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CBT Jealousy Depression Relationships Conflict Self-efficacy Happiness Goal-setting Motivation Wellness Sport Psych

Popular Articles

Crazy-Makers: Dealing with Passive-Aggressive People

Why Are People Mean? Don't Take It Personally!

When You Have Been Betrayed

Struggling to Forgive: An Inability to Grieve

Happy Habits: 50 Suggestions

The Secret of Happiness: Let It Find You (But Make the Effort)

Excellence vs. Perfection

Depression is Not Sadness

20 Steps to Better Self-Esteem

7 Rules and 8 Methods for Responding to Passive-aggressive People

What to Do When Your Jealousy Threatens to Destroy Your Marriage

Happiness is An Attitude

Guide to How to Set Achieveable Goals

Catastrophe? Or Inconvenience?

Popular Audios

Panic Assistance

Motivational Audios

Mindfulness Training

Rational Thinking

Relaxation for Children

Loving Kindness Meditation

Self-Esteem Exercise

Lies You Were Told

Choosing Happiness

Audio Version of Article: Crazy-Makers: Passive-Aggressive People

Audio Version of Article: Why Are People Mean? Don't Take It Personally!

Audio Version of Article: Happiness Is An Attitude

All Audio Articles

PsychNotes October 2013
by Monica A. Frank, Ph.D.
Clinical and Sport Psychologist

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Index        Previous        Next

October 27, 2013

New Audio: DAILY MINDFULNESS PRACTICE--Feeling the Cold

The above audio is part of a series of short mindfulness practice exercises to help train your brain to be more mindful or present focus. These audios are not imaginal experiences. It is necessary to actually engage in the behavior described. This exercise is simply paying attention to feeling the cold of the day or holding an ice cube. Your experience of this exercise will vary depending upon the cold source and intensity.

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October 26, 2013

New Passive-Aggressive Example: GRANDMOTHER'S CRITICISM OF CHILD

Question: My mother criticizes my 10-year-old son about his hair, clothes, the activities he likes, you name it. He's a good kid, does well in school, and I think that he should be able to make his own choices about these things. I can see that my son is hurt by this criticism. When I try to tell my mother to stop, she and my sister say, "He's a boy and he needs to toughen up. He needs to be able to handle teasing. You're just over-protecting him." Is she right? How do I get her to stop?

VIEW ANSWER

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October 23, 2013 People may think about the long-term effects of overeating such as weight gain or health consequences, but this awareness often has little impact because it is too far into the future. This audio is about helping to create awareness of more immediate consequences when you are making decisions about what to eat. The more you practice this exercise to imprint the memory of the consequences in your brain, the more it helps to make better choices.

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October 17, 2013

New Audio: DAILY MINDFULNESS PRACTICE--Feeling the Heat

The above audio is part of a series of short mindfulness practice exercises to help train your brain to be more mindful or present focus. They are meant to be used frequently throughout the day. This exercise is to focus fully on the experience of feeling heat and noticing the sensations. Although mindfulness can be relaxing, it is really about being present with your immediate experience even if it is not entirely pleasant.

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October 12, 2013

New Audio: DAILY MINDFULNESS PRACTICE--Listening

The above audio is part of a series of short mindfulness practice exercises to help train your brain to be more mindful or present focus. They are meant to be used frequently throughout the day. This exercise is to focus fully on the experience of listening and noticing all the different sounds around you. Although mindfulness can be relaxing, it is really about being present with your immediate experience even if it is not entirely pleasant. This is a good exercise to learn to tolerate all experience since not all sounds are pleasant.

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October 11, 2013

New Audio: DAILY MINDFULNESS PRACTICE--Closing Your Eyes

The above audio is part of a series of short mindfulness practice exercises to help train your brain to be more mindful or present focus. They are meant to be used frequently throughout the day. Mindfulness can be done throughout the day in the many different activities of the day. This exercise is to focus fully on the experience of closing your eyes and noticing all the different aspects of the experience.

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October 8, 2013

EXCEL AT LIFE ON THE WEB

Stacy Juba, a novelist focused on characters at a crossroads, released a blog describing her experience with Excel At Life's relaxation and meditation audios.

She writes "Until recently, I thought that fitting meditation into my busy schedule would be a chore. However, now I find it fun to scroll through my growing collection of downloads to decide which one I’m in the mood for that day. Do I want to escape to a mountain cabin? Laze on the beach? Access my inner child with the Magic Bubbles audio? Could I use a little ride aboard the Self Esteem Train?" (www.excelatlife.com/downloads.htm)

Thank you, Stacy!

Read More: Start Meditating Now With Excel At Life’s Free #Meditation and #Relaxation Audios

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October 7, 2013

Qigong Can Reduce Depression

Making qigong a lifestyle activity can decrease clinical depression. Qigong is a Chinese system of physical movements combined with breathing. Initial results by researcher Albert Yeung and colleagues (2013) indicates that the majority of depressed individuals who took a minimum of 15 classes showed significant decrease in depressive symptoms.

Although qigong can be effective in reducing symptoms of depression, individuals with severe depression can have difficulty initiating any kind of activity. The idea of engaging in routine exercises can be overwhelming for many with depression. Therefore, it may be necessary to focus on taking simple steps towards change. Qigong can provide such a structure as it involves basic movements that can be done by almost anyone. Excel At Life provides some qigong videos.

Yeung, A., Slipp, L.E., Jacquart, J., Fava, M., Denninger, J.W., Benson, H. and Fricchione, G.L. (2013). The Treatment of Depressed Chinese Americans Using Qigong in a Health Care Setting: A Pilot Study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, doi:  10.1155/2013/168784.

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