Grieving Parental Loss

Two days before my November birthday, my father passed away. I have discovered that grief is an interesting topic unappreciated until there is a real personal encounter. Feelings of anguish are commonly experienced after any significant loss such as a job or relationship including the death of a close person. Separation anxiety, feelings of yearning and confusion accompany the state of grief. During this time, intrusive thoughts of the past or fears for the future may emerge. It is not rare to have feelings of regret over lost opportunities or remorse for a negative act that was committed by either party. An intense grief reaction can disrupt the immune system or cause physical pain enough to influence self-neglect. Grieving is deeply personal and there is no ‘correct’ way to go through the process. Gabert (2020) describes surviving the unexpected nature of grief:

The Power of Curative Connections

What if you could be prescribed a trip to a nature preserve, a watercolor class or walking group to treat mental health issues? Social prescribing is an alternative model of care that recognizes the social, emotional and practical needs that impact people’s overall health. Our wellbeing is strongly determined by our environment. These social determinants of health are the nonmedical aspects in which we are born, grow up, work, live and age that influence our health outcomes. We all need basics to survive, such as clean air, nutritious food, decent shelter and adequate money. However to truly flourish, we need to focus on whole-person care by finding meaning in our lives, sources of joy and beneficial relationships.

Incivility in our Society

From small insults to more serious forms of aggression, acts of disrespect have consequences on our health, wellbeing and confidence. Take the example of being cut off in traffic, an experience that leaves one seething miles later or perhaps you have been rudely interrupted by a colleague in an important meeting. The magnitude of the effect it has on your decision making is not surprising, as most people replay the threatening scene repeatedly in their mind. When a person is rude to us, we feel targeted. The nervous system interprets these events as life-threatening and our ability to problem solve is compromised. ‘Anchoring’ is a term for cognitive bias describing the human tendency to rely too heavily on a first piece of information when solving a problem. For example, our outrage creates an overfocus (or anchor) on our initial interpretation ofwhat happened and ignores mediating information. The anchoring effect keeps us from logical solutions because of our judgment errors related to skewed expectations and dismissed information.

The Power of Journaling

A journal is a personal diary that encourages one to practice self-love, which is cultivated through a regular mindful ritual. Jotting down your views without a critical voice allows you to connect to ‘the Self’ and tune into your honest truths. By shifting our focus inward for a new perspective, we have a chance to change the negative stories we tell ourselves defined by others’ actions and words. Rigid expectations we may hold are illuminated and positively altered through fresh viewpoints created by insightful exploration.

2024 Workforce Trends

United States companies have experienced tens of thousands of lost jobs in markets from Wall Street to the travel, tech and media industries, despite experts reporting a strong economy. The cause of numerous job cuts may relate to pandemic over-hiring or the need to reduce costs due to high interest rates. Surplus positions are eliminated to optimize the workforce when businesses restructure. Firms in declining industries, such as tobacco, manufacturing and apparel, trim to survive. Technological changes intended to improve company efficiency, including the investment of AI, are replacing human workers. International arenas that bring global rivalry create workforce reduction related to the changing market. In order to cut costs, in-house employees may oftentimes lose their jobs to outsourcing.

Remaining Positive in a Chaotic World

Have you noticed how the world is changing?

Occasionally feeling overwhelmed is normal and it may be challenging to stay positive about the future. Maintaining a sense of hope may help to stay upbeat, as hopefulness is associated with wellbeing, resilience and reduced feelings of depression. Existential thinkers, like Viktor Frankl, highlighted the value of meaning and purpose as a source of hope. While Psychologist C. R. Snyder’s theory asserts that hopefulness serves as a coping mechanism to deal with stress and adversity.