Tag Archives: worry

Reality Check: Strategies for Choice

Posted on May 25, 2019 by RealityCheck

Previously, I discussed a theory popularized by Barry Schwartz in, “The Paradox of Choice” that there are two choice-making approaches. Some people are maximizers; intent on making the absolute best choices they possibly can. Others are satisficers, who stop looking … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Do your choices satisfy you?

Posted on May 19, 2019 by RealityCheck

We make many choices—some consequential; others trivial. Does your choice-making process satisfy you? Or aggravate you? Or does it depend on the choice? Barry Schwartz needed a pair of jeans. In the big scheme of things, picking out jeans isn’t … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: That Which Strikes Fear

Posted on April 27, 2019 by RealityCheck

Did you hear the story about the person who called police on a vacuum cleaner that was trapped in the bathroom? Apparently, the resident could see shadows under the bathroom door. There was obviously something amiss; no one was supposed … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Choosing Hope

Posted on January 6, 2019 by RealityCheck

Catastrophizing. It’s a dramatic word, isn’t it? When we look ahead, whether it’s to a new year or just an ordinary new day, we can look with a perspective that’s filled with hope for the promise of things to come. … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Feelings for the Future

Posted on December 16, 2018 by RealityCheck

Imagine the future. Maybe your daydreams are happy ones—winning the lottery, lazing on sandy beaches surrounded by loving friends and family. It’s a future with happiness, health, and good will. Or perhaps the future that springs to mind is filled … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Fear and the Unknown

Posted on October 7, 2018 by RealityCheck

If you’ve ever had a serious medical issue, then it’s safe to say you have experienced fear. That fear may be about unknowns: How will this turn out? Will I be ok? When I was catching up with Sara some … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Relaxation and Everyday Anxiety

Posted on July 8, 2018 by RealityCheck

Last time, I mentioned that Dr. Martin Seligman has a couple of suggestions to lower everyday anxiety levels. One is progressive relaxation, also known as progressive muscle relaxation. This technique is hardly new; apparently first described nearly a hundred years … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Can your Belief Change your Reality?

Posted on April 22, 2018 by RealityCheck

Many of us feel stressed. Challenges, fears, upsets, and disappointments abound. People, institutions, politicians, employers and many others don’t behave as we want them to. A lot of those stressors are outside of our control. And even though we know … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Choosing your Worry Boundaries

Posted on February 11, 2018 by RealityCheck

Can we choose to worry? Can we choose not to worry? If you identify yourself as a worrier, then the idea that you could choose not to worry probably sounds unrealistic. So let’s try this different, but related, question: Can … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: You’re probably not alone…

Posted on October 8, 2017 by RealityCheck

“So much paperwork. And it’s all so confusing.” That’s Wanda’s description of her plight right now. She’s entering a stage of life where changes must be made. Many of those changes involve finances. Thus, they involve paperwork, meetings, and decisions. … Continue reading →

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