time to decompress – it could be time to introduce some ...
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Your health and stress go hand in hand. They are connected on a physiological level that many of us may not realize. Unhealthy stress that is persistent and constant can have a profound effect throughout your body. Stress is a normal part of life, but when it becomes a pervasive ...
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In The Joy Diet: 10 Daily Practices for a Happier Life, Martha Beck writes that “doing nothing is the most productive activity you will ever undertake.” When we speak of stillness, this is exactly what we mean. Doing nothing. Not meditation, or prayer, or brainstorming, or problem-solving, only stillness. The ...
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Boundaries are limits that separate actions, words, emotions, and sensations that we consider safe, appropriate, appreciated, and welcome, from things we do not consider acceptable. Boundaries can be physical, emotional, sexual, or spiritual. Everyone has different boundaries and only you can define your personal limits. Boundaries are often established through ...
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Although giving and receiving is undoubtedly a hugely important part of life, it becomes even more significant at Christmas time. Christmas is a time of togetherness, and the giving and receiving of love and gifts with our family and friends. Gift of Attention – Spend Time With Your Loved Ones ...
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Sympathetic joy essentially means to experience a sense of joy in the basic goodness of others and in the fundamental well being of ourselves. In other words, it is “being happy for someone” the way we would feel proud of ourselves when we achieve things like getting a good grade ...
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The funny thing about the concept of “listening” is that people assume it’s so easy because it comes naturally. Believe it or not, it doesn’t. Some people seem like “natural born” listeners, while for others it takes an effort and a mindful approach to become an engaged listener. Listening to ...
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This article is the second in a four-part series about attachment styles. These four styles are a component of attachment theory, a psychological model that attempts to articulate how people connect with and relate to one another. Our individual attachment style is determined shortly after birth, based on the child-parent ...
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This is the first in a four-part series on attachment patterns. The four attachment styles are part of attachment theory, a psychological model that describes the how people relate to one another. We form our attachment styles as babies based on the child-parent relationship. These styles go on to influence ...
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It doesn’t have to be January 1st to make big changes in your life. If you resolve to start leading a more whole and fulfilling life, your Ottawa therapist can help. Here are some different activities you can do to find more pleasure in life: Senses Humans have five well ...
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In today’s world, there is a fixation on what we “do.” When approached at a social gathering, the first you’re ever asked is “what do you do for a living?” Your child walks in the door, and you ask her “what did you do today?” Yet as human beings, life ...
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Whenever you are faced with a challenge or presented with an opportunity, you have two default options: to say yes, or to say no. No is a defensive action that can shield you from failure, but it can also prevent you from achieving what’s possible. In contrast, saying yes keeps ...
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Smiling is a simple act that comes instinctively when we see something nice, beautiful, or funny. A smile is a gesture of happiness and appreciation. A smile is only a series of contractions in our facial muscles, yet becomes associated with everything good in the world. Read on to find ...
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When you open yourself to beauty in the world, in other people, and in your own heart, you acknowledge the interconnectedness between yourself and all things on this planet. Being open to beauty allows you to find joy, experience the moment, and appreciate balance and harmony with life. Opening yourself ...
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Have you ever been given tragic news and responded “I can’t believe it?” Been handed frustrating circumstances and wonder how “unfair” life can be? Often, to shield ourselves from confronting pain and moving forward into a positive future, we react to painful moments with denial, disbelief, suppression, and emotional procrastination. ...
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Albert Einstein once said, “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.” Although we are not quite there yet, we have become addicted to our technological devices. There is a growing body of scientific evidence supporting the idea of ...
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Transitions and changes are a part of everyday life, whether they are planned or unexpected. Quitting your job to start a new career, moving to a new city, or becoming a parent for the first time are all big changes in life, and having strong feelings of anxiety, stress, panic, ...
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At some point in their lives many people start to find their relationships difficult and will unknowingly repeat behaviours that seem to sabotage their ability to be happy. Although it is common for couples to seek relationship counselling, many people do not realize that the individual counselling can often be ...
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