The Mindful Self-Express

The mind-body experiment.

by Melanie Greenberg, Ph.D.

The Best Quotes on Healthy Living

In modern Western society, we deeply value good health, yet our pressured, hurried way of life is so out of balance with our biological needs that health damage is the inevitable result. We forget the age old wisdom that health means soundness not only of body, but of mind and spirit as well. The following quotes illustrate what health is really about - living in balance. Read More

Five Ways Living Mindfully Can Help You Reach Your Goals

Research shows Mindfulness-Based interventions can help people deal with uncontrollable symptoms, decrease anxiety and depression, be more productive, Learn how they can help you focus and be productive when faced with stress and distress. Read More

Four Steps to Relationship Repair With The H-E-A-L Technique

Love relationships are not all sunsets and roses, but involve a complicated dance. When your relationship gets off track, repair it using the H-E-A-L technique. By Hearing concern, Empathizing, Acting to change, & expressing Love, you let your partner know that their needs matter and that you care. This creates healing energy to restore relationship health. Read More

Become the CEO of Your Own Brain in Six Easy Steps

You may have tried to control your thoughts at one time or another. With the aid of self-help books, perhaps you really tried to “Be Positive” and “Show Negativity the Door.” And this may have even worked for a while. But sooner or later, you probably found yourself back at the starting point. I’m here to tell you that there is another way. And that is to become the CEO o Read More

Why We Can't Just Get Rid of Anxiety & Distress

Although we don't like to feel anxiety and distress, they are part of our brain's hardwiring and difficult to get rid of. In fact, the things we do not to feel distress, such as addictive behavior or avoidance, often create worse problems than the emotions themselves. Read why negative emotions are such a struggle for us. Read More

Why We Can't Stop Watching "The Real Housewives"

From the sparkling, huge infinity pool and panoramic view from Lisa Vanderpump’s garden, to the Arabian tiled halls of Mohamed Hadid’s 48,000 square foot Crystal Palace, we are both repulsed and fascinated by the Housewives decadent extravaganza of magnificence. What's the psychology behind our fascination with Reality TVs altered universe? Read More

Turning to the Positive: Personal Growth After Trauma

Research shows that many people report psychological growth and positive psychological changes resulting from highly stressful events. This growth does not “undo” the negative effects, but may co-exist with them, or my be the result of therapeutic or spiritual work. Learn what this growth looks like and how to tap into it. Read More

Why Our Brains Love Sugar - And Why Our Bodies Don't

“That glazed doughnut is calling my name. Oh yes it is!" While the jury is still out, recent research suggests sugar may be more addictive than we previously thought. How added sugars and high-fructose corn syrup mess with our brains and bodies - and why nothing good can come of it. Read More

Ten Faces of Love in Quotes and Words

Love is not just a feeling, a thought, a spiritual state, or an action, but a combination of all of these. Using the words of philosophers and writers and some modern science, this article provides a sophisticated, yet understandable perspective on the nature of love. Understanding love better can help us to bring more love into our lives and experience it more mindfully. Read More

Release the Past So You Don't Get Stuck in Groundhog Day

In what ways are you stuck in "Groundhog Day" – so focused on the future and full of judgment about the present moment, that you miss potentially rewarding opportunities and relationships. Do you keep repeating the same patterns and expect different outcomes? Learn how radical acceptance, love, and compassion can build new brain pathways and break negative cycles. Read More

Ten Skills to Manage Fear and Anxiety in an Unsafe World

Following the Connecticut school shooting we may feel overwhelmed by fear, anxiety, anger, or a sense of meaninglessness. Learn how to restore emotional safety with these skills from Mindfulness and Positive Psychology. Read More

Healing the Cycles that Tear Couples Apart

Many couples get trapped in negative cycles of blame, criticism, distance, or control. Learn about how we get into these traps, why they are problematic, and how to untangle yourself and begin to heal your relationship. Read More

The Hidden Cognitive Biases Affecting the Election

While at face value, the choice of President should be clear, based on one's personal values, such as compassion, fairness, opportunity, or independence, in reality, most voters are far less rational. Learn about the hidden cognitive biases affecting the American voter in the 2012 elections. Read More

The Psychology of Super Storm Sandy

This week, Super Storm Sandy tore across the East Coast, killing more than 60 people, and wreaking havoc across many states. From a psychological perspective, how is this event likely to impact survivors and people living in the affected areas? What can we do to restore feelings of safety, control, and meaning in the face of powerful destructive forces? Read More

Love, Sex, Relationships and the Brain

Love is a feeling of passion and commitment that adds richness and joy to life. Yet, until recently, we didn't know whether love and sexual attraction could last a lifetime. Now, brain science may hold the key. Learn the secrets of the brain in love and some practical strategies for rekindling the romance in your marriage or relationship. Read More

The 50 Best Quotes on Self-Love

The biggest struggle in life is the struggle to know, embrace, and accept ourselves, with all of our faults and imperfections.When we have the courage to know and embrace ourselves, despite our human failings, we also open the door to connecting in a more caring, empathic, intimate way with the ones we love and with all living beings. Read More

Worst Mistakes Parents Make When Talking to Kids

Some parents use authoritarian parenting strategies that do not give the child an independent voice or sense of efficacy. Other parents don't teach kids about limits and self-control. Research shows that both extremes can interfere with kids’ ability to regulate emotions and form healthy relationships as adults. Here's how to do it right. Read More

Seven Proven Tips for Weight Loss Success

The best weight loss experts know that it's not the specific diet you choose, but how you individualize it to your lifestyle, and the behavioral strategies you use to help you stick with it, that make the most difference to long-term success. Read More

Is Money the Secret to Happiness?

Most religions also teach us that the key to happiness lies in appreciating what we have and helping others, rather than in trying to elevate our own status. On the other hand, most people think that if they had a lot more money, they would be a whole lot happier. Can money really buy us happiness, and, if so, how much? Read More

The Six Attributes of Courage

Courage is a universally admired attribute. From soldiers to entrepreneurs, writers to explorers, living with courage can help you to define and build the life you want. Read More

Do Pets Help or Hurt Our Health?: A Look at the Research

Research shows people who own pets exercise more, have lower triglycerides, and are less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. This author reviews some of the research literature and concludes that while not all studies support a pet effect, the best-designed studies show the strongest relationship between pets and health. Read More

Why We Love Our Pets: They're Just Like Us!

It's a suburban legend that dogs and their owners look and act alike.I have certainly seen my share of heavyset Bulldog owners and blonde, coifed women walking Bouviers, but then again, my brain was primed to look for similarities. Read here for the latest science about pet-owner similarities and how pets help our health. Read More

How to Prevent Stress from Shrinking Your Brain

Have you ever felt so stressed out and overwhelmed that you can’t think straight? Scientists are beginning to uncover the genetic and hormonal mechanisms whereby stress shrinks emotion and memory centers in the brain. Read what they know and what you can do to preserve brainpower. Read More

The Mindful Manifesto - Awareness, Engagement, and Choice

“Mindfulness means relating to our thoughts as just thoughts, our feelings as just feelings, our actions as just actions—they are not the whole of who we are...Mindfulness means relating to our experience rather than just from our experience.” Read More

Five Essential Skills for Leadership in the 21st Century

In a competitive world, we need leaders with novel ideas, who are willing to take risks, inspire and motivate, and build new strategic partnerships to address global challenges. In these endeavors, leaders need to incorporate skills that are more in the realm of psychology and cognitive science than traditional business. Read More

The Neuroscience of Regret

Everybody has felt the uncomfortable pang of regret at some time. New research now shows that healthy aging may involve the ability to let go of regret, and move on emotionally when there is nothing more that can be done. Read about this exciting new brain science that looks inside the brain to help us learn about regret. Read More

The Psychology of Regret

Edith Piaf, the famous French singer sang "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien." (I Have No Regrets). Should we follow her advice and try to live in the moment, without looking back and without any self-judgment? Or, can we sometimes learn valuable lessons by analyzing our behavior and its consequences. Read More

Attributes of a Mother—The Good, the Bad, and the Funny

Why do we, as a society love, laugh at, and love to hate mothers? Is it sexism or the power and universality of the mother archetype? Perhaps it is a bit of both. This article presents a light-hearted look at the mother role in the words of popular writers and celebrities. Read More

Learning to Be Present With Yourself

Teaching ourselves to focus on the present moment can train our brain pathways towards more deliberate and positive experiencing. Read More

When the Voice Inside Your Head Turns Bad.....

If left unchecked, the committees in our heads will take charge of our lives and keep us stuck in mental and behavioral prisons of our own making. Like typical abusers, they scare us into believing that the outside world is dangerous, and that we need to obey their rules for living in order to survive and avoid pain. But there is another way... 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?