Marty Nemko's Blog, page 291

Tips for Sub-Clinical Sadness, Worry, Anger, ADD/ADHD

Many people have “issues” that don’t rise to the level of a disorder requiring professional help. For example:
They’re sad by nature or because of external events but they’re not—as in clinical depression— numb or inert, let alone suicidal. They function, just not as happily as they’d like.They tend to worry more than they'd like but rarely panic, nor does their anxiety greatly impede their quality of life.They’re predisposed to anger but aren’t in an ongoing state of suppressed anger nor are subject to frequent outbursts let alone physical violence.They have trouble staying focused but their distractibility doesn’t rise to the level of clinical attention-deficit disorder; neither the spacey version (ADD), or the hyperactive version (ADHD.)My PsychologyToday.com article today offers not-magic pills that have helped a number of my clients address their sub-clinical malaise. Of course, many of these tips are obvious, yet many of us can benefit from reminders to do even things we’ve successfully used before.

Where Will the Jobs Be?

The University of California Berkeley has invited me to give a lecture open to the public. I’m calling it, The Future of Work. In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I present its key content.

An "Intelligence Pill: One of humankind's most important goals

Psychology professor Jordan Peterson interviewed University of California School of Medicine emeritus Richard Haier, a leading expert on the neuroscience of intelligence. Haier believes that, with a concerted societal effort, an "intelligence pill1" could be developed.

Thousands of genes may affect intelligence but identifying even a small proportion of them could be of inordinate benefit. A May 25, 2017 article in Nature came to a similar conclusion.

My PsychologyToday.com article today offers some implications.

Pressing the Button: A short-short story about a deathbed review of one's life.

A deathbed patient reviews her life. 

That's the topic of my latest PsychologyToday.com short-short story. They're composites of real-life events with psychological or practical implications.

Making This Your Child's Best School Year Yet

True, your child can probably survive a bad school year. Indeed, genes, parenting, and peers matter more, at least in terms of long-term outcomes.

But think back to your own schooling. Weren’t there years in which you were much happier or less so. Helping your child have a whole year of more happiness—That’s worth your effort.

And much is in your control. My PsychologyToday.com article today offers potent things you can do. No, you needn't volunteer in your child’s class. That’s just not realistic for so many of today’s parents.

Raising a Challenging Child

The Case for Eclecticism

Many psychotherapists, counselors, and coaches feel comforted by having a theoretical framework from which to operate. It’s a scaffolding onto which they can then hang their own ideas as applicable to the client. 

That’s understandable but too limiting.  I make the case for eclecticism in my PsychologyToday.com article today.

The Ridiculousness of Unconditional Love

How wonderful to be loved for just who you are. Conversely, how comforting to feel so close to someone that you unconditionally love him or her.

But how realistic is that? Is it even desirable? My essay in PsychologyToday.com today argues no on both counts.

Career Issues I've Changed My Mind About

Somehow, we’ve come to prize people who stick to their guns. But as Longfellow wrote, “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Not wanting too little a mind, I have tried to remain opening to changing my views. In hopes of encouraging you to do that, my PsychologyToday. com article today describes 11 things on which I’ve changed my mind.

While I’ve changed my mind on many issues, in that article, I describe only items related to my profession: career counseling. Not only have I done the most thinking about that, offering my current thoughts on career may be helpful to yours.

An Ode to the Worker Bee on Labor Day

Labor Day honors workers. And for good reason, indeed for more reasons than we might realize. I describe them in my PsychologyToday.com article today.