TL;DR: Despite its average appearance, the convenience store chain Wawa in Southeastern PA has a unique ability to leave customers feeling happier after their visit. Intentional acts of kindness, such as holding the door for someone, have a positive impact on both the giver and the recipient, triggering the release of dopamine in the brain. Wawa intentionally keeps its doors … Read More
What Are You Feeling?
TL;DR: Asking someone, “How are you feeling?” can sometimes be overwhelming to answer. Try asking, “What are you feeling?” instead. How are you feeling? When someone asks you, “How are you feeling?” does that sometimes feel complicated or hard? I sure think it does. When things are going really well, sometimes it’s challenging to go past a response more specific … Read More
Reflections on Relational Diversity
TL;DR: Relational diversity refers to the variety of social interactions we have regularly. Interacting with more people from different groups in your life leads to a higher level of relational diversity. Examining and increasing our relational diversity helps us feel better physically, emotionally, and mentally. You can go ahead and file this under “Things I Already Know.” According to positive … Read More
Turn Up the Quiet
TL;DR: In today’s world, there is a lot of noise in our lives. Everyone benefits from some silence to give their mind some peace and open it up for thoughts, dreams, and inspiration. Ever get in your car at the end of a school day and you have to turn off all sounds? Music, podcasts, potential phone calls, all of it—off. … Read More
Wellness Wheel
TL;DR: It may be difficult to keep up the energy that inspired us at the beginning of the new year for our resolutions. Consider using the Wellness Wheel. It is a great visual tool to assess 8 dimensions of wellness. The goal is to discover which parts are active and which parts need more focused attention. Let’s check in on … Read More