Destructive thoughts, such as perfectionism, fear, and blame, give way to SMaRT strategies, such as visualization, meditation, positive thinking, and a growth mindset. The goal of those strategies is not to eliminate destructive thinking—which is beyond most of us—but to finish with it as quickly as possible to dwell, instead, on our real potential for…

Mental health began as a movement in the US in 1908 when Clifford Beers wrote a book about his own admission into three mental hospitals. The book is still referenced today by mental health professionals. One hundred years later, in 2008, an article published in World Psychiatry, the journal of the World Psychiatric Association, noted…

Mindful relaxation brings you back to the current moment, without judgment and without stress, much as visualization does. The SMaRT strategies for mindful relaxation are usually categorized as imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, and focused breathing. Unlike other forms of relaxation, it does not require any special equipment, clothing, or environment, or cooperation by another person;…

In part, Newton’s First Law of Motion states that a body at rest will remain at rest. It contains a lesson that human beings often forget: the need to stay at rest. Instead, conventional wisdom lauds those who are always find something to do, who get by with less than 8 hours of sleep, and…

Are you aware of your body right now? Where are your feet and hands placed, is your head tilted, are your shoulders hunched or bowed?  Body awareness is part of self-awareness. When you exercise body awareness, you pay attention to your body’s position in space, the messages it is sending you (pain, relaxation, stress), and…

The mindset that permits mindfulness is aware and accepting of the here-and-now; it is non-judgmental and alert. Those characteristics of awareness, acceptance, presence, and freedom from judgment permit a growth mindset, which enables you to see possibilities, learn from mistakes and embrace challenges.  Accept What You Can’t Control Planes will be delayed, whether you rant…

You may have created rules to keep everyone on track as your company or team grew. You may have brought rules over from other locations, companies, or industries where you formally worked.  However, rules that are too many, too arbitrary, and a bad match for your current company or team have disastrous effects on problem-solving,…

Leadership involves facing problems every day. At some point, you will be asked to select between, approve, or disapprove solutions. That creates the enormous stress of wanting to be right. No matter how minutely you define the problem, you are likely to face several competing solutions, all of which appear to have high feasibility and…

You’ve conducted your audit, discovered the problem, and found the solution. In a sense, you have completed the most stressful part of problem solving. Yet, implementation of the solution is where many leaders and tribes fail.  Implementation is possible only if: Everyone is committed to seeing a solution. Sometimes individuals or team place their own…

“If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude,  a feeling that nurtures the soul.” ~ Rabbi Harold Kushner Gratitude on one level is a social contract. You did something for me, so I will do something for you by expressing…