Tag Archives: People

Tips and Tools for Helping Yourself or a Friend

The teenage years can be tough, and it’s perfectly normal to feel sad or irritable every now and then. But if these feelings don’t go away or become so intense that you can’t handle them, you may be suffering from depression. The good news is that you don’t have to feel this way. Help isContinue reading “Tips and Tools for Helping Yourself or a Friend”

Two Traps to Avoid: “If Only” and “What If?”

In each season of my life, I’ve found myself falling into two mental traps which are not helpful. One is the “If only” syndrome, and the other is the “What if?” syndrome. Here’s how “If only” might express itself: “If only I had a husband.” “If only I had more money.” “If only my husbandContinue reading “Two Traps to Avoid: “If Only” and “What If?””

What should I do if I think my grandchild is suicidal?

QUESTION How should we handle concerns we have that our teenage grandson may be suicidal? Many teens are moody — we understand that — but he seems to have more “downs” than “ups,” and we think he could be seriously depressed. While spending the weekend at our house, he actually told us that his lifeContinue reading “What should I do if I think my grandchild is suicidal?”

Don’t Give Away Your Power

Karen and Steve stood in the hallway, complaining about their manager’s latest top-down decision. “He’s unfair.” “Micromanaging.” “Never listens to us.” Gina met me for lunch, complaining about her relationship—the same things she’s been complaining about for years: “He never does anything around the house.” “Never listens.” “Doesn’t care about me.” Then it hit me.Continue reading “Don’t Give Away Your Power”

Why Words Can Hurt at Least as Much as Sticks and Stones

Just as the digital age has ushered in new ways of enhancing human connection, it’s also opened up the scope and range of social rejection. Unfriend—as in, un-Facebook friend—was the word of the year in 2009, joining its older cohort “cyberbully,” amid the advent of the text breakup or the Facebook status change as waysContinue reading “Why Words Can Hurt at Least as Much as Sticks and Stones”

Anger: The Beast Within Us!

People experience anger in many different ways and for many different reasons. What makes you angry may only mildly irritate one of your colleagues, and have little to no effect on another. This subjectivity can make anger difficult to understand and deal with; it also highlights that the response is down to you. So angerContinue reading “Anger: The Beast Within Us!”