Relax your face, and your mind will follow. When you think, your eyes are involved. Try to remember what you ate for breakfast yesterday. In trying to remember, your eyes look away for a moment or they defocus. Your eyes react when you call something to your mind’s eye. This is especially true when you… CONTINUE
Using “Then What” Thinking to Overcome Anxiety
What’s the worst that could possibly happen? You either avoid this question or you tackle it head-on. When you’re feeling anxious about some life change or new undertaking, it can be useful to consciously consider the Worst Case Scenario. Suppose you fear certain social situations, such as business meetings. Regarding your next business meeting, what… CONTINUE
Are Your Values Genuine?
by James Robbins, M.A., LPC What personal value is most important to you? Love, money, health, kindness, career, spirituality, honesty, family? Now consider this: Does your current life reflect this value? Do your daily behaviors, your daily thoughts and feelings, strongly align with this value? If you spend hours daily thinking about money, worrying… CONTINUE
Take the Traffic Light Test
by James Robbins, M.A., LPC Visualize a traffic light. Close your eyes for a few seconds and really try to see it in your mind’s eye. Did your traffic light indicate a color, or was it dark? Was the light red, yellow or green? Did the light keep changing colors, or was it one… CONTINUE
Introduction to Meditation and Mindfulness
Dallas Whole Life Counseling is offering a FREE introductory meditation and mindfulness session with Jon Johnston. Why Should I Meditate? Meditation has many benefits: Reduces anxiety, panic, and stress Alleviates depression Lowers blood pressure Addresses anger issues Reduces headaches and chronic pain Improves focus and follow-‐through What is Mindfulness? “Mindfulness means paying attention in a… CONTINUE
You Worry Too Much — But What if You Didn’t?
by James Robbins, M.A., LPC Are you a worrier? Do you stress about money, health, your relationship? Do you suffer from chronic pain or high blood pressure? Do you experience panic attacks or social anxiety? Most people deal with some kind of recurring stress or concern. These issues tend to limit our experience in various… CONTINUE
Where Couples Experience Tension in Their Relationship and What to Do About It
What two issues do American couples argue about more than any other? In the below video, Licensed Professional Counselor James Robbins discusses tension within couples such as sex and money. Comment and let us know: Is the answer consistent with your experience in relationships? Have you ever utilized counseling to work through these disagreements? Although disagreements… CONTINUE
Why Rush Hour Traffic Makes You Fat
You’ve probably heard the expression, “Holding on to anger is like drinking a cup of poison and expecting the other person to die.” By that same token, Holding on to stress is like eating a bacon-cheeseburger with a side of donuts and waiting on cardiovascular disease. Fight or Flight In our distant evolutionary past, we… CONTINUE
Halloween – A Thrill from the Scare
Halloween reminds us that we like to scare ourselves. We like to watch horror movies, visit haunted houses. These imaginary scares give us a thrill because our bodies don’t fully recognize they are imaginary. “Surviving” a pretend haunted house, so far as your body is concerned, is a lot like surviving a real shark attack…. CONTINUE
RSA Breathing
When you are mentally, emotionally and physically at ease, your heartbeat and your breathing naturally synch up. When you are stressed, angry or sick, however, these things get out of whack, which then further convinces your body that something must be wrong! RSA (Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia) breathing is a simple technique that intentionally synchs up… CONTINUE