Dr. Virginia Chow
845 Decarie Boulevard, Suite 202A H4L 3L7 Ville Saint Laurent, QC, Canada

I recently read an article from a parenting newsletter. Although written for a Jewish audience, the themes of love, care, and kindness are universal and applies to all parents. What I see as relevant to my family, my clients, and all people is that we all have the choice to act with integrity and to be the kind of person that embodies good values. This article just reinforces that.

Is self-care just about "treating" yourself? What do you think? Is it about finding a quick fix to make yourself feel better in the moment?

Ever wondered why self-care is important? I was recently interviewed by CBC Daybreak on the subject.

It may not always be easy to deal with family members who are stressed out. A stressed-out mind may not always act rationally and decision-making can be poor. However, stress is better managed when we are able to reach out to help one another and set healthy boundaries about how much we can give to support our loved ones.

This anxiety sensitivity is also explained by the neuropsychologist, Rick Hanson, of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom regardin...g how negative thinking and worrying changes our brain. The more our minds worry and focus on negative thoughts and negative bodily sensations, the more that pathway in our brain becomes sensitive to those negative thoughts and feelings. Essentially, our brain is shaped by our thoughts and experiences making the mind more succeptible to threatening cues. However, the good news is that we can change our thought patterns and are not completely helpless. Cognitive restructuring to acknowledge positive thinking, exercising and mindfulness training have been shown to be helpful in shifting worrying and negative thinking patterns. www.PsychologyResource.ca