Psychology - Clinical & Child Psychology Online

Creativity Is a Way of Life, Not Just About Making Art

Dr. Ilona L. Tobin

No matter what you may have been told, every one of us is creative. It's as much a part of us as our voice and breath and fingerprints. Creativity isn't just about making art. Cooking, gardening, keeping a journal, handiwork and crafts are all creative acts. Arranging flowers or rearranging furniture, painting a picture or painting a room, singing on stage or singing in the shower––these are all responses to the "call."

10 signs of S-T-R-E-S-S

Dr. Ilona L. Tobin

Despite its bad reputation, stress isn't actually a product of only negative things. It's a response from your body to changes in your life. Good things can cause stress as frequently as bad. The stress created by getting a new job or the arrival of a baby can take its toll just as much as that caused by losing someone you care about or getting laid off from work. Following are 10 warning signs of stress. Simple stress reduction techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, relaxation or exercise may be able to reduce these symptoms.

The "Risky Business" of Life

Dr. Ilona L. Tobin

What's riskier: skydiving or leaving your marriage of 18 years? For many of us, psychological risks—such as quitting a secure, well-paying job to go back to school or speaking on stage or choosing to adopt a child—may ultimately feel more dangerous than those of physical derring-do.

Building a positive reservoir

Michael Hessdorf, LCSW

I have read that we remember and hold on to negative comments and experiences much more readily than we do to positive ones. We need to build up a reservoir of positive feelings to combat the destructive power of negative experiences. And of course, this holds especially true in our relationships. The zinger delivered to us by our partner can really sting and hurt. Therefore, I am going to make a strong attempt to say at least five positive things to my spouse before I utter a negative comment. I am going to take note as to how this works in our life together. I will do this for the next three weeks and observe how it plays out in our relationship. I believe at a minimum, it can do no harm, and I have a feeling that it could have a beneficial effect. We shall see.

Grief Takes No Holidays

Dr. Ilona L. Tobin

For those experiencing sorrow, whether through death, separation, divorce, illness, job loss or relocation, the glittering commercialism and unrelenting cheer of the holiday season can be stressful. Facing family celebrations with an empty chair at the table can make unbearable grief so much worse, says Karen Silbert, MD, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, who suffered the loss of her five-monthold daughter.

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