MONTHLY NEWSLETTER & BLOGS
The Happier Being Newsletter:
Receive free tips, advice, and recommendations from Dr. Tal on a monthly basis:
5 Personalities You May Encounter During the Holidays
It’s no surprise that for many, this year’s holiday season will probably look a bit different. But whether you’re spending it with family and friends in person, or over Zoom, one thing will remain the same: the inevitable holiday stress. This stress may be due to the...
There’s a Scratch on the Record 🎵 And Loneliness is Playing on Repeat
“Happy groundhog day!” My youngest daughter yelled yesterday morning. At this point, we were about 8 months into the pandemic and every day at our house feels exactly the same. My oldest and I burst out laughing. The absurdity of this pandemic version of life can get...
Using the Teachings of Buddha to Protect the Mind
In my office, I have a plastic model of a brain sitting on my shelf. Very similar to one you might find in a science class. You can take it apart to see each of the “pieces” of the brain. The frontal lobe, right and left hemisphere, amygdala and so on. It is both a...
When Radio Waves Are Stronger Than Earthquakes
I recently heard a great story that I wanted to share with you. It's about a woman named Genie Chance. Genie was an American journalist and radio broadcaster, who was the first woman in Alaskan broadcast news. She is most famous for her coverage of the 1964 Alaska...
How Focusing on a Purpose Raises Self-Esteem
One of my favorite books of all time is Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. In it, Frankl stresses the importance of pursuing purpose in your life. He writes: "What man [or woman or nonbinary person] actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the...
The Secret Mission of Dogs: Making Us Happier Beings
The other day was a particularly stressful morning. So I decided to go for a walk. Despite trying to clear my mind and just enjoy the walk, I kept obsessing over the things I had to get done the rest of the day. It was turning into an angry march, rather than a...
How to Battle the Tiring Nature of Overwhelming Decisions
DO THESE THOUGHTS SOUND FAMILIAR...? Should I wear a mask outside? Should I see those friends? Who should I believe on the news? How can I find a job right now? Am I sanitizing enough? On a regular, day-to-day basis you have many decisions to make. These days, your...
Which Cognitive Distortions Do You Have?
The pandemic has a lot of us using distorted thinking more than ever. Distorted thoughts are thoughts which can ruin any potential for happiness in our daily lives. David Burns famously outlined 10 types of distorted thinking. They are as follows: All-or-Nothing...
How to Deal with Setback
How do you react after a setback? After losing your job, a divorce, an injury, or emotional trauma? Well, you can choose to hide, emotionally freeze, and give up. OR you can choose to collect yourself, reshape your new reality and grow from it. Obviously, I recommend...
7 Habits to Maximize Your Happiness During Challenging Times
You may be thinking: Is happiness even available right now? Can you benefit from boosting it in this time of crisis? What is a "happiness habit" anyway? The answer is YES, YES and I'll get to that shortly! Believe it or not, there are small tweaks (habits) we can...