Author Archives: Danielle Hyde

How To Stop Feeling Guilty About Self-Care?

Have you caught yourself feeling guilty and ashamed for taking some time for yourself?  Is your “me time” filled with stress and anxiety?  You are not alone. And here’s a simple tip on how to change that. Self care vs self-indulgence First things first – what is self care? Not every form of feel-good recreationalContinue reading “How To Stop Feeling Guilty About Self-Care?”

Why do you find it hard to apologize?

To apologize is to take ownership of something you did, to acknowledge and validate the other person’s feelings, to offer to make amends. To apologize is to show you care about the person, you care about the relationship and you want to make things right. But why is it so hard? Why is it soContinue reading “Why do you find it hard to apologize?”

Being stuck in fight or flight – how to manage acute stress response

Do you feel agitated all the time? Do you happen to “lose it” over the smallest thing? Does it feel like you have to constantly defend yourself and your choices? When everything feels like a threat you are probably stuck in fight or flight mode. What is the fight or flight response? The fight orContinue reading “Being stuck in fight or flight – how to manage acute stress response”

How do emotions affect decision making?

Decision making is the process of making a choice. We usually think of decision making as a careful reflection and deliberation about the possible outcome.  Making a decision would require gathering knowledge and facts. Then carefully evaluating the pros and cons of each option, before making the choice. That is if we didn’t experience anyContinue reading “How do emotions affect decision making?”

Emotional Awareness For Beginners

Modern researchers identify emotions as a pattern of reactions whose purpose is to adapt and react to a situation quickly and with minimal cognitive intervention. Emotions are our guidance system. For example negative emotions, such as fear, guide us away from things that could be a danger to us. While positive emotions have us seekContinue reading “Emotional Awareness For Beginners”

What does “being present” mean and how it can improve your life

What does being present mean? How can I not be present? There is only one time that is important – NOW! It is the most important time because it is the only time that we have any power. Leo Tolstoy Being present means that your mind is focused and engaged in the present moment. YouContinue reading “What does “being present” mean and how it can improve your life”

How To Break The Habit Of Negative Self-talk

Words have power, the words we say to ourselves even more so. The way we communicate with ourselves shapes the way we see and experience the world.  There is an internal dialogue in each and every one of us that helps us process and make sense of our experiences. How you talk to yourself isContinue reading “How To Break The Habit Of Negative Self-talk”

Understanding Emotions And Their Role In Your Life

When we think of emotions we rarely think of the actual purpose emotions serve us. What are emotions and why do we experience them? Emotions are rapid information-processing systems that help us act with minimal thinking (Tooby & Cosmides, 2008). They are a pattern of reactions whose purpose is to adapt and react to aContinue reading “Understanding Emotions And Their Role In Your Life”

How To Give Feedback Without Making Other People Defensive

When the person you are giving your feedback to gets defensive it is hard to actually work on the issue at hand. This often leads to conflict instead of resolution.
While you are not responsible for other people’s reactions, the way you communicate can influence the course of the conversation.