The Mindful Self-Express

The mind-body experiment.

by Melanie Greenberg, Ph.D.

Six Qualities Leaders Need to Be Successful

These days, companies and individuals face tough global challenges in a changing world. The need to recruit and train innovative and inspiring leaders, who can create and implement innovative solutions and instill hope and passion is greater now than ever. But what are the qualities of an effective leader? The latest research suggests it’s more than a list of traits. Read More

Online Dating May Lead to Love, But Has Its Perils Too

While online dating may be the most efficient and effective way for many people to meet a potential mate, dating strangers involves some level of risk, and the anonymity provided by the internet can make it easier for scammers and individuals with a history of violence to hide their true identities and motives. Read More

Ten Ways Your Local Grocery Store Hijacks Your Brain

What's in a name? A whole heck of a lot if it's a brand name, it turns out! Below are 10 great examples of how consumers get baffled by branding into parting with their hard-earned cash. Read this article to become a savvier, informed consumer! Read More

Nine Essential Qualities of Mindfulness

Most people these days are stressed out by the fast pace of life, economy, and worries about the future. It is no wonder that mindfulness has rapidly gained attention. But what exactly is mindfulness? Read More

The Surprising Secret to Success—Be Kind to Yourself

If we lack connection in the external world, we have the ability to create it in our internal worlds through compassionate practices, and thereby reap some of the health and psychological benefits. Read More

Quotes on Grief to Comfort and Inspire

Research shows that there is no set pattern of mourning. While some people never get over a loss, others do not mourn at all. Read More

The Yoga Revolution... and Its Opponents

Yoga is an ancient Indian discipline with the ultimate goals of uniting mind, body,and spirit, and of transcending the boundaries of the self to become one with the universal consciousness. It began in India thousands of years ago, taught by swamis to their students. Read More

Accomplish Your New Dreams in the New Year

Inspiration is a quality of leadership and entrepreneurial endeavors; the guiding force that allows us to navigate the stormy seas of life, never taking our eyes off the desired endpoints. Philosophers throughout history have attempted to define what it is to be inspired, committed, and creative in the pursuit of what we value or what is most meaningful to us. Read More

The Seven Best Gratitude Quotes

"For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, for love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends."-Ralph Waldo Emerson Read More

The Neuroscience of Holiday Shopping

'Tis that time of year again. The smell of pumpkin, cinnamon spice and peppermint frost mochas is in the air. The luxury department stores are rolling out their latest UGG boots, Juicy Couture velours and pastel cashmere scarves in an array of soft, soothing pastel colors. Read More

Don't Let Stress Spoil Your Fun This Holiday Season

For people prone to anxiety, the holiday season may be stressful as well as exciting. While some people find Halloween thrilling, others may find it overstimulating. The subjective feelings of stress may interfere with the ability to be mentally present so as enjoy the socializing, fine food and festivities. Read More

Deal With Life's Ups and Downs Without Eating Potato Chips

Emotional eating is something we have all done occasionally. We eat for reasons other than hunger, such as eating birthday cake to celebrate with a group of girlfriends. Who hasn't been tempted to lie on the couch with a bag of potato chips to assuage boredom while watching reruns of Law and Order on a dateless Saturday night. Read More

Preserving Mental Health During Unemployment

Our nation is facing unprecedented rates of unemployment as well as job insecurity and dissatisfaction. Recent figures put the national jobless rate at close to 10%, not including those who left the workforce or those staying in unsatisfying jobs. In a culture that values the work role and external signs of status, wealth and achievement above all else. Read More

Changing Your Brain By Changing Your Mind

A new study show that even brief meditation can increase activation in brain centers associated with joy, compassion, and love Read More

How to Keep Your Cool with Competitive People

Whether it's the neighbor whose holiday decorations always have to be more extravagant or the coworker who grabs the credit for every project, competitive people can get your hackles up. Read how to keep your cool and remain strategic to get the best results. Read More

Heal Your Heart; Heal Your Life

Can love really fix a broken heart? Recent scientific research on heart rhythms suggests that both loving relationships and slow, deep breathing practice may help us live longer, happier lives. Read More

Reality TV in the Spotlight

The glitz and glamor of reality tv has made this entertainment genre a multi-million dollar enterprise. But when does the stress of falling from grace in the public spotlight become too much for participants to bear? Read More

Why Can't I Get the Job Done on Time?

I received this letter in my email the other day. Because lateness is a common problem that can interfere with relationships and career achievement, I made it the subject of today's blog post. Read More

How to Deal with the Stress of Tough Economic Times

The Wall Street Journal reported today that "U.S. stocks tumbled in a Monday rout that sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 5.5%, plunging below 11000." The economic and psychological reverberations of this loss, layered on a the housing collapse & prolonged unemployment are being felt throughout the world. Read More

Relationships Can Heal...But Can They Also Make You Sick?

Social relationships are as important to human survival and wellbeing as food and shelter. Yet some aspects of close relationships may threaten our health. Read on to see whether you are at risk. Read More

The 5 Best Ways to Manage Your Weight & Eating

Dieting doesn't work because weight is a mind-body issue. Use these mindful eating principles to transform your relationship with food for life. Read More

Could Neuroscience Have Helped Amy Winehouse?

"They tried to make me go to rehab," sang Amy Winehouse, the troubled rock star "Rehab." "I said 'No, no no."' Now she is dead at the age of 27. Is this a morality tale, or just a senseless tragedy? New research suggests it may actually be a problem that science can eventually solve. Read More

The Most Watched Trial Since OJ Simpson

The trial is now over, with the jury declaring Casey “not guilty” on all the major counts. I, like many other people, am left feeling sad, perplexed, shell-shocked, confused. What went wrong here? Did Casey get away with murder? Read More

The Six Best Ways to Decrease Your Anxiety

We all know the uncomfortable feeling of anxiety. Our hearts race, our fingers sweat, and our breathing gets shallow and labored. We experience racing thoughts about a perceived threat that we think is too much to handle. That's because our "fight or flight" response has kicked in, resulting in sympathetic arousal and a narrowing of attention and focus on avoiding the threat. Read More

Without You, Dad, I Wouldn't Be the Person I Am Today

"I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." - Sigmund Freud Read More

The 11 Best Mother's Day Quotes

Inspiration & Celebration of the Parenting Bond Read More

Does the Death of Bin Laden Help the 9/11 Families to Heal?

Shouldn't the major focus of the dialogue around Bin Laden be about honoring those who died and the heroes and helping the 9/11 families to heal? The post provides a positive psychology perspective on how today's ceremony and the recent US Mission can provide a sense of justice and meaning to these families. Read More

Physician, Heal Thyself, And Thy Healthcare System

An integrated approach to healthcare is the only one that makes any sense, given all the recent research findings showing mental health diagnoses and obesity are significant risk factors for heart disease and early death. Social media represents a unique opportunity for getting this healthcare train moving Read More

Why PTSD is Larger than Mental Health

Treating PTSD, depression, and related disorders as purely mental health problems may result in failure to prevent autoimmune disorders, heart disease, addictions, and earlier death. Read More

The Neuroscience of Relationship Breakups

An unexpected and unwanted breakup can cause considerable psychological distress. People report feeling as if they have been kicked in the stomach or blindsided and knocked down. Feelings of rejection and self-doubt are common, as is the feeling of being stuck and unable to let go, even when one wants to. Read More

Melanie Greenberg, Ph.D., studies the health effects of expressive writing, cognitive adaptation to trauma, the genesis and treatment of chronic pain, among other coping issues.

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About The Mindful Self-Express

"Life is not a matter of having good cards but of playing a poor hand well" Robert Louis Stephenson. This blog explores how we can manage our lives so as to make the most of the hands we've been dealt. Can we find ways to transform life stress & trauma into positive motivation? What are the ingredients of a healthy, balanced life? And how can we express our most authentic selves to contribute to a better world?