The Less-Stressed Life

My son spilled a whole glass of milk on the couch this morning.  Again.  This is maybe the second or third time that he has made the same mistake, and I have to admit, I was upset.  O.K., I was more than upset, I was mad.  So, I went to him and asked him calmly…

                                                        Tomorrow is the BIG day.  We will all sit around a table with people that we care about and “celebrate Thanksgiving”…whatever that means to you!  But it is important to recognize that our gratitude is not merely an act of discipline.  Giving thanks has emotional and psychological benefits that are truly astounding and that…

                                  Growing up in my Italian household meant that many family times were centered around one thing: FOOD.  As a teenager I remember sitting down to a home cooked meal with my mom, dad and sister every night.  And there was only one expectation as we ate together as a family: we had to…

  So, do you know what makes up a good marriage?  Do you have one? Can you spot trouble instantly in someone else’s marriage?  How about your own? Research shows that the way you recount your early years of being together, both positive and negative, is about 90 percent accurate in predicting whether your marriage…

              Research shows that one of the most important features of successful relationships is the depth of your friendship.  In fact, I find that I can often make a quick (and accurate)  assessment about the state of a marriage by taking a few minutes with a couple during their initial…

Late one night several months ago I couldn’t sleep so I flipped on the television.  As I surfed through the channels I came across a poker game.  Normally, if you asked how I felt about watching a poker game on television I would have preferred to watch paint dry, that would be more exciting.  However,…

Do you wake up in the morning happy about the fact that you are about to start your day?  Or do dread going to work in the morning and look for every opportunity to take a “personal mental health day”?    The research is very clear that it is almost impossible to get burned out if…

    The playwright Jules Renard wrote, “The only man who is really free is the one who can turn down an invitation to dinner without giving any excuse.”  By that definition, are you free? Few of us are because we feel guilty when we draw boundaries with people in order to focus on what’s…

My 5-year-old announced boldly this evening: “I know alot about life.” Me: “You do?” 5-year-old: “Yes I do” Me:  “What do you know about life?” 5-year-old: “I know that when ever you are doing something bad, you should stop…And you should love Jesus…And God” And with that answer, I was convinced that my little boy…

The latest research has identified several different kinds of thoughts that typically lead to stress.  I call these “Hot Thoughts,” meaning they will usually lead to a significant experience of stress.  I’ve included a summary of some of these thoughts so you can identify any that are at work in your life. All-or-Nothing Thoughts.  Individuals with…

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