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Considering “What Went Well” and a Whole30 Blackened Tilapia with Cherry Salsa
If you are familiar with traditional applied psychology, therapy, or counseling, you may be aware of the fact that there are several different protocols, or interventions, which may be employed to reduce the patients' negative symptoms depending upon the presenting problem. Although Freudian psychoanalysis is not generally leveraged or deemed effective these days, many other forms of treatment, such as cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be effective at reducing symptoms of mood disorders such as depression or anxiety. However, throughout his practice, Dr. Martin Seligman, former president of the APA, founder of positive psychology, and someone whose research has had tremendous impact on my own life over the…
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The Benefits of Being Optimistic :: Dairy-Free, Vegan and Paleo Queso Dip
Optimism is something I really never gave too much consideration to. I have always really prided myself on being a realist – not overly pessimistic or cynical, but definitely not an unfailing hopeful (although I suspect many people may choose to classify themselves in this way, just as everyone insists they are a “better than average driver.” Except me. I am a terrible driver and I don’t care. I blissfully have not attempted to drive in about 3.5 years now and I love it). However, I have the opportunity to work for one of the most eternally optimistic people that have ever walked the earth. My boss is unfailingly positive…
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Energy Boosters: Sunshine, Tackling Nagging Tasks, and Whole30 Swordfish with Pistachio Gremolata
As the winter **hopefully** approaches a turning point, I have been thrilled with the slightly longer days as opposed to pitch darkness starting around 4:00 PM. I find it amazing the extent to which exposure to light has been shown to impact our moods – something which certainly rings true for me. In a cross-cultural study of participants from four different countries at varying distances from the equator, Kuller et al., found that those subjects which were located furthest north experienced “significant variation in psychological mood over the year that did not occur in the countries closer to the equator… [and] the light and color of the workplace itself also…
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Reward, Intrinsic Motivation, and How to Make Ghee!
Most people are probably aware of the basic framework for habit formation and more or less familiar with some version of what Charles Duhhig has termed the “Habit Loop.” We can learn to automate a particular behavior by establishing a relationship which involves seeing the stimulus or cue, which invokes a routine with a specific action, in order to attain some reward. Of course, this is true, but I think that in many ways our idea of what exactly constitutes a “reward” has become a bit misconstrued. Ultimately, we need to ensure that said rewards are appropriate for and aligned with the habit we are trying to form. As someone…
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Avoiding the Comparison Trap, Focusing on Strengths and Eggs Florentine with Avocado Hollandaise
Over time, and this past year especially, I have been intently focused on understanding both myself and others better. I feel I have come a long way in recognizing the various dimensions on which we all differ, in terms of personality, inclinations, values, and paradigms, which has lead to unprecedented acceptance and appreciation for those around me. I say unprecedented because this is not something which necessarily comes naturally to me. I tend to be quite black and white and like most others, have reasons for doing things the way that I do. It is often confusing to me to see people both succeed or fail spectacularly via means and…
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Leveraging the Familiarity Principle :: Basil Artichoke Chicken Butternut Squash Pasta with Cauliflower Alfredo
When facing an opportunity to make a change in our lives we usually have two options: to orchestrate a big, sweeping, dramatic shift or to take small, incremental steps of progress in the desired direction. There are certainly merits to both approaches and the ultimate efficacy of either is dependent upon our own proclivities, the nature of the change that we are tasked with, and the circumstances and other constraints surrounding it. There are many cases where people have been struck by a lightning bolt, new insight, or deep conviction which caused them to instantaneously start or stop doing something virtually overnight and never look back. A new idea completely…
