Dr. Long’s latest e-book has ARRIVED!
Preview Sale for this week only $9.99!
(if link does not bring you to landing page, please send an email to talkdoc@drcolleenlong.com to order e-book)
Yeah, yeah, yeah…we all know that we need to be eating our fruits and vegetables, taking our vitamins, and drinking plenty of water throughout the day to feel physically optimal. But do we know what it takes to feel psychologically optimal?
During my graduate work, I became fascinated with those factors that seemed to go into 
making us feel our best mentally. I consumed book after book on what happiness truly felt like, and what it took to get there. There seemed to be seven salient features of all these books, and that is what I used to create the B.A.L.A.N.C.E model.
It’s a simple acronym to help you quickly evaluate, where you are out of balance each week. Take a look at the following list and then make your own list of what you can do this week to restore balance in your own life:
B- Benevolence (research shows us that those that are amongst the highest 10% of happy, tend to be less self-focused and ruminating, and instead more others focused and benevolent- how can you focus on someone else this week?
A- Awareness (this term refers to mental awareness, or emotional intelligence- the way we choose to proactively navigate the world so that we suffer less stress ex: would you rather be right or happy? .. Is there a situation in your life that if you take a different approach, may decrease your overall stress? are you trying to be happy, or right?
L- Learning (this is where we seek novelty, engage in new routines, or just take a different route to work) research shows that in seeking novelty, we engage the left part of the brain- the part responsible for a sense of well-being and contentment
A- Active Flow (this is where optimal challenge meets optimal skill…think surfing, or any other activity you’ve engaged in where all the worries of the world simply melt away because you’re so focused) You might recall this happening when you were a child and playing. How can you put more play back into your day?
N- Nurturing relationships – we are wired to be social animals. Studies show numerous beneficial chemicals being produced when we are in the presence of people we like. How can you sprinkle more rewarding social activity in your week? Could you schedule a lunch date? schedule a phone call while knocking out some chores?
C- Calming meditation (John Kabat-Zinn and colleagues have done numerous studies on the dramatic changes that take place in the human brain after only three 20 minute meditation sessions per week…try scheduling three into your week when you wake up
E- Exercise, nutrition, vitamins, and sleep – the “E” is basically the kitchen sink of all the stuff we know we need to be doing to lay a good foundation for psychological well-being. What could you cross of the list to get an extra hour of sleep this week?
For more about Dr. Long’s BALANCE model, visit http://www.DrColleenLong.com, to buy her latest ebook, or send an email to talkdoc@drcolleenlong.com
Dr. Colleen Long is the author of “Happiness in B.A.L.A.N.C.E,” and practices in the Los Angeles area under the supervision of Dr. Richard Oelberger (PSY22186) . Dr. Long works mainly from a positive psychology framework as it applies to addiction, depression, relationships, body image and weight loss. Her website can be found at www.DrColleenLong.com. All public speaking/media event requests handled through FreudTV (info@FreudTV.com).
The Happiness Rx 