Lifetime Connections

Exploring women's relationships in families and friendscapes

Suzanne Degges-White Ph.D.

Skin Hunger, Touch Starvation, and Hug Deprivation

The benefits of human touch are many and it can act as a “magic bullet” for emotional distress.

Warning: Surge Capacity Reached

Our reserves of strength, stamina, and vitality have been drained by the events of the past year, and many of us feel we have nothing left in the tank.

Radical Self-Care to Protect Your Overall Well-Being

We light candles to mask unpleasant odors, but if we don't take time to address the source of the odor, we're doing nothing about the "stink." Radical self-care gets to the source.

12 Tricks for Coping With the Unpredictability of Our World

Research shows that a positive attitude is much more likely to predict success than focusing on negative outcomes or feelings.

Inner Peace in the Midst of Outer Chaos

As life stressors continue to pile up or persist, there are simple tricks to use to help you handle your own reactions.

Primary Relationships should be a Primary Priority

The risk for extra-relational cheating isn't limited to romantic cheating—competing attachments can include technology, addictions, and social commitments, among others.

Why We Need Diversity in Our Friendscapes

Let your friendships offer you a peek into the wider world rather than merely being a mirror of who and where you are today.

Casual Friendships Are a Key to Happiness

Chats with "casual friends" play a significant role in your well-being. Don't let those friendships become casualties of the pandemic.

Combatting the Stigma Experienced by COVID-19 Patients

Resilience is needed to recover from the damage the virus causes, but it's also needed to cope with the emotional damage of the stigma the diagnosis can bring with it.

To Change a Mind, You Must First Understand the Heart

Until you get outside your comfort zone and consider alternative ideas, you won’t really “know” what you “know” or even know “why” you believe what you believe what you do.

Warning Signs of the Covert Narcissist

A narcissist has such deep-rooted insecurities that they cannot tolerate the give and take of normal human relationships.

How Dangerous are Collective and Communal Narcissists?

Collective narcissism brews intergroup hostility to protect fragile egos; communal narcissists use “causes” and false social interest to protect their own egos.

Advocacy Begins With Connection, Listening, Understanding

Advocacy begins in the belief of the worth of another and the ways in which your efforts can further give agency and voice to another.

Do Online Friendships Differ from Face-to-Face Friendships?

When we’re engaging in online connections exclusively, we’re focused on the similarities; moving to a face-to-face relationship may bring our differences into focus.

Lockdown Lessons: What Have We Learned About Ourselves?

Whether we rely on phone calls, video calls, texts, or visiting with masks and staying six feet apart, our lives have value because of the value we have in the lives of others.

Are You Ready to Re-Enter a World of Social Interaction?

Get ready to put on your "hard pants" as we physically, emotionally, and psychologically get ready to re-enter the world of social engagement.

Zen Your Zoom Meetings: Tips to Lower 'Video Aversion'

Even as restrictions lift, we’re likely to keep the virtual meeting culture going strong. Here are ways to "zen your Zoom meetings" to make them less exhausting.

Reaching Out to Old Flames and Former Friends

Sometimes the voice of an old friend or former love is what we long for most when life seems so uncertain.

What Do Children Need Most From Parents Right Now?

Here's wisdom from Dr. Adam Carter on how to best support your kids during this period. Key advice: "Trust your instincts and honor your family’s norms and coping strategies."

Working Remotely Is Harder Than Expected

A new study suggests that working from home may be compromising our mental health as we try to figure out work-leisure boundaries, exercise time, and communication.

Dealing With Zoom Anxiety

Digital hangouts give people a place to socialize with multiple people and to simulate the feeling of hanging out with a group, but some of us prefer solitude or one-on-one time.

What's the Best Way to Ease the Pain of Rejection?

Rejection is painful, but there are positive ways to channel the negative energy it triggers if you take a breath before reacting.

Zoom Fatigue: Don't Let Video Meetings Zap Your Energy

The heavy-duty, commercial-grade screen time demands of video meetings are especially grueling as we cope with uncertainty and fears.

Treadmill Meditation: Calm Your Mind and Work Off Anxiety

Tune out the external world by focusing on the sound of the treadmill and the movement of your body as you fall into sync with the rhythm.

Combating the Loneliness of Self-Isolation

Creative ways to find social support to minimize the damage that the loneliness of self-isolation could create.

Eight Signs That Your Partner Is Definitely “Into You”

If you witness your partner engaging in these types of behaviors, it's a sign that they value you.

Three Ways to Show Love and Support in Times of Stress

As we isolate from others, make sure that you're still emotionally present for the people you care most about.

COVID-19 Anxiety: Control Your Controllables

If you’re worried about whether or not you’re doing enough to protect yourself from COVID-19, you’re probably doing enough. Maybe too much.

5 Prerequisites for Inviting Happiness Into Your Life

Perhaps the biggest misconception we have is a belief that happiness is a “destination” or that happiness can be “bought.”

Why Do Relationships Change Over Time?

Relationships change over time because people change over time. Not every relationship, though, is durable or flexible enough to handle these changes.

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