Originally presented at Chautauqua Institution
You have lots of great experts who can tell you how to attend parties without overeating and what to substitute for high fat foods at family dinners. But what is the psychology of overeating and how can you make it work for you.
First, let me start out by saying that this article contains no bias. Second, I will venture to say that those who read it may find it biased in one direction or another. Third, I would ask you to notice that while there was no intentional bias, that your perception of bias is something that may alert you to your “perceptual filter.” It is that filter that hears things in a certain way, based on your ideas and experiences that is different than how is is actually said or meant. And it drives your life.
It is a compilation of years of experience, education, research, work with major publications, organizations and media outlets dedicated to creating a more conscious life for you. As I was creating Amazing Health and Happiness Secrets for You and Your Family I wanted to give you options for health and happiness to begin right now, and to have the opportunity to take your conscious living to the next level. And so Amazing Secrets includes:
Stop waiting to reach all of your goals, make lots of money, be healthier or have more friends! The truth is in the small things that you do every day. Science tells us that it’s your daily habits from your morning ritual to your daily coffee break that will make or break your smile!
Habits structure our daily lives and define how we feel. So unhealthy habits such as fast-food drive through break or a gossip break will prompt a swing away from good feelings. It may feel good at the time, but very shortly, the good feelings will predictably fade. When your values and your goals are supported by your habits, you will simply be happier! Here are a few ways to create healthy habits that I shared with Kerrie Lee Brown at Canada’s Glow Magazine and many more ideas from the research to help you create happiness.
When Men’s Health asked for vacation and relationship de-stressing tips, I offered these ideas that you can use right now!
In the relationship arena, they asked about the stress of the spouse’ job and how it effects the marriage. When a woman (or a man) comes home from a job they dislike, they may often want to vent to their partner. But is the daily venting good for the person or the marriage?
It may be for the best. The plans you made for spending the money are behind you now, and you can focus on what really makes you happy. So you didn’t get the new car? Maybe you can go see someone who makes you really happy in the one you have! Or maybe you didn’t get to pay for your kids new house, but maybe you can help them find the one they can afford. There are so many ways to be happy and you can claim them for yourself. Find out interesting ways to reframe your lottery loss.
WE’RE taught that the ideal romance story involves butterflies at first glance, then being wooed by the perfect guy or girl, won over, and then living happily ever after. But Dr Nancy Mramor Kajuth, health and media psychologist and award-winning author of Get Reel: Produce Your Own Life, has found that romantic comedies and movies are unconsciously influencing our expectations for relationships and oftentimes result in couples giving up control on what they really want in the relationship.
Dr Kajuth, who resides in Pittsburgh and has worked in media for over 25 years, told All Woman that romance movies give a false impression of love, and while she doesn’t have a problem with people watching them, she said it is paramount that they are able to separate themselves from the myths that are perpetuated in the media regarding love and relationships.
The time you spend on your digital devices watching TV and movies or browsing the Internet can really enrich your life—or not! You can become hypnotized by media and take on beliefs that aren’t true to your goals if you aren’t viewing consciously.
Media is a powerful resource for information, entertainment and education. TV shows, movies, magazines, and the Internet bring the sounds of the great composers, fitness routines and directions for do-it-yourself projects, not to mention suspense, comedy and action, right to your home. And they’re doing a great job! But if you aren’t paying attention, the media may subliminally plant some ideas in your mind that won’t serve you well. Like someone in a hypnotic trance, you may begin to live by these beliefs without realizing that you even have them.
Superstar Adele guards her personal life, with her longtime love, Simon and their son, and doesn’t share details of their lives with the public. What about you? Has anyone ever shared details of photos of you that you did not want the world to see?
And what about your own children? Does you son or daughter really think the video of them falling off of a skateboard is funny? Do your friends appreciate that you posted an embarrassing photo of them?
After working as a media and health psychologist for over 25 years, I have witnessed the effects of all types of media on people, and I can tell you that unless you have some conscious viewing skills, it is likely that you are experiencing some unpleasant side effects from too much, or the wrong kind of media exposure.
There are lots of reasons to post online and there are several reasons not to post. First, let’s look at the upside of social media.
5 Dos of Social Media
