Modern times have brought parenting challenges unimagined a generation ago. Thankfully, the last decade has produced a ton of research about the teen brain. "Scientists believed—incorrectly, as it turned out—that brain growth was pretty much complete by the time a child started kindergarten; this is why for the past two decades parents of infants and toddlers, trying to get a jump on their children’s education, have inundated their kids with learning tools and accessories like Baby Einstein ...read more
The Best Time to Plant a Tree…..
I was talking with a young client yesterday who feels that he has not accomplished as much as other people his age. He looks around him and all he sees are the accomplishments of others, without ever pondering or recognizing his own accomplishments….or, worse, without ever seeing how much of his energy is tied up in thinking about how much he hasn’t accomplished! Of course, these thoughts of regret just keep him stuck, playing over and over again what he thinks he “should have” done based on ...read more
TIME TRAVEL: What Time Is It In YOUR Time Zone?
TIME TRAVEL “Time travel is possible." While some do it more often than others, generally one of our biggest errors lies in spending our mental and emotional energy “living” in the future or the past, or in other words, in NARRATIVE mode. We think about what we need to get done (today, tomorrow, and last week’s procrastinated tasks). Or we think about what went wrong in the past (our own failures and past emotional drama and trauma). We think about what we want our spouses, children, bosses, ...read more
4 Things You Need to Know About Adolescent Anxiety
Anxiety can be compared to fire: It can keep us safe and warm, or completely devastate our property and our lives. It’s good to be a little anxious at times. For example, when walking down a deserted street at night, anxiety keeps us on alert and ready to fight or take flight should a dangerous situation arise. But for many people, especially teens and adolescents, anxiety can become the norm instead of the exception. Just walking into a classroom or being with a group of people they don’t ...read more
Afraid of Failure? Here’s Advice on Coping with Setbacks
Fear of failure causes us to put the brakes on our life. Sometimes we’re so afraid of failing at something, we either don’t try at all, or we subconsciously undermine our own efforts to attempt to avoid a (perceived) even bigger failure. Without question, fear of failure is immobilizing and, when we allow it to dictate our choices and sit on the sidelines, we miss great opportunities and potential for success. Signs of Fear of Failure While none of us like to fail at anything, how do you ...read more