Every year, an estimated 50% of American adults make New Year’s resolutions. Yet, researchers have found that most people start backsliding after two months, eventually ending up to where they used to be by the end of the year. Sounds familiar?
If you have ever given up on your New Year’s resolutions (only to find yourself making the same ones a year on), you may have been set back by the following: Continue reading
The holidays are finally here. The Christmas lights are up, the shopping is nearly done, the party-planning is in full swing. So why do you feel unfulfilled, empty, or even a little depressed? Continue reading
When you share your thoughts and feelings with someone, or recount how your day went, you expect the listener to respond in some way to indicate interest and attention – the verbal “uh-huh,” the raised eyebrow, the eye contact. Receiving such feedback is important because it deepens your connection with the listener. But what if you do not get any of that? And what if this person is your spouse, and you’re telling him or her something important? Does it set off a red flag in your mind that your marriage could be in trouble? Continue reading
Have you ever given your partner the eye-roll when you’re exasperated with their constant nagging? Or called them out on their grammatical faux pas in the midst of an argument? How about mocking them in retaliation for what you deemed to be an unfair accusation?
Every time you do this, you are showing contempt for your partner. And contempt is bad news. Continue reading
The more I work with couples and learn about them, the harder it gets for me to agree with the saying, “It’s not what you say, but how you say it.” To be sure, some experts believe that only 10% of our communication is done verbally, whereas 90% is through nonverbal ways such as the body language, facial expression, and tone of voice. Without undermining the power of nonverbal communication, I want to call your attention to the what part of communication. Oftentimes, when a couple is arguing, words alone can cut and hurt each other. If such a negative pattern of communication is allowed to fester, it may soon chip away the marriage and threaten to destroy the very foundation of the relationship. Continue reading
So, you disagree with your partner from time to time. You may even fight. Big deal. It always blows over, and you make up. Nothing wrong with that, right? Well, it really depends on what you say in the heat of the argument. According to marriage researcher John Gottman, who spent decades studying the behavior of thousands of couples as they interact with each other in his laboratory, there are four destructive forces that often surface in any negative interaction. They don’t necessarily spell doom for the marriage (despite their ominous name, the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse), but their repeated appearances can rapidly erode the relationship. What are they? What can you do to prevent them from wearing you and your partner down? Read on. Continue reading
You know the telltale signs if your child is the target of bullying in school – the torn clothing, missing or broken stationery or toys, the unexplained bruises and scratches. But how do you know your teen is safe when he or she is interacting with others in cyberspace or via text messages? Here are some red flags: Continue reading
You’ve heard of the old adage, “Never go to bed angry.” For generations this has been the golden rule of marriage. To be sure, this is a helpful reminder for us to keep our communication lines open with our spouse to clear up the air instead of sweeping our problems under the carpet in the vain hope that things will be better tomorrow. Because, as we know, if we let our anger fester inside us overnight, it builds up resentment and gradually eats away at our marriage, right?
Well, not always. Continue reading
Life doesn’t always turn out the way we want it. Sometimes we are fairly able to cope with life’s ups and downs. We eventually get back on our feet with help from our families and friends. But other times, we take a longer time to recover from setbacks. We may find ourselves spinning or paralyzed by the demands of our day-to-day life. In such situations, feelings of “going crazy” are not uncommon.
What can you do if you think you may have a mental illness? How do you bring this up to your family? Continue reading
In my previous article I talked about some reasons Asian Americans underuse mental health services. Most Asian Americans turn to their family for support in times of emotional difficulties instead of going to a mental health professional. How then can you get help for someone in your family if their difficulties are serious? Here are some suggestions:
1. Express Your Concerns
Find a time and place conducive to bringing up the subject. Understand that what you are about to share with this person may not be easy to accept and may even be shocking to them. Ask yourself this: would they respond better when alone or when in the company of their most trusted person, such as their favorite sibling?
