Rick Hanson's Blog, page 85

Mindfulness of Anxiety

This talk on mindfulness and anxiety is one in a series on Buddhist perspectives and practice where Dr. Rick Hanson explores the practical wisdom in one of the world’s oldest contemplative traditions.

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Love Someone

What can you do when there’s nothing you can do?

The Practice:

Love Someone.

Why

Sometimes something happens. Perhaps your sweet old cat takes a turn for the worse, or there’s a money problem, or your son waves goodbye as he gets on a plane to start college on the other side of the country. Sometimes it’s on a larger scale: maybe there’s been an election and you’re grappling with its consequences (see my last post on this topic: Take Heart).

Or you might be dealing with something ongoing, l...

A Courageous Brain: Not Manipulated by Needless Fear

Our ancestors evolved a frightened brain for survival in harsh conditions. Today, unnecessary and unwarranted fear can make it harder to speak from the heart, dream big dreams and stand up to the manipulations of advertisers and demagogues.

A Courageous Brain: Not Manipulated by Needless Fear is a Commonwealth Club National Podcast where Dr. Rick Hanson, Ph.D., explores the practical neuroscience of courage in ourselves, our homes, offices and politics. Go to the Commonwealth Clubfor more inf...

Take Heart

What do you do when the bottom falls out?

The Practice:

Take heart.

Why

It takes heart to live in even ordinary times.

By “taking heart,” I mean several related things:

Sensing your heart and chest Finding encouragement in what is good both around you and inside you Resting in your own warmth, compassion, and kindness; resting in the caring for you from others; love flowing in and love flowing out Being courageous, whole-hearted and strong-hearted – going forward wisely even when anxio...

Find the Facts

It is so very helpful to see the truth both around you and inside you. Then you’re more able to handle threats and fulfill opportunities, understand others, and make wise choices. Not finding the facts is like closing your eyes while walking on thin ice.

Facts are important at all levels, whether for an individual, a relationship, or a country. I am going to focus here on America. Voters will choose a President on November 8 – but on every day I think we are having a related election about a...

QUIZ: What Does Your Heart Say?

Bottling up your feelings and not saying what you want can lead to numbness inside, preoccupations, distance from others and lost opportunities.

Reflect on how well you’re doing speaking from your own heart, with this short quiz from my Foundations of Well-Being program:
https://fwb.rickhanson.net/quizzes/what-does-your-heart-say

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QUIZ: What’s Your Personal Body Image

Having a healthy relationship with your body is a foundational part of your overall happiness and well-being.

Find out if you are too preoccupied with your weight, shape, complexion, hair, or other aspects of your appearance, with this short quiz from my Foundations of Well-Being program:
https://fwb.rickhanson.net/bodyimagequiz

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Rick’s Picks: Overview

Rick’s Picks is a series of posts highlighting the very best content online.

On the 40th anniversary of the famous ‘Blue Marble’ photograph taken of Earth from space, Planetary Collective presents a short film documenting astronauts’ life-changing stories of seeing the Earth from the outside – a perspective-altering experience often described as the Overview Effect.

OVERVIEW from Planetary Collective on Vimeo.

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Quiz: Do You Find Pleasure in Your Life?

By finding the beauty and pleasure in life, you build a greater foundation of inner peace and happiness within yourself.

Find out how much pleasure you find in your life, with this short quiz from my Foundations of Well-Being program:
https://fwb.rickhanson.net/pleasurequiz

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Rick’s Picks: Dove Real Beauty Sketches

Rick’s Picks is a series of posts highlighting the very best content online.

In one of the most famous Dove films, Real Beauty Sketches explores the gap between how others perceive us and how we perceive ourselves. Each woman is the subject of two portraits drawn by FBI-trained forensic artist Gil Zamora: one based on her own description, and the other using a stranger’s observations. The results are surprising…

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