mindfulness

Michael Maslar, Psy.D., and Director of Mindfulness and Behavior Therapies at The Family Institute leads a guided meditation practice.

Many find that the beginning of summer offers an opportunity to slow the hectic pace of professional life down, at least a bit. Whether your pace will slow down or not, this time of year can provide an opportunity to do some self-care and start some healthier habits.

You can’t venture on to the Internet these days without stumbling across some sort of editorial about the Netflix show Thirteen Reasons Why. The Chicago Tribune has called the show “highly problematic” and “dangerously wrong” (VanNoord, 2017). Vanity Fair has referred to Thirteen Reasons Why as “unsettling visual genius” (Robinson, 2017).

We all need to place an importance on our own well-being and mental health. As we mentioned in our previous blog, Keep Anxiety at Bay, everyone experiences anxiety, which is completely normal. It is how we react to that anxiety that matters.

“My friend Caroline is driving me crazy,” your partner reports, exasperated. “She keeps pushing me to go shopping again, but I don’t have her endless energy for that.” Quickly, you’re poised to suggest a way she can beg off on her friend’s invitation.

It’s our fast reactions that get us into trouble: “I can’t believe you did such a stupid thing!” or “What the hell were you thinking?” or “You’re a real ____!” When words erupt quickly, it’s the emotional brain reacting, not the logical brain responding.