Our thoughts and our emotions are deeply connected. People were designed to focus on the negative as a safety measure in ancient times when life was more dangerous. We had to recognize a negative change and take steps to deal with it or the consequences…

The new COVID case rate has created a crisis situation in many communities. That increases the stress on all of us. Plus, many states and counties are imposing new lockdown restrictions. Right before the holidays! That makes none of us happy. It may feel like…

There is a plethora of research indicating that the experience of gratitude supports individual well-being in addition to more long-lasting benefits. It can increase feelings of competence and happiness, perceived sense of connectedness to others, and the likelihood that others will act similarly in their…

This has been such a hard year and most of us are exhausted and sick of the uncertainty and chaos. The election has its own tension and that will hopefully go down after next week. The COVID crisis however, will continue for some time. The…

The year 2020 has been one of the most challenging in our lifetimes. The pandemic itself is unprecedented with few people still alive during the last global pandemic, The Spanish Flu, who remember the difficulties of that time. Yet, 2020 has more to offer than…

Monday, 8/17/20 started out like any other day. I made a strong cup of coffee and sat outside on the deck with my husband and 2 dogs.  It was then that we noticed there was a slight smell of smoke in the air. We began…