So we thought we’d start a new blog segment where we highlight and discuss interesting articles we’ve read on the internet. I hope you find them as helpful and interesting as we do! And, we’d love to hear about any interesting articles you’ve read too!
For You – Make A Great Impression
We all know that first impressions are really important whether we are talking about social or professional settings. This article from Psychology Today highlights 7 simple tools you can use to make great impressions on new acquaintances such as eye contact, matching the other person and even faking a good mood!
Good news is that even if we make a bad first impression, we can always own up to it and try again.
For Your Relationships – Great Expectations: The Soul Mate Quest
Another great article from Psychology Today highlights the dangers and mythology behind finding your “the One”.
“We’ve done away with a rigid social order, adopting instead an even more onerous obligation: the mandate to find a perfect match. Anything short of this ideal prompts us to ask: Is this all there is? Am I as happy as I should be? Could there be somebody out there who’s better for me? As often as not, we answer yes to that last question and fall victim to our own great expectations.”
There is no “perfect mate” out there for us. Every one of us comes from different backgrounds, different experiences and different expectations that we bring to the table. Expecting an ideallyic marriage relationship where we always have outstanding, passionate sex, we never fight or disagree and we are the perfect balance of the other person is just setting ourselves up for failure. No wonder the divorce rate is so high.
This article points out studies that have shown that neither marriage nor divorce have much impact on one’s happiness.
and know that you will be loved, warts and all… Such a down-to-earth view of marriage is hardly romantic, but that doesn’t mean it’s not profound.”
So before you jump ship you may ask yourself if your expectations for you, your spouse and your marriage are realistic. If they’re not, we can help you make the necessary changes so you can build a thriving marriage based on realistic expectations.
For Your Health (Mental or Otherwise) – Coping w/ Traumatic Stress
The American Psychological Association defines trauma as an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. This in depth article by the Dept. of Veteran’s Affairs takes a look at trauma, it’s symptoms and active ways we can overcome and heal from trauma.
We are living in the safest time in the history of mankind, yet we are more traumatized than any other generation before us. Why is that? Never before have we been so connected to the world around us and the happenings of those outside of our more immediate proximity. As a result of this connectedness, we have become witnesses to more traumatic events than previous generations who lived in a more disconnected world.
Case in point – I’ve never been attacked at night in a dark and lonely parking lot yet I get a bit nervous and hyper-vigilant when I’m in that situation. Why? Because I’ve heard about such attacks on the news. How many of us now notice low flying planes over the city since 9/11? I know I do and yet I was not in New York on 9/11 but I witnessed it on my TV screen.
The coping skills outlined in this article are extremely helpful whether you’ve experienced direct trauma (combat, sexual assault), indirect trauma (9/11, parking lot attacks on the news) or struggle with general anxiety.
Tell us what you think about these articles as well as share with us articles that have been interesting and helpful to you. We’d love to have a conversation with you!
