Heartmanity's Blog

This morning, a friend of mine shared a social media post about a 12-year-old boy who had just died from suicide. They attribute some of the boy’s discouragement to bullying, though I’m unsure if it was online or offline. The timing was uncanny as I was writing this article. It stopped me in my tracks.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

'Tis the month for celebrating love. It's something we all crave yet can sometimes be put on the back burner. However, cultivating healthy relationships requires regular attention, and Valentine's Day is an excellent time to jump-start these intentions. So, we've gathered some ideas for a romantic celebration, as well as ways for couples to nurture their love, not just on cupid's day, but every day.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” Maya Angelou

From everyday challenges to traumatic events with long-term impacts, life comes with difficulties. Resilience is what helps you adapt to these stressful situations. Psychologists define resilience as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress such as family or relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. 

Most of you have likely heard of a vision board, a collection of images and words representing your goals and aspirations, strategically placed so you can see it frequently and imprint these positive ideas onto your subconscious mind. But what you may not understand is how your brain science works in conjunction with a vision board to increase its effectiveness. If you're stuck and want to boost motivation, getting clear on what's important to you will help. Creating an online vision board is a helpful tool for manifesting your goals and dreams!

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

I’ve become very adept at recognizing when my anxiety has reached beyond a healthy level, a critical awareness to manage stress. What are the symptoms? I can feel the blood rushing, and my heart feels like it is beating out of my chest. Thoughts seem to swim through my head, and my breathing becomes shallow—I feel as though I am on fire. It can happen very suddenly, and there I am, awash in emotion.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

While kids everywhere are milking as much fun from the last days of summer as they can, parents have the very real job of transitioning into the school routine. And most parents know that even if kids are excited, there can be some underlying anxiety that comes with returning to school. The on-again, off-again schedule due to the pandemic has added another level of navigation, and there will probably still be some uncertainty as we move forward. Fortunately, you can do things to help ease summer's end and start the year on a positive note.

I procrastinated writing this article. The irony runs deep. Even after I completed my research and could begin, I still put it off. You would think the topic alone would be enough to light a fire under my fingers, not wanting to be my own example of what not to do, but no, just the opposite, which ironically is the nature of procrastination. Let’s dig in.

Being able to step back and evaluate your emotions and reactions while regulating your responses are signs of emotional intelligence in a leader. The capacity to recognize and effectively manage personal emotions in ourselves and others are all critical abilities in business and leadership. However, emotional intelligence skills are generally not taught when gaining degrees for the business world, such as architecture school. Emotional intelligence (or EQ for Emotional Quotient) can be learned, though, which my husband found out as a business owner.

When my son was around nine, I moved in with my current husband. His two kids were with us two days a week and every other weekend. My son, who was living with his dad, was with us on the corresponding weekends. He loved his stepbrother dearly; they were instant and close friends from the start.

I still don't know what prompted it, but one day they got into an altercation, and my son stomped on his stepbrother’s neck. I was in shock and disbelief. My emotions raged, every cell on high alert. Once I knew my stepson was ok, I swept my son outside and around the block for a walk. Again, I was [...]

Emotions. They can get the best of us, sometimes triggering primitive, short-sighted, and impulsive actions. Yet, unlike animals, humans have the ability to express and choose their emotions, as well as anticipate how other people will respond. Our emotional nature can be confusing and overwhelming, with many conflicting emotions swirling simultaneously; therefore, emotional regulation is key.

When regulated, emotions provide us with important information. If we approach them with a curious and accepting attitude, they can be used to avert danger, solve problems, and bring us comfort. [...]