Tag: substance abuse

depression, Miami holistic health coach, Miami psychologist, New Year's resolutions, substance abuse, weight loss,

What’s your WHY?

In Psychology and Wellness

If you’re like most people, the holidays are loads of fun and may mean lots of time catching up with friends and family as well as a lot of good food.  With all the holiday parties, sweet indulgences and merry “toasts” to celebrate the fast approaching New Year, it’s easy to get off track with your health and well-being.  2023 is right around the corner and if you’re like most people you’ll set new resolutions believing that you’ll finally achieve your desired goals (e.g., losing those last stubborn 10 lbs. that don’t seem to ever go away, finally quit smoking or having your last drink of alcohol).

While setting a resolution for the New Year may lead to short term gains, it is unlikely to lead to your desired outcome without having a deeper life purpose and a WHYdentity.  The reality is that 95% of people who go on a diet will gain all the weight they lost within 5 years.  In order to reach your goals and commit long term, it is essential that you dig deep within to understand what makes you feel alive, helps you to experience gratitude and makes your life “sweet.”

Your life’s purpose, values and your WHY serve as a compass to you that will help you to experience vitality.  You may want to lose weight in order to play with your children, quit smoking so that you can jog outdoors and spend time with nature or stop drinking because you want to develop intimate relationships with your circle of peers and family instead of spending another night at the bar alone.

Once you have clarity regarding your WHYdentity and life’s purpose, set reasonable short term goals that are concrete and begin taking action steps on them right now.  Your values and life’s purpose will energize you to achieve your short term objectives.   Moreover, it is important that you build life structures and scaffolds to support you in obtaining your desired goals and commit long term.  If you want to lose weight, surround yourself with people who will support you and who have similar habits to the ones you wish to cultivate long-term.  If you want to stop smoking or drinking alcohol do not spend time with people who do so and may enable you to reach for another puff or cocktail and instead surround yourself with people who practice yoga or who meditate (e.g. the majority of people who drink alcohol and smoke do so to “blow off steam” and relax).

As you make progress and move towards committing long-term to what you value, you may find that you have a new circle of friends and lose your ties with old friends.  As you cultivate your willingness to extend beyond your comfort zone, make room for the painful private experiences that may arise (e.g., depression or guilt because you no longer spend time with an old friend) and do what is uncomfortable to create lasting change, remember to pause, celebrate and savor each step along your journey.

To your health and success,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a psychologist and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation.

The information, published and/or made available through the www.drjosesandoval.com website, is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a physician-patient relationship. This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information in this post for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.  Any action on the reader’s part in response to the information provided in this blog is at the reader’s discretion.

gratitude,depression, anxiety, substance abuse, Miami psychologist, Miami holistic health coach,

What are you thankful for today?

In Psychology and Wellness

Gratitude is holding the attitude and expression or acknowledgement of the positive aspects in your life. Acknowledging your basic needs, material goods, friends, family and loved ones.  A simple and easy practice that is customary in many world traditions.  

Several psychological studies have found that when you cultivate gratitude you are more likely to be happy, cope more adaptively and increase your relationships with the people who you love.1,2,3,4 You are also less likely to get stressed or depressed and will engage in fewer negative coping behaviors, such as substance abuse.4  

Acknowledging the positive aspects in your life can be challenging; particularly, when you focus or hold on to negative emotions like frustration, anger and resentment. Holding negative emotions towards situations and people in your life can exacerbate the painful conditions you are trying to avoid or change.

Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to cultivate a grateful heart and reap its many psychological benefits. In order to have an attitude of appreciation, you must first release and let go of any negative emotions that you are holding on to in your life. Like any skill, you must also practice appreciation in order to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

To help you release negative emotions, try the traditional Hawaiian practice of Hoʻoponopono. This traditional practice of forgiveness or reconciliation will help you to open your heart and mind to the many blessings in your life. It is defined in the Hawaiian Dictionary as a “mental cleansing: family conferences in which relationships were set right through prayer, discussion, confession, repentance, and mutual restitution and forgiveness.”

To practice, simply bring to your awareness the difficult situation or person with whom you are holding on to a negative emotion. As you visualize the situation or person, repeat in your mind and affirm “I’m sorry,” “Please forgive me,” “Thank you” and “I love you.” Let go of the need to find blame, be gentle and refrain from judging yourself. Continue this practice for 5 – 10 minutes. Do this every day for a few weeks and you will experience a shift in your heart and be more open and receptive to the good graces in your life.

As you let go of the negative emotions that are holding you back and begin to cultivate gratitude, you will also want to keep a gratitude journal.  Start each morning reflecting on the people, situations or aspects of your life for which you are grateful. You can use The 5 Minute Gratitude Journal that has prompts for you to write down 2 aspects each morning. Gratitude journals have been found to help people experience more positive emotions and reduce painful feelings like depression in many psychological studies.5

To your health and success,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a psychologist  and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call or  email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation.

  1. Algoe, Sara B.; Fredrickson, Barbara L.; Gable, Shelly L. “The social functions of the emotion of gratitude via expression.” Emotion, (2013) 13(4), 605-609.
  2. Emmons, R.A., McCullough, M.E. “Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life.”   Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. (2003) 84(2), 377-389.
  3. Gordon, A.M.; Impett, E.A.; Kogan, A.; Oveis, C.; Keltner, D. “To have and to hold: Gratitude promotes relationship maintenance in intimate bonds. “ Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2012) 03(2) 257-274.
  4. Grant, A. M.; Gino, F. “A little thanks goes a long way: Explaining why gratitude expressions motivate prosocial behavior.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. (2010)  98(6), 946-955.
  5. Lyubomirsky, Sonja; Dickerhoof, Rene; Boehm, Julia K.; Sheldon, Kennon M. “Becoming happier takes both a will and a proper way: An experimental longitudinal intervention to boost well-being.” Emotion (2011)11(2), 391-402.

The information, published and/or made available through the www.fullofradiance.com website, is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a physician-patient relationship. This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information in this post for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.  Any action on the reader’s part in response to the information provided in this blog is at the reader’s discretion.

anxiety, depression, gratitude, Miami holistic health coach, Miami psychologist, PERMA model, positive psychology, substance abuse

Are you G.L.A.D. to be alive?

In Psychology and Wellness

If you’re like many people who experience feelings of sadness, depression or anxiety, you likely get caught up and entangled by your mind’s nasty and critical stories about you and your life.  While it is reasonable and may even be natural to acknowledge your circumstances, situations or private experiences that evoke your discomfort or pain, your mind’s unending chatter and focus on what is wrong with you and your life has many negative effects on your health as your life narrows to only focusing on what your mind tells you.

Research in the area of Positive Psychology suggests that by shifting your attention and focusing on your character strengths, you can create upward spirals that will lead to a life time of authentic happiness.1,2,  Fortunately, shifting your attention and noticing what is going well in your life and celebrating your successes is simply a matter of being G.L.A.D. every day.

To help you experience more authentic happiness, keep a journal and write about what it is that you . . .

GRATITUDE: Each day you have experiences and situations that you can appreciate for which you can experience gratitude.  When you begin writing in your journal write about what you feel grateful for.  It may be challenging for you because your mind incessantly focuses on what disturbs you or is wrong with your life.  The fact is that everyone who is alive has a reason to feel grateful.  You may simply begin by writing about how you are grateful that you can be grateful.  Appreciate the simplicity of life.  Your heart beats over 100,000 a day without you consciously telling it do so.  The fact that you have a roof over your head, food to eat and clean water to bathe with each day.   The rising of the sun each day.  Your friends and family.  In counting your blessings, start by focusing on what you are capable of doing.

Many psychological studies have found that when you cultivate gratitude you are more likely to also be happier, cope more effectively and increase your relationships with the people who are dear to you.3,4,5,6  You are also less likely to get stressed or depressed and will engage in fewer negative coping behaviors, such as substance abuse. Acknowledging the positive aspects in your life can be challenging; particularly, when your mind focuses or holds on to uncomfortable and painful emotions like sadness, fear and shame.

As part of your evening ritual to retire to bed, write about 3 aspects in your life for which you experience gratitude.  Keeping a gratitude journal will help you to experience more positive emotions and reduce painful feelings like depression.7

LEARNED:  Every day you have experiences, situations and people that teach you.  Whether you are learning from a school teacher, professor, friend or simply a life experience, you have boundless opportunities and moments during which you can learn something new, if you meet each experience with an attitude of curiosity, openness, and non-judgment.  Whether it’s a new book, skill or sage advice and counsel from someone who you meet during your day or simply an experience during which you learn something new about yourself, taking in and recognizing that you have learned something new will help to enhance your level of engagement with life.

According to the PERMA model developed by the father of Positive Psychology, Martin Seligman, Ph.D., and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Ph.D., a Positive psychologist, engagement with life and actively immersing yourself in your experiences leads to a state of flow and is part of the “Good Life.”8,9 Being in a state of flow leads to greater enjoyment, improves your performance and self-efficacy.  When you keep a G.L.A.D. journal, write about something that you learned during your day.

ACHIEVED:  You probably do not remember most of the experiences in your life because they occur mindlessly without your full conscious awareness.  You are; however, much more likely to remember the events which resulted in a sense of accomplishment and success.  Achieving small goals each day, such as reading for an hour, walking for 30 minutes, or writing a page for your new book will help you to identify your strengths and move forward in your life by taking consistent action when life circumstances are challenging for you. The sense of accomplishment and success will enhance your self-esteem, engagement with life and help you to appreciate yourself.  As your self-efficacy improves, you will be more resilient in the face of painful or difficult life situations.10 As part of your G.L.A.D journal, take note of any goals that you achieved during your day and celebrate each success no matter how small it may seem to you.

Delighted:  In your pursuit of authentic happiness, keeping note of the positive emotions that you experienced during your day is important.  When you begin your G.L.A.D. journal make sure that you notice and savor every experience during your day that you were delighted by and enjoyed.  This is very different from the pleasure that you experience from fulfilling basic bodily needs like hunger, sleep and sex, the companionship of your family, friends, pets or time spent with nature.  Being delighted and enjoyment arise from the pursuit of stimulating activities in which you use your unique strengths, are aligned with your life values and contribute to something greater than you such as when you volunteer your time helping those in need at a shelter home, help to build a house in your community for the impoverished, counsel children stricken by grief at your local church because these activities each allow you to express your compassion and gift for helping others.

  1. Fredrickson, BF and Joiner, T. “Positive Emotions Trigger Upward Spirals toward Emotional Well-Being.” Psychological Science, (2002). 13(2), 172-175.
  2. Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). AuthenticHappiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential forLasting Fulfillment. New York: Free Press
  3. Algoe, SB, Fredrickson, BL, and Gable, SL. “The social functions of the emotion of gratitude via expression.” Emotion, (2013) 13(4), 605-609.
  4. Emmons, RA and McCullough, ME. “Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life.”  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, (2003) 84(2), 377-389.
  5. Gordon, AM, Impett, EA, Kogan, A, Oveis, C, and Keltner, D. “To have and to hold: Gratitude promotes relationship maintenance in intimate bonds. “ Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2012) 03(2) 257-274.
  6. Grant, A. M.; Gino, F. “A little thanks goes a long way: Explaining why gratitude expressions motivate prosocial behavior.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, (2010) 98(6), 946-955.
  7. Lyubomirsky,S, Dickerhoof, R, Boehm, JK, Sheldon, KM. “Becoming happier takes both a will and a proper way: An experimental longitudinal intervention to boost well-being.” Emotion, (2011)11(2), 391-402.
  8. Seligman, M.E.P. (2011). Flourish. New York: Free Press.
  9. Csikszentmihalyi, M (2008). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper Perennial Modern Classics.
  10. Salanova, M, Llorens, S, and Schaufeli, WB. “Yes, I Can, I Feel Good, and I Just Do It!” On Gain Cycles and Spirals of Efficacy Beliefs, Affect, and Engagement.” Journal of Applied Psychology, (2010) 60 (2), 255-285.

To your health and success,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a psychologist and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation.