To say that laughter is infectious is an understatement. Nothing beats the gut bursting genuineness of a laughing baby. Take a moment to watch this video brighten your day. You’re welcome!
New appointment scheduling for all locations: Call to speak with someone at 919-572-0000
To say that laughter is infectious is an understatement. Nothing beats the gut bursting genuineness of a laughing baby. Take a moment to watch this video brighten your day. You’re welcome!
Ponder this: You have a pot of boiling water on the stove that you need to cool down, so you dump in ice cubes to cool it. It does the trick. But then it starts to heat back up again and you find yourself having to constantly add more ice cubes. This a “symptoms approach” to problems. By just focusing on the symptoms, you find a short term solution, but in the long term the problem is still there. A “roots approach” to problem solving gets at the underlying cause. How would the roots approach solve the boiling water problem? Turn off the stove. Take a look at how you are approaching different problems in your life. Are you taking a symptoms approach or are you addressing the problem at its roots?
Want to know the secret of how to become a happier more vibrant person in 2 hours or less? Well according to studies conducted by Penn State University as well as the University of British Colombia, certain movies can cause “elevation” which can be associated with generosity, kindness and humanity’s positive potential. So, in retrospect take two movie tickets to see Happy Feet and call me in the morning. Happy movie watching!
Click here for more information.
Affirmations are proven methods of self-improvement because of their ability to rewire our brains. Much like exercise, they raise the level of feel-good hormones and push our brains to form new clusters of “positive thought” neurons.
To learn more click here.
Sometimes a quick pep talk in the mirror is all that is required to give you the inner boost you need to brighten yourself up from the inside out. Happiness better given once received. Taking the time to acknowledge your own hard work can be the happy pill you may be seeking.
“Don’t you see how far you’ve come already? You have a lot to be proud of, and every reason to keep moving forward. You can do this.”
Ok, ok, all my “it is after 5 somewhere” friends, don’t get too excited. Just because a drink says that it can assist in lightening up your mood does not always mean it must be for adults only. This tasty blended beverage can be used to put a pep in your morning step or quiet a crying 2-year-old (which makes everyone happy…lol). So, the next time you are at the market, grab these few items and drink your happy!
Click here for the happy drink recipe.
Our minds can handle about 4 hours of “deep work” or “tightly focused attention” in a day before we start to experience mental fatigue. It is that point in our studying or working where we start to feel less effective and productive, and we may start to feel easily distracted and irritable. This is usually the sign that the mental effort you have been exerting has depleted the glucose that feeds neural energy. In the same way that we give our body a rest when we feel tired, we also need to give our brains a rest. What can we do to rest our brain? First, here is what does NOT rest the brain: checking emails, surfing the internet, looking at social media, or playing video games. These activities will not give your brain a deep recovery. We need to engage in activities that allow our brain to “just be” without continued distractions. Meditation and spending time in nature are the best ways to give your brain the deep relaxation it needs. Logistically, most people can’t leave their workplace to drive to a nature preserve, but you don’t need to go very far. Take a walk around your building and enjoy the fresh air, or maybe there’s a patch of trees in the parking lot you can sit under. If you work in a concrete jungle, focus your attention up into the sky and admire the clouds and sunshine. If you want to be more productive, you need to give your brain a rest.
Q: My daughter has been a bubbly, outspoken girl since her first words. She is in the 7th grade and I fear she is losing her outgoing personality. She’s also less decisive and confident. I believe in raising assertive, young women and want to support her however I can. I would appreciate any tools, strategies, and suggestions to help my daughter find her inner-self and get back her sparkling personality.
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A: Part II of this series continues addressing your tween’s self-esteem. While Part I addressed the groundwork for promoting a healthy self-esteem, Part II features life skills and activities you can incorporate into your tween’s life to build a confident, well-rounded daughter.
Anyone who has spent time in nature knows how peaceful and calming it is. Even if you don’t consider yourself an outdoorsy person and prefer living or vacationing in a city, you surely have come across a park and have enjoyed sitting on a bench admiring the landscaped flowers and trees. What is it about natural environments that make it so good for our mental health? Why are spiritual and health retreats typically held in the mountains, by an ocean, or deep in a forest? Psychologists call it Attention Restoration Theory (ART). The theory says that we have two attentional systems. The first type of attention allows us to have intense prolonged focus where we can ignore distractions long enough to solve a problem at work or to study for an exam. This type of attention is prone to mental fatigue – anyone who has studied for a big exam or needed to meet a deadline for a work project knows this mental fatigue! The second attentional system does not require such intense focus, but rather involves effortless reflection and observation. ART says that it is this second attentional system that gets activated when in nature, and which allows for recovery from mental fatigue. Mountains, oceans, lakes, streams, and forests demand very little from us, yet they still engage us in a way that does not drain our energy. Unlike cities and social media which are constantly vying for our attention to “look here! look there!” and “pay attention to this before it becomes irrelevant!” – nature allows us to pay attention in our own time. When in nature, we can think as much or as little as we’d like.
Our ancestors used to spend the majority of their lives outside and it’s only relatively recent in our evolution that we spend so much time indoors. The average American now spends 93 percent of their life inside (this includes time spent in a vehicle). It’s no wonder our alienation from nature has coincided with higher rates of illness, attention difficulties, and has diminished use of our senses (living on autopilot).
The Japanese culture has something called Shinrin-yoku, which translates to “forest bathing.” How cleansing does that sound! Forest bathing is the act of spending a few hours in a forest only engaging your five senses. Studies from Korea had patients with depression engage in psychotherapy outdoors and they found those patients had reduced cortisol (stress) levels, improved heart rate variability, and reduced overall depressive symptoms. The benefits are so great the Japanese government have officially designated certain lands for “forest therapy.” People can go to different areas based on the types of trees they particularly enjoy for their visual appeal and scents. Another lesser known benefit of being in nature? There is a harmless bacteria in soil that can decrease inflammation in your immune system, alleviating a variety of health issues. The bacteria also acts as a natural antidepressant by increasing the release and metabolism of serotonin in parts of the brain that control cognitive functions and mood. This could be why gardening has been considered a great stress reliever.
We need to start prioritizing the importance of nature on our health. Remember, one size does not fit all. Find what you like! Not down with rolling around in the dirt? Take a stroll through a public garden. Find a nature retreat for your next vacation, even ‘glamping’ is better than nothing! Play outside with your children. Whatever it is, find a place to engage your secondary attentional system on a regular basis.
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MAIN OFFICES DURHAM
(S. DURHAM/RTP AREA)
5842 Fayetteville Road, Suite #106
Durham, NC 27713
(919) 572-9999
DURHAM OFFICE
(S. DURHAM/RTP AREA)
5826 Fayetteville Road, Suite #202
Durham, NC 27713
(919) 572-9999
CHAPEL HILL CLIENTS
Close by offices in Durham
Near the Southpoint Mall
Or ONLINE TELEHEALTH
THREE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS! SERVING DURHAM – CHAPEL HILL – RALEIGH – CARY
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At Lepage Associates, you will either reach a receptionist or a doctor when you call, or will get a return call soon after you call. While we are usually in the office, we cannot answer the telephone when we are with a client. When we are unavailable, you will get our private voicemail, so please feel free to leave a detailed message. We typically return calls on the same day you leave a message, or at least within 24 hours, sometimes with the exception of weekends and holidays.
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