Five finger breathing: a simple way to reboot your brain, calm down and be in the moment. Worry takes up your brain’s “RAM” (working memory.) Paying attention to many senses (seeing, feeling) & body parts (hands, breath) at once crowds out worry. Dr. Jud has lots of resources that can help us understand habit formation …
Some of us carry a so-called “stress-buster” in our pockets every day. In fact some of us would NEVER think of leaving home without them. Most of them come in a handy pack of 20 – some with a flip-top box! In order to use these alleged reducers of stress, one generally needs to light …
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’m suggesting AGAIN that you invest a little bit of time into building a couple playlists to influence your mood. Besides helping folks adjust their moods, reduce stress, and lower anxiety, some people are even using music to manage their physical pain! Check out this legit …
When I’m in the car – especially for a long time – at some point I’ll start thinking about junk food. My thoughts about food are not usually related to being bodily hungry, but tend to related to feelings. Negative feelings (anxiety, anger, etc.) can certainly provoke me to want to do something to soothe …
Music is mighty and I can’t imagine a day without music! Friedrich Nietzsche is said to have said “Without music, life would be a mistake.” Mistake or not, life would certainly be bleaker without the sounds and vibrations of music. Let’s ward off “all things bleak” with some intentionally selected music. Maybe music is medicine …
Whether or not it’s actually said on a movie or television set, “Take Five” is a fairly familiar phrase that means take a break. And there are surely times in our worlds when we need to take a break. Here’s a simple tool to learn so that we can take a safe, healthy break when …
Many years ago, my sister had epileptic seizures for a while. Hers were called temporal lobe seizures and they were usually preceded by an olfactory hallucination, or the sensation of smelling a scent which was not present. The scents she would often “smell,” just before her brain caused her to blackout, would often be a …
This weekend I had an opportunity to hear an extraordinary organist (Dr. Robin Dinda) perform an improvisation on “Morning Has Broken,” and the tune – while always a favorite – has been dancing, or perhaps tiptoeing, through my head. This morning as I drove a familiar route I was wooed into the woods to snap …
Today, I’m changing the ring tone on my mobile to a song that will amuse me. I’m investing a minute of my morning to click on a couple keys and change the sound my phone makes when someone calls me. Who cares? Me. I care and I know (from my past experience) that even if …
Odyssey Fifty years ago today Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece, “2001: A Space Odyssey” was released. It was a remarkable movie for it’s time and still holds up pretty well half a century later. I think I need to make a point to watching it again. You may recall some of the music from the movie too, …
This week we’re going to be looking at the idea that “how I see me will determine how I treat me.” This is quite literally a daily utterance for me. I rarely, if ever, have a conversation about addiction without sharing this idea. And this topic isn’t only relevant for addicted folks – this absolutely …
Fire & Rain James Taylor has a birthday today and I bet we all have a favorite JT song. He’s sold over 100 million albums over the years. We know that music can help us to shift a sluggish mood or an anxious mood. So in his extensive discology of 17 studio albums, 5 or …
Music to Shake Your Mood Today in history some pretty diverse musicians were born. March 1st is the birthday of Justin Bieber, Roger Daltrey, Glenn Miller, and Frederic Chopin. Wow – I mean WOW! What a range, huh? And no matter what your musical taste, if you aren’t intentionally using music to help influence your …
Miracles Happy Birthday to William “Smokey” Robinson Jr., who turns 78 today! Born in Detroit, he was once called (by Bob Dylan of all people) ‘America’s greatest living poet.’ While gaining fame, his life was sometimes stormy, especially in regards to addiction. When one looks at addiction, there a few other Smokey titles that might …
Some of you know I’ve been rather obsessed with the idea of freezing soap bubbles. I’ve long been a fan of blowing bubbles because it requires us to practice deep breathing (or maybe aerobic arm-flapping?) Taking time to breathe deeply is simply good for us – all of us! And all of us ought …
