Are you a boundary keeper? Or maybe you are a boundary violator. Do you take more than you give, or give more than you take? This week's podcast is very much focused on introspection. What kind of person are you? This is a critical question to explore in the context of your relationships and how you want to experience life. I share a little bit about my boundary style, and how I see boundaries play out in my life and my family. 

Join me for the first episode in some kind of series about boundaries. Based on your input through Instagram, I am hopeful I can be specific in answering questions and truly helping you all sort through this complex issue. It's hard for all of us - don't be discouraged. I'll help you work through all the nuances. Also, see below for the resource material I am using. 

Therapist Aid

Positive Psychology

In Sanity: A Piece of Mind - Positive Characteristics and Clarifying Values 

Building Better Boundaries

I'm taking the week off. See you next Monday. 

Greater Good Science Center offers a whole lot of data on the benefits of gratitude. In a 2018 paper titled "The Science of Gratitude," they outline the following benefits of a gratitude practice:

increased happiness and positive mood, more satisfaction with life, less materialistic, less likely to experience burnout, better physical health, better sleep, less fatigue, lower levels of cellular inflammation, greater resiliency, and encourages the development of patience, humility, and wisdom

Additionally, every time a person expresses or receives gratitude, dopamine releases in the brain. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, is produced in two areas of the brain: the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental. The former has to do with movement and speech, the latter with reward (Carter, 2009). When a person expresses or receives gratitude, dopamine releases, thus making a connection between the behavior and feeling good. The more a person practices gratitude, the more often dopamine releases.

Listen to this week's episode for ways to begin a lifelong practice of gratitude. 

Resources: 

https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/GGSC-JTF_White_Paper-Gratitude-FINAL.pdf

We all have things we want to change. They might be pretty big aspirations and perhaps we are working on them. Or maybe changing big things seems too overwhelming. I get it. What if a few areas could be improved by doing one thing that requires almost ZERO effort. That is what today's podcast is about. Very often big changes can be made by little moves here and there. Listen this week to see if there is one thing you can change to improve your overall well-being. 

Stress shows up in our minds, in our bodies, and in our behaviors. We feel stress when we perceive a lack of stability between the work we have to do and the time or resources we have to get things done. Stress management is creating techniques or strategies to deal more effectively with stress. Knowing the different types of stressors, understanding how they show up and your triggers, allows you to find ways to cope. 

Generally, the words "feeling" and "emotion" are used interchangeably, but there are distinct differences between them. It is important to know the difference because it can change how we react to our emotions and feelings, how we model these experiences, and how we behave. Listen to this week's podcast to understand what is going on inside of you, and how you can become more mindfully aware of the interplay. 

Resilience is something we can all develop, whether we want to grow as individuals, as a family, or as a society. Listen to today's podcast and take a short quiz to see how resilient you are. Then keep listening to find out to increase your resilience. It will be worth your time, I promise. 

Also, follow me @in_sanitypodcast for additional information and content related to each week's podcast. 

Evidence Mounts That Mindfulness Breeds Resilience 

Resilience in Positive Psychology: Bouncing Back & Staying Strong

Resiliency Quiz - How Resilient Are You?

This week, my son Christian joins me to talk about resilience and kids. He's a great resource, not only for his personal experience with resilience in playing sports, including college baseball but also because he has worked with kids for the past several years in different behavioral health settings. He has a lot of great insights that are well worth the listen. 

Check out the show notes for the resilience zone image Christian was talking about, and the Red Sox article I quoted at the end.  

Trauma/Resiliency Zone

Resilience has been the key characteristic for this Red Sox team

I've got some ideas about resilience that I want to address in the next few podcasts. You will certainly learn things, and have some fun with more of my kids - at least that's the plan. Resilience is an important trait that improves happiness and life satisfaction. The good news is that it can be cultivated and developed.