If you’ve finally made the decision to seek out counselling, you may be wondering how to prepare for your first therapy session. It can feel stressful and even a bit awkward during the initial appointment when you don’t know what to expect. But just remember, this process feels challenging for ...
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Everybody deserves a companion and friendship. In some cases – many, in fact – there is a tremendous struggle to find another human being to connect and bond with. Not all of us are raised in happy households. At the same time, many of us find it difficult to cope ...
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We all know some people who have a hard time making sense of the world around them. Many times, these individuals are struggling internally to find themselves, and understanding others seems to be even more difficult to achieve. Add to that the fact that modern society is chaotic, noisy, commercialized ...
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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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No matter how hard you try to maintain optimism and a confident demeanour, it does not mean your brain is going to cooperate. This happens to everyone, and the cause is hardwired into us from birth — it is known as brain negativity bias. Simply put, this means that our ...
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To be doing good deeds is man’s most glorious task. – Sophocles If you’re feeling an altruistic desire to do some good, know that it’s much easier to accomplish than you may think. Doing good – whether it’s towards yourself, others, your community, or to the rest of the world ...
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Narcissism is characterized by extreme self-centeredness and self-absorption. Narcissists are captivated by their own attributes and crave attention and admiration from others at all times. Their worldview is unpredictable and perplexing. These people are unhappy with themselves and they tend to blame others for their swinging moods and erratic behavior. ...
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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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Distress and anxiety caused by stress can lead to many restless nights. Even worse, once you are sleep deprived your anxiety levels tend to rise creating a vicious cycle that can feel overwhelming. The most important thing to do in this situation is to relax. Try to distract yourself from ...
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Identifying and isolating what triggers your stress and causes your affliction is a very important step towards better managing your stress levels. Often, we experience undue stress by factors out of our control such as school, work, our health or children. Other times, we experience stress by perpetuating negative thoughts, ...
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For many of us, identifying the stressors in life that cause headaches, tense muscles, anxiety, and overall stress are no mystery. Common stress triggers include finances, job stress, relationship troubles, and family pressure. Having too much on one’s plate, too little down time, and practicing unhealthy habits are also common ...
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We’ve all endured stress at work. Between the piles of deadlines growing on your desk, to those long, arduous meetings that cut into your ability to actually complete those deadlines, to the overpaid boss that just won’t leave you be – it’s no surprise how much stress can wear you ...
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Stress has negative connotations, and rightly so. When you are overstressed, it feels like there is an extra weight on your mind and body. Even daily life activities like eating and sleeping are affected by stress. At the same time, stress in small doses has some benefits. After all, stress ...
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This is the third article in our ongoing stress series. Previous articles include The Biology of Stress and Recognizing the Early Warning Signs of Stress. When work starts to get overwhelming, when household responsibilities begin to pile up, when your relationships cause you to feel tired, worn out, and hopeless, ...
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According to a 2010 study by Statistics Canada, “1 in 4 Canadian workers described their day-to-day lives as highly stressful.” Prolonged and consistent stress is associated with negative health patterns like smoking, over-consuming alcohol, improper sleep hygiene, and poor eating habits. Stress also contributes to negative health consequences including high ...
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Stress is a natural, healthy part of life. Evolutionarily, it’s a process that allows our bodies to cope with danger by engaging a cascade of biological events. Though stress was a mechanism designed to protect us from mortal danger, in modern terms our consistent levels of stress are caused by ...
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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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Believe it or not, facing serious illness or mortality does not have to be unbearable. Of course, being diagnosed with a life-changing or terminal illness can be emotionally and physically debilitating, affecting each and every person you love. But, for those who like to think as the glass being “half ...
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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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Do you live your life based on your own values, or based on a perception of how things “should” be done? When you have a decision to make, no matter how big or small, do you evaluate the impact it will have on your life and how it fits within ...
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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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Compassion is an incredibly important human trait that bonds us across all divisions. When it comes to other people, most of us find it natural to notice and identity suffering. We feel emotionally moved and drawn to help that individual, and often act to alleviate their suffering in any small ...
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From a very young age people are encouraged to grow their horizons by joining activities such as boy scouts and after school sports. From there life only gets busier with school work, babysitting, part-time jobs, relationships and post-secondary education. Throughout our lifetime we rarely slow down to take moments for ...
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It was once believed that when an individual reached early adulthood the brain would reach its peak and would stop developing. It was also believed that around the age of forty our brain cells died off and there was no way to regenerate them. Decades of research , and new ...
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Meditation provides many benefits for the body, mind and soul. It creates a calming effect which eases stress and anxiety. Meditation can also give people a different perspective on difficult and trying situations, as well as increase self-awareness and reduce negativity overall. To start meditating follow the steps below: Getting ...
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There are many common myths about therapy that can keep people from enjoying the many benefits therapy has to offer. Here are five common ones, debunked: Therapy Isn’t for Me From small towns to cities like Ottawa, therapy provides a perspective on life that assists people from all walks of ...
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