People who pay attention to what they did wrong, or what they could have done, are at risk for prolonged periods of sadness, feelings of helplessness and anxiety. Thankfully, deepening my understanding, and awareness, of how we explain adverse life events will lead to shifts in my thinking and ease my anxiety.
Loneliness has been discussed recently as a major problem, not just for my society, but for my health. It is a predictor of premature death and is a bigger risk factor than obesity in this regard; it is the equivalent of smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day
One deeply impactful commonality is an experience that harsh self-criticism somehow leads to growth and self-improvement.
The ultimate goal is to live a happy life. Clients frequently talk with me about a deep struggle in not feeling happy or that they are not happy about some or many of the things in their lives. This has me thinking about “happy” and if it is something that we should really be chasing.