Intentionality and Health
Mindfulness practice allows us to develop the ability to observe and experience our thoughts, sensations, and emotions non-judgmentally, non-analytically, and with complete, unconditional acceptance. This practice is an antidote to…
Meaning and Purpose in Health
You can improve your health by finding greater meaning and purpose in your life.
Sometimes the meaning we ascribe to an illness catalyzes both physical and psychological/emotional healing. For example, when we view an illness as an opportunity…
Improve Health and Happiness by Setting and Pursuing Goals
Goals Energize Us.
During my three years at the Simonton Cancer Center, we always impressed upon patients that energy is essential to healing and that the act of pursuing goals can be extremely energizing. Setting goals helps us conceptualize…
The Fine Line Between Striving and Nonattachment to Outcomes
When living with a chronic debilitating medical condition, it is essential to do everything possible in terms of diet, exercise and rest. It is also essential to do everything possible to find meaning and purpose, to increase social support,…
The Connection Between Mood and Cancer
In a large prospective study by research psychologist Richard Shekelle and his team at the Western Electric plant in Chicago, 2,010 middle-aged male employees were given psychological tests that looked specifically at depression scores. The…
Belief Becomes Biology
Beliefs alter physiology to the degree to which we are fused with them. For example, the thought This headache could be a brain tumor could create enormous emotional distress, leading to physiological stress and illness. The ability to step…
Environmental Mastery Introduced
One of the problems of living with chronic health challenges is that it is common to begin to feel helpless, especially if one has spent years trying every medical and alternative treatment without success. Feelings of helplessness also stem…