Key points Mother’s guilt is a perpetual feeling state inherent in one’s role as a mother. Understanding the role values play in our parenting helps us connect to the actions we choose to take. When competing values present themselves in our parental decision making, be sure to also pay attention to the…

Key points Generally, we are not taught to manage our emotions, respond to them in ourselves and others, or their utility. Societally we’re encouraged to deny, distract from and rid ourselves of uncomfortable emotions, which is an impossibility and unhelpful. By allowing all emotions to surface, we enhance our ability to better…

Our kids are not even close to being OK. I’m astonished at how many patients I’m currently treating that have been directly or indirectly impacted by suicide or fentanyl poisoning. Recently, a patient’s high-school senior experimented with an opioid and never woke because it was laced with fentanyl. Another patient…

Key points It’s challenging to break free of bad habits because our brain relies on automatic routines for decision-making. The brain views all repetitive behavior and habits as important and can’t differentiate between good ones and bad ones. When trying to rid ourselves of habits, we tend to gravitate toward a quick-fix…

Key points To live mindfully, we must find a balance between living every day as if it’s our last and being in the present moment. It remains critical for us to be in the here and now, with what is, rather than with what ifs. CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)…

Key points Mantras have been empirically studied and are proven as a tool for improved health and mental health. What you specifically recite when selecting a mantra is less important than the repeated focused attention. Through powerful, memorable, and concise mantras, we can train ourselves to continually tap into our joy, strength…

Key points The increasing prevalence of anxiety and depression in this country makes it necessary for us to work on decreasing its symptomology. We all experience anxiousness and hopelessness to varying degrees and levels of frequency and intensity. You can transform your thinking and mindset by asking yourself questions that help you…

Key points Self-acceptance is correlated with increased physical health and well-being, greater resilience, and lower rates of anxiety and depression. Individuals are reluctant to cultivate self-acceptance for fear of complacency, mediocrity, and a lack of motivation to change and grow. To effectively cultivate self-acceptance, we need to be consciously aware of and…

We all collectively spin out of control. The process manifests itself differently from person to person. We get triggered, viscerally impacted, and have the tendency to spontaneously react, and often overact. We lose sight of our relationship and turn narrowly into our thoughts and feelings. Many of us become defensive…