placebos
I may not ever figure it out, but it's fun trying
| Patient: | If I got run over by a bus, I wouldn't care. |
| Clinician: | Well, of course not, you'd be dead. |
| Patient: | Oh. Yeah. |
| (...) | |
| Patient: | Have you seen Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason? |
| Clinician: | No, tell me about it. |
| Patient: | She's in a Thai prison, and after the women in her cell try on her WonderBras and dance around to Madonna, they have a conversation about all their relationship problems. |
| Clinician: | Ha! And? |
| Patient: | Well, she tells them that her boyfriend makes her feel silly, and they tell her that their boyfriends made them do crack. |
| Clinician: | I'll have to go watch that then, huh? |
Do not mention succumbing to eating McDonald’s for lunch (even if you are starving, rushed and broke and the restaurant is smack dab in the middle of meetings you have to go to) in front of public health faculty. Apparently it elicits a moral look of disgust similar to admitting to eating children as well as a response of “Do you know how many calories that has?” […]
Ha! You should ask them how much sleep they get writing all those grants about melatonin. And I just got cussed out by a war veteran on my block because I called him Ronald instead of Donald.
Slap bracelets, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Trapper Keepers is what this muxtape is all about. Montell Jordan’s “This is How We Do It” kicks the party off right and electric slides right into “Bust a Move” by Young MC then Salt ‘N Pepa’s “Whatta Man”
Throw on those neon shades and your L.A. Lights, ‘cause this is the Jam!
is music that is “neither motivating nor demotivating” according to a study titled The effects of synchronous music on 400 meter sprint performance. Synchronous music refers to consciously timing the rhythm to movement, and conversely, asynchronous music lacks this conscious effort.
Thirty-six volunteer males sprinted three times around the track: once to motivational music (rated as such by a separate panel of 20 demographically similar men), another to oudeterous music, and yet another time around to no music. The highest ranking motivational track used for the 400 meter sprint was Chase the Sun by Planet Funk, and the lowest scoring track, Starlight by Supermen Lovers, provided oudeterous music for the sprints. Turns out that oudeterous music, as it was synchronous to the workout, increased performance just as music perceived to be more motivational. The authors suggest that higher tempi of music elicit rhythm responses while overriding other elements (e.g., lyrics).
On a personal aside, my college track coach never let us listen to music during workouts because we couldn’t listen to music during a performance. Makes sense. I still run for pleasure, I could not live without my iPod, and to my surprise, it has made running much more enjoyable. This headphone debate in marathons will never die. If course officials are worried about safety, then put up some signs. Now I need to go for a run.
Air - Alone in Kyoto
Friends, I am composing a meditation CD for victims of trauma. This assignment is impromptu, and I’m using a handheld recorder to tape my voice with the music in the background. I’m not properly equipped to do an optimal recording, but this song is the first one that came to mind because it’s so good for the mind. If you have any suggestions for something very soothing and slow with no lyrics, feel free to email me at wisdom.heather@gmail.com or reblog.
by psychologist Kristin Neff, Ph.D.
In her proposed definition:
…self-compassion is composed of three key factors: (a) self-kindness – extending kindness and understanding to oneself in instances of perceived inadequacy or suffering rather than harsh judgment and self-criticism, (b) common humanity – seeing one’s experiences as part of the larger human experience rather than seeing them as separating and isolating, and (c) mindfulness – holding one’s painful thoughts and feelings in balanced awareness rather than over-identifying with them in an exaggerated manner.
If you read the actual self-compassion scale, you will see statements such as When things are going badly for me, I see the difficulties as part of life that everyone goes through and I try to see my failings as part of the human condition. Every time I read these aloud, women look at me, connected. It’s as if they’ve never thought about it, or they’ve never heard it spoken. But the look that I stare upon is one of recognition. The vibration of these words causes it, and it always puts us on common ground.