A Psychologist's Observations

Happiness and "Flow"

Positive Psychology studies the day-to-day activities and personality characteristics that contribute to happiness.  The concept of "flow," or optimal experience, is a recurring theme.  Csikszentmihalyi (1990) describes the characterisitics of  optimal experiences:

1. We confront tasks we have a chance of completing.

2. We must be able to concentrate on what we are doing.

3. The task has clear goals.

4. The task provides immediate feedback.

5. One acts with deep, but effortless involvement, that removes from awareness the worries and frustrations of everyday life.

6. One exercises a sense of control over their actions.

7. Concern for the self disappears, yet, paradoxically the sense of self emerges stronger after the flow experience is over.

8. The sense of duration of time is altered.

Csikszentmihalyi Flow Article

Some are lucky enough to have jobs that allow us to engage in flow; others have personal interests in which they feel this immersion in productivity, focus, and sense of accomplishment.  Children are great at engaging in flow.  If this isn't already a part of your life, I hope you will find (or devote more time to) activities that cultivate this state of mind. 

How To Relax

Finding time to relax and quiet your mind is critical for decreasing stress and anxiety.  Here's a calming yoga series you can do at home:  Hatha Yoga--42 minutes.  This gentle stretching series is great for releasing muscular tension.  Thanks to Yoga Yak for posting free online yoga classes!

 

 

Technology and Your Brain

 
Technology influences our attention/concentration, problem solving, and social interactions.  Here's a great review page from the NYT:

Your Brain on Computers

 

Re-Careering

 

Whether you're transitioning careers, exploring a first career, or searching for an avocation that will add meaning and challenge to your life, check out these resources:

Mildred L. Culp article featuring Allan Bacon

This article interviews Allan Bacon, of Avocationist.com.  In the article, Dr. Bacon describes how to explore new areas of interest which may evolve into a new career (or if not a new career, a new hobby).   To quote: 

Dr. Bacon offers a new twist on the idea that doing something completely different often sparks ideas. This must be done over time, he says, as part of a process of becoming yourself. "If you start doing something you like," he says, "you naturally do more of it. Experimenting with small things will move you toward your sense of purpose without your having to make the process difficult or big."

To guide people through typical midcareer conundrums, he recommends they decide whether boredom is the problem or whether the work is acceptable. Then he advises them to identify five activities they always wanted to try – "the more trivial the better."

To continue the process, "find the quickest, cheapest way to experience them," he says. "If you like one, do it more, so that time slips away. You're looking for flow and joy. Find ways to work in the activity. If you're called to it, you'll learn it faster and enjoy people you meet. They're the ones who'll help you make a bigger change."

Another resource for Re-Careering is Helen Harkness's Career Design Associates.  Here's her latest book: 

How to be Happy

Having a bad day?  This is a great little self-help book that synthesizes Western psychology, Eastern philosophy, even some quantum physics thrown in for good measure.   And the graphics will make you smile.  Enjoy!

Surviving and Thriving During Stressful Times

The economy is tanking, people are working longer and harder to make ends meet, and people are stressed.  Unfortunately, it's during these stressful times that people have the most trouble taking care of themselves.  We all know the adage, "If you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of anyone else," and mostly we believe it.  But it always seems the time for self-care is tomorrow, when all these other responsibilities have been taken care of.  Here are a few tips and resources for coping with these stressful times:

• Take some time each day to mentally and physically relax and reset.  It's important to reach a point where your mind is calm and your body is relaxed and tension-free.  If you don't reach this state of relaxation on a daily basis, your tension and stress levels continue to build and you're more reactive to stress.  Watching television and surfing the net generally don't accomplish this state of relaxation.  Try to find an activity in which your mind is calm and still, such as reading, meditating, listening to relaxing music, or gentle exercise such as walking or yoga. A good relaxation CD is:

• Speaking of exercise, please get some!  See my blog post on exercise:  Good Health To Mind: Exercise.
• Stay connected with family, friends, and your community.  Studies consistently show that people who have good social support fare better during times of stress.
• Get plenty of rest and proper nutrition.  If you neglect your body, it will catch up with you.  For an overview of the restorative properties of sleep, including memory consolidation, see this article:  "How Snoozing Makes You Smarter" by Scientific American Mind. 
• Take control of your time.  If you are over-committed to projects that are not central to your core values, consider dropping those commitments. 
• Stay informed and in control of your finances.  I know, easier said than done, but losing track of your finances and coping via consumerism will drain you in the long run.

Here's a recent study which explains some of the processes by which stress negatively affects our neurochemical and hormonal balances:  Chronic Stress Model Provides New Insights.  Take extra care of yourself during these tumultuous times so you can cope effectively with whatever life throws at you. 

Surviving Grief and Loss

Link to Author Interview on The Diane Rehm Show

This memoir by Christopher Lukas, an accomplished author, producer, and actor, details his own survival in the midst of a family history of depression, bipolar disorder, and suicide.  Mr. Lukas lost his mother to suicide at the age of six, which profoundly affected Mr. Lukas and his older brother, Pulitzer Prize Winner Tony Lukas.  Their genetic predisposition for depression, coupled with the loss of their mother at young ages, contributed to the debilitating depression both brothers suffered.  Fortunately, in college, Christopher Lukas enrolled in a psychology course and began to understand that grief and loss could be worked through by talking and writing.  He embraced this concept and, in his words, has been "talking and writing ever since."  Sadly, older brother Tony Lukas suicided in 1997.  While this book can be emotionally difficult reading, I think it is a testament to the power of talking and writing to work through grief and loss. 

If you have lost a loved one to suicide, you may also find this book by Christopher Lukas and Henry M. Seiden to be of comfort:

Another useful resource for grieving the loss of a loved one is:

Mental Health Benefits of Exercise

We all know that exercise is good for us physically and we know we generally feel better when we're comfortable with our weight.  But the benefits of exercise are even more compelling; randomized studies find exercise significantly decreases symptoms of depression for those who are mildly to moderately depressed.  One such study was conducted by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center, in collaboration with the Cooper Institute (an abstract for the source article is here:  TREAD: TReatment with Exercise Augmentation for Depression).   This study reported a 47% decline in depressive symptoms after participating in aerobic exercise for 30 minutes a day, at least three days per week, over the course of 12 weeks.  Those who participated in lower intensity exercise also experienced benefits, with an average of a 30% decline in depressive symptoms.  We believe these mood improvements are related to biochemical changes that occur as you exercise and improve your health.  Another recent study at UT Southwestern UTSW Study on Generation of Nerve Cells found that antidepressants and exercise both stimulate the growth of new nerve cells in the same part of the brain, the dentate gyrus (at least in mice). 

While exercise is often not the complete solution for those struggling with depression, particularly more severe depression, it offers an alternative treatment that is natural and accessible to most.  See this article for tips on starting and maintaining an exercise program when you're depressed:  Mayo Clinic article and Exercise and Depression/ Anxiety.   

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Fall is here and while many welcome the cooler weather, the shorter days can exact a toll on those suffering with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).  SAD is a type of depression that manifests itself in the fall and winter months.  See this link for more information about SAD:

Seasonal Affective Disorder--Mayo Clinic Information

Research has shown that light therapy is effective in treating SAD, and surprisingly, ion therapy has also proven beneficial.  This article describes symptoms of and effective treatments for SAD:

APA Article: Promising New Treatments for SAD

If you know your mood becomes more depressed in the fall & winter months, please act proactively!  For milder cases, you may be able to offset the negative effects by spending more time outside.  If you have been diagnosed with SAD, please start your light treatment now.  If you get into the routine of your light therapy now, you have a much better chance of staving off the deeper depression that can become debilitating over the winter months. 

Happy Labor Day! 

Neuroplasticity

We used to think that the brain was unable to heal itself or form new connections in later life.  Good news--this concept has been debunked!  Current research reveals that our brain is capable of forming new connections across the lifespan.  This article explains some of the recent research and implications:

"How The Brain Rewires Itself," published in Time

To quote: 

"For decades, the prevailing dogma in neuroscience was that the adult human brain is essentially immutable, hardwired, fixed in form and function, so that by the time we reach adulthood we are pretty much stuck with what we have. . .But research in the past few years has overthrown the dogma. In its place has come the realization that the adult brain retains impressive powers of "neuroplasticity"--the ability to change its structure and function in response to experience. These aren't minor tweaks either. Something as basic as the function of the visual or auditory cortex can change as a result of a person's experience of becoming deaf or blind at a young age. Even when the brain suffers a trauma late in life, it can rezone itself like a city in a frenzy of urban renewal. If a stroke knocks out, say, the neighborhood of motor cortex that moves the right arm, a new technique called constraint-induced movement therapy can coax next-door regions to take over the function of the damaged area. The brain can be rewired."

Pay attention to the information on pages 4 & 5 of this article concerning brain plasticity as it relates to depression and OCD.  Findings such as these underscore the importance of exposing yourself to new learning situations, challenging your skill sets, and considering alternative perspectives.