well-being

The Creative Remedy: Why Expressive Acts are Essential for Mental Health

The Creative Remedy: Why Expressive Acts are Essential for Mental Health

What is creativity? The American Psychological Association defines creativity as “the ability to produce or develop original work, theories, techniques, or thoughts” (APA Dictionary of Psychology, n.d., para. 1). Like me, you may have favorite creations that others have made, such as a piece of music or a painting. It may seem natural to applaud new discoveries or beautiful works of art creative people have made, because they benefit us or enrich our lives in some way. My grandfather was one of the most creative people I knew. He seemed to be able to make just about anything with his hands, whether it was a welded music stand, a wooden jewelry container, a silly face carved out of a golf ball, or a thoughtful note written in calligraphy. My grandfather’s creations brought wonder and joy into my life, and he gave many of these creations away to me and other family members as personalized gifts. This is just one example of how the creativity of one person can influence another for good.  

The Universe Smiles Upon You When You Feel Safe in Your Skin

The Universe Smiles Upon You When You Feel Safe in Your Skin

We've all heard the romantic sayings: "We just fit together" or "We're like two peas in a pod." Last Halloween, I saw a couple dressed as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, sitting on top of each other at the library. Sweet, right?

Recently, I was struggling to fit a lid onto a plastic container, growing increasingly frustrated with each failed attempt—only to realize I was using the wrong lid entirely. It struck me: this is exactly how we think about romantic relationships. We believe there's someone out there who's meant to fit us perfectly, like two puzzle pieces clicking together to form a complete, perfect square.

But here's the thing: it's never that simple.

Grief & Mindfulness: The Research

Grief & Mindfulness: The Research

It was the last day of classes for the semester, and I was heading home, exhausted. 

The semester had been the longest of my life. Tragedy struck—my dear older brother took his life just as my routine was setting in, and my life fell apart. I had to quickly pick it up again because midterms were around the corner, and my many responsibilities would not wait for me to get my act together. Now, with my final class done, I could breathe again. 

The Joy of Fewer Choices: Lessons from Life and Research

The Joy of Fewer Choices: Lessons from Life and Research

The freedom to choose is one of humanity’s most cherished gifts, woven into our very souls. It is defended by constitutions, psychologists, and even toddlers as a basic human need. Yet an endless buffet of choices is neither required nor always beneficial for exercising agency and promoting self-determination. In fact, too many options can decrease life satisfaction and lead to decision paralysis (Scheibehenne et al., 2010). I have personally experienced this. 

When Life Falls Apart: Psychological Flexibility Helps Us Bend Without Breaking

When Life Falls Apart: Psychological Flexibility Helps Us Bend Without Breaking

We all know someone who seems to navigate life’s chaos with surprising steadiness. Plans fall apart? They adapt. Unexpected stress shows up? They adjust. A hard emotion hits? They don’t get stuck, they get curious. People like this aren’t simply resilient, and they’re not “lucky.” They’re practicing a major life skill, something psychologists call psychological flexibility, and research shows it may be the single most important predictor of mental health and well-being across nearly every domain of life. In fact, many scientists argue that psychological flexibility is the core of human flourishing (1). And yet, unlike mindfulness or gratitude, it rarely gets the spotlight. Let’s fix that!

The Day Ordinary Life Became Extraordinary: Finding Awe in the Moments We Usually Miss

The Day Ordinary Life Became Extraordinary: Finding Awe in the Moments We Usually Miss

There was a day, one I’ll never forget, when walking through my own front door felt like stepping into a miracle.

We had just returned home briefly between hospital stays. My son Wyatt’s body was exhausted from chemotherapy, my own heart was stretched thin, and every hour inside the oncology unit had felt heavy. The quiet hum of machines, the fluorescent lights, the interruptions through the night, those details had become our “new normal.” So when we finally made the drive home, unlocked the door, and stepped into the familiar light of our living room, something inside me shifted.

Suddenly, everything ordinary felt holy.

The Path Between

The Path Between

“I can’t do this. Nothing I do matters. It doesn’t mean anything in the end.” 

Dread words, but ones we have all said in the benighted times of our lives. Myriad challenges lead us this mindset: betrayals, setbacks, failures, mistakes. The shadowed condition of our minds in this state is miserable. 

Yet, psychologists have shown that we often bring it on ourselves. 

The One Ring in Our Wallets: A Reflection on The Price of Materialism

The One Ring in Our Wallets: A Reflection on The Price of Materialism

Someone recently asked me “what motivates you?” The immediate answer was my fiancee. She constantly supports me and helps me in every endeavor; I am so grateful for her. However, another answer crept into my mind, “Money.” Honestly, this answer surprised me. It scared me too, and caused me to worry “Am I really that materialistic?”

The Power of the Yellow Zone—Building Resilience by Slowing Down

The Power of the Yellow Zone—Building Resilience by Slowing Down

Spring is (almost) here! With the sun shining and the world awakening, it is natural to feel a sense of enthusiasm for life. I find myself feeling that fresh desire to dig into spring cleaning, sign up for a half marathon, try new recipes, and get outside. While these things are all good, beware of giving into the urge to speed up too quickly. As with running a long race, sprinting can burn you out quickly, whereas a gradual acceleration and maintainable pace can help ensure that you have enough left in the tank to make it successfully to the finish line. Resilience is defined as the ability to recover successfully after a change, challenge, or adversity. It can be easy to equate resilience with “doing it all”. To the untrained eye, we may assume that someone who is having lots of achievement is also resilient, however, resilience is not found in the ability to stretch, but in the ability to recoil. The space BETWEEN stop and go is the place where resilience is grown and maintained- it takes place in what I like to call the yellow zone.  

Grief & Mindfulness: The Lived Experience of Grief

Grief & Mindfulness: The Lived Experience of Grief

My phone buzzed on my desk, and I knew the worst had come true.  

My older brother had been missing for the past twenty-four hours, and we knew he was not in a favorable mental state. Everyone else in the family was on the road to his home in St. George, Utah to look for him. I was the closest, being in Provo, but I didn't have a car. So, I waited, sitting in fear and trembling, hoping that this was just another one of his solitary trips for introspection.  

It wasn't.