March 14th, 2012
Have you heard about what they are calling life-style gambling? It’s the hottest thing since Texas Hold’em. The basic idea is to place customized bets on real events from your life or someone else’s. It’s all made possible by the Internet, with its massive number-crunching ability to calculate odds on almost anything instantaneously. The new law allowing private gaming companies to monitor the minutia of our private lives makes it perfectly legal. So not it’s no problem to lay down a bet, for instance, on how may sick days your co-worker will take in the next six months. Maybe you’re… READ MORE ›
March 14th, 2012
Expecting too much can make you miserable and be detrimental to you functioning. Here’s why and what you can do about it. Let’s start with the word itself – expect. To expect connotes a sense of certainty about what will occur in the future. From the price of stocks and homes to the occurrence of hurricanes, from repairmen showing up on time to our children cleaning up their rooms when we ask them – is there anything about which we can really be certain? If you expect too much of yourself or other people, you can also expect to feel… READ MORE ›
March 14th, 2012
Although may take middle age in stride, experiencing a mid-life crisis is fairly common among both women and men. For some, the problem is existential: acknowledging that life h as reached the midpoint can engender complex self-questioning about the meaning of life and whether one’s true purpose has been fulfilled. Other may find the physical changes associated with getting older more daunting then the philosophical issues. Whether the trigger is graying hair, an expanding waistline, career dissatisfaction or relationship ennui, a mid-life crisis can be hard to deal with. Psychologists consider a mid-life crisis a time to take stock of… READ MORE ›
March 14th, 2012
Teenagers sling denigrating names like “weirdo,” “sicko” and “baby” at other kids whose behavior makes them stand out from the group. Adults, being more sophisticated, use other appellations to indicate disfavor, including many borrowed from psychiatric nomenclature. For instance, an usually neat or rigid person may be called “OCD” (obsessive- compulsive disorder) or a very moody individual “bipolar.” Lately, “personality disorder (PD)” has become a popular label to bandy about, as in: “Did you see how Josephine was acting at work on Friday? She has such a personality disorder.” People even know some of the various kinds of PDs. So,… READ MORE ›
March 12th, 2012
Workplace martyrs: Volunteer beyond the call of duty, making even normal hard workers look like slackers Sacrifice their personal lives “for the sake of the company” and create drama to make sure everyone knows it Attempt to make others feel sorry for them with their “poor me,” put upon and self righteous attitudes Are poor team players who create resentments among co-workers According to my colleague, workplace expert and psychologist, Joseph Gisondo, Ph.D., there are a number of reasons why some workers are martyrs. One factor is low self-esteem. Some people feel so undeserving that they accept virtually any job… READ MORE ›
January 15th, 2012
Family and friends, enormous feasts, glittery decorations, and long-standing traditions are what the holidays are all about. For most people, this is a time of excitement, fun, and celebration. However, for a person with anxiety, the holidays can bring fear and stress. It can be difficult to engage in social activities that often pervade the holiday season. School socials, office parties, and family dinners may bring on extensive expectations with family, friends, and colleagues. Trying to fit in and assimilate into these festivities may seem like more work than play. If playing feels more like working, why not use that… READ MORE ›
