Whether your anger stems from road rage, your relationship, your job, or anything else in your life, the underlying cause might be the same. It’s easy to blame the driver who cut you off, your partner, or your boss for “making you feel angry”, but it’s your expectations that are probably the real culprit. The truth is, expectations are premeditated disappointments. So whenever you’re angry, look for the expectation you have that was not met. The good news is that to the extent that you can change your expectation you can inoculate yourself against anger. And it’s important to do this, because your anger only hurts you!
Author Archives: Michael S. Broder Ph.D.
Make Your Relationship Stronger With These Communication Tools
When life’s in full swing, it’s easy to neglect communicating to your partner what’s important in your relationship. And you’re communicating well, when your partner actually hears the message you mean for him or her to hear. This doesn’t always happen, which can be a source of frustration for both of you.
Internet Procrastination: Why We Do it and How to Stop
Ever set out to do a task only to later find yourself wasting endless time on websites such as Facebook or Twitter? Do you hop on the computer to write that important email, but within a few minutes get sidetracked into mindless web surfing finding later you haven’t done what you’ve set out to do? You’re probably experiencing the phenomenon we all know well… Internet procrastination. Everyone does it at some point or another, but why? The underlying reason may be that you get overwhelmed with the amount of things you have to do and the mere thought of getting something started stresses you out. Another possibility is that you’re setting standards for yourself that things must be absolutely perfect, so you don’t even begin to attempt them until the very last minute. This then may make you stress out more ,throwing you into a procrastination snowball.
Unlock the Power of Meditation— To Feel Happier and More at Ease
Meditation is a great tool to combat stress and help you feel happier and more at ease. But many people don’t know how to start to incorporate meditation into their busy lives. Meditation can make coping with daily stressors easier and give you the often much needed power to “let go” of troubling thoughts or emotions. It’s easy to get started if you’re willing to try it for just a few minutes a day!
Combine Passion with Purpose: The Secret to Finding True Happiness
Once you have acquired much of what you’ve ever wanted and achieved the main things you’ve set out to do, what’s next? How can you continue to grow and achieve even greater happiness in your life? You may have already attained personal success, but as most high achievers would tell you, even the most noteworthy accomplishments as well as the status that results can feel old and unexciting after a while.
The Office in Your Pocket-What To Do When You’re Working 24/7
Lately it seems like just around every corner smartphone companies are advertising the plethora of productivity features offered by their latest model. Consumers are lining up for miles to purchase the newer, bigger, better version of the “pocket office”. There is no doubt technology increases productivity. Real time shopping lists, virtual wallets, and access to directions in mere seconds are just a few things that help simplify your life. But for many, unlimited access to technology also means being connected to the workplace 24/7.
Don’t Let Stress Run Your Life!
Stress protects you when you’re in danger, helps you rise to challenges, and sharpens your concentration when it’s time to focus. Does this sound like you when you’re stressed out? For many, the answer is no! When working the way it’s meant to, stress can be very productive. But when stress is chronic, it isn’t serving you and can really take a toll on your health; affecting sleep, mood, concentration, immune functioning and blood pressure as well as many other biological processes. When stress feels like it’s getting out of hand, it’s time to take some steps to get it back under control.
Wave Goodbye to Overwhelm
Are you too busy to read this blog? If your answer is “yes” read on anyway! The normal adult in our society is often responsible for maintaining a career, organizing household finances, managing household chores, caring for children and/or older parents, sustaining relationships —with a significant other, family and friends— and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. And in case that’s not enough, within each and every relationship, you may find yourself in various roles. Hopefully, these many roles (parent, sibling, breadwinner, lover, professional, coworker, friend, etc.) contribute to your life positively, but the demands of too many roles at once can trigger in you feelings of anxiety and overwhelm. You may love running your business, taking care of your children, organizing charity events, and playing in tennis tournaments, but when overwhelm sets in, it can sometimes be very hard to find pleasure in any of these things. How do you decide which roles are important to maintain, and which ones deserve more or less of your time and energy? The answer to questions such as which responsibilities in your life are ones to continue to nurture, and which deserve less attention can only be answered by probing into your unique values.
Michael Broder is Away
Michael Broder is away this week but will continue posting next week.
Thank you.
It’s Passion That Blurs the Lines Separating Work and Play
According to Forbes, in 2012 only 50% of adults reported being satisfied with their jobs. Job dissatisfaction can greatly increase levels of anxiety, depression and stress. If this speaks to you, there are a variety of reasons why you may be dissatisfied with your job— ranging from disappointment with salary to feeling unchallenged in your work environment. In a difficult economic climate, it can be frightening or overwhelming to think about making a change. However, the good news is that finding the job you love, or loving the job you have may be within reach, because the main resources you need to achieve happiness in your career —or any other part of your life for that matter—reside within you.