5 Ways to Build a Natural Antidepressant Brain Do you ever wish you had the ability to feel better more often when it comes to your mental and emotional health? You know, less anxiety, loneliness, depression, sadness, low-self-esteem and struggles in your relationships. More excitement and joy over life and greater satisfaction and love in your relationships. The term ‘the antidepressant brain’ came to mind this weekend during a road-trip to Colorado where I got…
When We Devalue Others, We Devalue Ourselves I recently came across this blog post from Brené Brown, adapted from a chapter of her Braving the Wilderness, and I was reminded how much of our current political discourse is dominated by such extremes in language. Throughout the course of my life, just up to a few years ago, I recall there being political disagreements and differing points of view, but things were never as intense as…
Three Causes of Loneliness and How to Overcome Them I have been thinking a lot lately about feelings of loneliness and how to overcome them. Over the years I have observed an increase in loneliness in my clients and amongst some of the people I know personally. In fact, a recent study has revealed that nearly half of all American adults reported feeling lonely, left out, and isolated. What is important to consider, when it…
5 Approaches to Managing Negative Thoughts All too often we find ourselves feeling anxious and overwhelmed at just the thought of engaging in the activities necessary to reach our goals and live out our dreams. If finding your way through life were easy, everyone would be doing it and you wouldn’t be reading this! One of the biggest mistakes we make when trying to change our thinking patterns and alter our Negative Core Beliefs is…
As the Gender Pendulum Swings: True Equality and the Crisis of MenOver the years of working with thousands of clients, I have come to believe that men deserve more praise, love, and compassion. If that sentence raises your hackles, hear me out first.Like most people, I have had the good fortune to grow up, and work with men who were decent and honorable; great men who worked hard for their families with little to no…
The Power of Do It Now!: Why We Fail to Get Things Done One of the components of my MaxxMethod is Do It Now! This component is designed to aid my life coach clients in taking action and working towards accomplishing their goals and realizing their dreams. In my two decades of working with clients, one of things I hear the most is that people often understand what it is they desire and how want…
Thoughts vs. Emotions: Understanding the Difference Can Make a Difference Two facets of my MaxxMethod approach are thoughts and emotions. At the beginning of working on Personal Development, when asked how we feel, we often respond with a thought.Since many of us have trouble identifying the difference between the two, I thought it would be an important topic. This first step is becoming aware of their difference and how each influences and shapes our lives.…
Understanding Emotional Intelligence How we manage our lives and interact with others lies in our ability to interpret our emotions and the emotions of others. Yet, nobody every teaches us. We are taught many things throughout school; however, we are not taught how to manage our emotions and thoughts. The management and understanding of our individual emotional circumstances as well as the emotional states of others is Emotional Intelligence and central to the work I…
What the Hell Do We Do with Our Emotions?If you’ve been following my blog, you may have read my “Secret to Healing Our Emotions” a lighthearted article on a serious topic that, unfortunately, carries a ton of stigma. We are often taught to avoid, deflect, and even numb our emotions in self-destructive ways.One of the issues we face when it comes to managing our emotions, particularly the unpleasant ones, is that we approach them with…
The Secret to Healing Our Emotions Have you ever felt like you were going to faint or have a heart attack over a breakup, failed project, or embarrassing memory from the past? A feeling that is so uncomfortable that it is going to suck the life right out of you and literally put you in an early grave?Well, I have some good news: it won’t! Some emotions may bring you to your knees and make…