Spending Money as Stress Relief?
Why does spending money feel so good? Is there science behind “retail therapy”?
TV as stress relief?
Television is a great hobby. And it can even relieve some stress. But what happens when reducing stress from one thing causes stress in another part of your life? What happens when relaxing by watching tv (or TikToks, or social media, or playing video games) starts to cause problems?
How to make mental health days more effective
Imagine this scenario: You’re overwhelmed by stress at work and you take a day off. You come back to work refreshed, but the stressors are still waiting. Within hours of returning you feel further behind and more overwhelmed than before the time off, erasing the positive effects of stress management. How do we break this cycle and take a mental health day that actually helps?
The Neuroscience of Tidying Up
With the holidays winding down and a new year looming, many of us are in a transitional mode. As we begin to take down the holiday decorations and assess where to put our new gifts, we consider that we might need to tidy up in some significant ways.
The Soothing Neuroscience of Coloring Swear Words
Sitting at the kids table this holiday season? You might find yourself spending some time coloring… and you might find it surprisingly soothing! I wrote this piece about the neuroscience behind the adult coloring book fad back in 2016. And yes, I definitely referred to those that include swear words! Hey, whether you’re stressed out or overexcited, you might find yourself using a few choice words this holiday season. Grab a crayon and settle down a bit!
Holiday Party Prep: Stress Tips Flashback
Party prep means managing the stress of diving into awkward family interactions. Here’s a few holiday stress management tips to help you plan for the worst and hope for the best.
Holiday Stress Tips
For this post, I’m flashing way back to 2011 when I gave what I’m pretty sure was my very first television interview ever! Rewatching it now, I'm actually impressed with the clear insights and concrete tips I was giving way back then! Take a few minutes to review my thoughts on reducing stress & enjoying the holiday season to the fullest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zzfMQ_fMSE
Gratitude for Holiday Stress
Today I’m sharing a video from a visit to my friends at Virginia this Morning on WTVR CBS-6 back in December 2017. This conversation took place the same month that my article on Scrooge was published on HuffPost, so you’ll notice that it’s referenced and the topics are similar, though one never knows where the questions will go!
Redeeming Scrooge with Neuroscience
This Holiday Season, Avoid the Pitfalls of Scrooge and Your ‘Type A’ Behavior