Decades of clinical research has focused and shed light on the psychology of human suffering. That suffering, as unpleasant as it is, often also has a bright side to which research has paid less attention: compassion. Human suffering is often accompanied by beautiful acts of compassion by others wishing to help relieve it.
Gratitude is a foundational strength. When you feel gratitude, a lot of other strengths can be built on top. For instance, the ability to love and be loved would be difficult, if not impossible, without gratitude.
Gratitude is the thankful appreciation of things received, whether tangible or intangible. It helps us connect with something outside ourselves, often transcendent and larger than ourselves. I have been practicing a gratitude exercise, and you can do it too. It's very simple. Each night I reflect on my day. I recall three things I'm grateful for and write them in a gratitude journal. The things I'm grateful for are those amazing moments, wonderful conversations with friends and family, or even just watching birds or squirrels going about their business. It might be a moment of beauty that is striking or uplifting.
Very nice article (based on scientific reserch) about importance of gratitude. in addition to the mentioned excercises, I would also say:
- "use" other people like a mirror to understand who you are because when for instance you are angry with somebody, it's not the other person's fault but it is a way to feel what kind of emotions you have inside. if you accept to change perspective and start to say "which part of myself can I see through this person/situation?" Then you will rapidly evolve and you will have the key to give a different direction to Life!
"Being grateful for people and things in my life makes me more aware of my own good fortune, and it helps rewire my brain to be more optimistic. If you are feeling down, how blue can you feel if you have a fat journal of things you are grateful for? Writing my gratitude journal keeps me mindful and aware of what's great in my life. I've noticed clients who have practiced this exercise are happier, far less stressed and get through their day with less difficulty than they used to."
What makes you happy? Have you ever wondered why? Join us as we take an experimental approach on what makes people happier. Behind the Scenes of the episode!...
Emotionally healthy people have a wide range of feelings, which they embrace with compassion and patience. This usually translates to relating well to other people. This works both ways – when we’re empathic and allow ourselves to enter into another person’s emotional experience, such as sitting with a friend who’s lost a loved one and is grieving, we often become more tolerant of our own feelings.
Emotional perfectionism, on the other hand, is common among people who suffer from anxiety and depression, and does not work in our favor.
We are emotional beings and as such, should expect and understand the wide range of emotions we encounter in life. Ignoring emotions, especially "bad" ones, can breed indifference to positive emotions. Ignoring can also create frustration, therefore, it's critical we maintain a healthy balance and respect for the complete range of emotions in order to reach our full potential.
Self-compassion enables us to roll with the punches and determine the next indicated action to take, while accepting ourselves and the current reality. Having compassion for one’s self does not mean that we deny our contribution to an undesirable situation, but that we aren’t consumed by negative feelings.
A new neuroscientific study shows that compassion training can help us cope with other people's distress.
Empathy can be painful. Or so suggests a growing body of neuroscientific research. When we witness suffering and distress in others, our natural tendency to empathize can bring us vicarious pain.
Is there a better way of approaching distress in other people? A recent study, published in the journal Cerebral Cortex, suggests that we can better cope with others’ negative emotions by strengthening our own compassion skills, which the researchers define as “feeling concern for another’s suffering and desiring to enhance that individual’s welfare.”
“Empathy is really important for understanding others’ emotions very deeply, but there is a downside of empathy when it comes to the suffering of others,” says Olga Klimecki, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Germany and the lead author of the study. “When we share the suffering of others too much, our negative emotions increase. It carries the danger of an emotional burnout.”
Showing compassion teaches us how to actively understand where another is coming from so we can connect and relate to each other. Compassion is the ab...
Fuller Life Family Therapy's insight:
Elements of compassionate behavior include Listening, Consideration, Awareness, Care, Validation and Guidance.
Lissa Rankin on how leaning into joy can save your life.
Fuller Life Family Therapy's insight:
LOVE this! "Your body is brilliantly equipped with natural self-repair mechanisms that can kill cancer cells, fight infection, and repair what breaks. Joy can save your life."
Lissa Rankin, MD is an OB/GYN physician, author, keynote speaker, consultant to health care visionaries, professional artist, and founder of the women's heal...
We believe that we should work to be happy, but could that be backwards? In this fast-moving and entertaining talk, psychologist Shawn Achor argues that actually happiness inspires productivity.
Decades of clinical research has explored the psychology of human suffering. Yet that suffering, as unpleasant as it is, often has a bright side: compassion.'
Human suffering often inspires beautiful acts of compassion by people wishing to help relieve that suffering. What led 26.5 percent of Americans to volunteer in 2012 (according to statistics from the US Department of Labor)? What propels someone to serve food at a homeless shelter, pull over on the highway in the rain to help someone with a broken down vehicle, or feed a stray cat?
With Thanksgiving around the corner, it seems like a good time to talk about the practice of giving thanks. One day a year we gather as families, eat an abundance of comfort food, and watch footbal...
We’ve all had terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days.
A bad work evaluation, a disappointing grade, a potential crush who turns out to be interested in someone else, a fight with your colleague, a worrisome report from a doctor, a broken resolution…lousy days take many forms.
Here are some strategies I use for coping with a lousy day:
Meditation affects a person’s brain function long after the act of meditation is over, according to new research.
“This is the first time meditation training has been shown to affect emotional processing in the brain outside of a meditative state,” said Gaelle Desbordes, Ph.D.
Personally I practice daily meditation and subjectively can vouch for the research results. Even without undergoing elaborate laboratory tests. Because you quite simply, feel the benefits yourself.
At a research level it has been well documented that meditation influences the nuerotransmitters in your brain, normalises blood pressure, reduces depression, anxiety and facilitates healing on the Physical, Mental and Emotional planes.
To conclude, if you've never experienced meditation then I highly recommend giving it a go. Although please begin slowly, be patient with yourself set small bite-size goals along the way e.g. On your intital meditation practice I'd recommend trying it for 10-15 mins and then over time increase your sessions by perhaps 5 mins each week up to a mximum of 30-60 mins.Ensure that you are warm and comfortable and focus soley on your breath - in and out, deep and slow whilst allowing thoughts to filter in and out of your mind.
A basketful of thank you notes can become your flowers.
In the world of gratitude, there is a glitch. It is easy to be grateful when the sun is shining, when our dreams are coming true, when the world seems to be unfolding at our feet. But the challenge of gratitude comes with a glitch. Are we grateful when we prick our finger on the thorn of a rose? When our perfect plan goes awry? When all doors seem to be closing on us? When we lose at love?
The belief in failure is a misperception of the true nature of reality. The concept of failing is inherently judgmental and dualistic and it implies that one can
“We think that in helping young people become more grateful, they will feel happier and more satisfied with their lives. In addition, it may make them less likely to lash out at others when they lose a game or feel hurt in some way.”
Yoga article: New studies show that people suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder can find real relief with yoga.
Fuller Life Family Therapy's insight:
Much of the current research in trauma is moving into the direction of "whole body" treatment. This article explains the use of yoga as an important part of healing.
Much of the current research in trauma is moving into the direction of "whole body" treatment. This article explains the use of yoga as an important part of healing.
Compassionate self-talk has been shown to calm the threat-detection system and allow us to be more understanding with others. Kristin Neff is an expert in self-compassion. Her research found that “...
Fuller Life Family Therapy's insight:
Summary of the practice of self-compassion with great videos on being kind to yourself.
The key to preventing disease—or curing it if you’re sick—is determining what is out of alignment with your Inner Pilot Light and then being brave enough to take actions meant to bring your life back into alignment with your truth.
Dr. Lisa Rankin introduces a "Radical New Wellness Model" worthy of study. She places the body on the top since it tends to decompensate first. Lovely image for pondering.
Discusses that wellness and health are so much more than good exercise and sleep. Our attitude, chasing after our dreams, our relationships, etc. are central to physical wellness. Beautiful!
This is our fifth post in a series where we explore daily practices that nurture and encourage healing. Our last post discussed the benefits of nurturing sleep. This post explores the many ways tha...
It's hard to laugh and be upset in the same moment. If we find something humorous, we find ourselves to be different. Jennifer has quite eloquently explained exactly how good laughing is for our bodies, minds, hearts and souls. Love it! Amy Fuller PhD
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