Many mothers think back to their own moms and feel dismayed that they may not be handling things as well. It’s both poignant and sadly unfair to the women who feel this way, since times have changed so dramatically. In response, we’d like to offer these words.
Rick Hanson
Author / Psychologist
Follow on:
Expertise
Biography
Rick Hanson, Ph.D. is a psychologist, Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times best-selling author. His eight books have been published in 33 languages and include Hardwiring Happiness, Buddha’s Brain, Resilient, Neurodharma, Just One Thing, Making Great Relationships, A Happy, Healthy Mom, and Mother Nurture – with over a million copies in English alone. He's the founder of the Global Compassion Coalition and the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, as well as the co-host of the Being Well podcast – which has been downloaded over 30 million times. He offers free newsletters, and his online programs have scholarships available for those with financial needs. He’s lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard. An expert on positive neuroplasticity, his work has been featured on CBS, NPR, the BBC, and other major media. He began meditating in 1974 and has taught in meditation centers worldwide. He and his wife live in northern California and have two adult children. He loves the wilderness and taking a break from emails.
Articles
How a Parent Gets Depleted
Parenthood is profoundly fulfilling . . . but it is also the most physically demanding and stressful activity most people – whether women or men – will ever do, and it gets done day after day for twenty or more years. You can start feeling better about things just knowing that you are not alone.
Here is a talk from the San Rafael Meditation group with Rick Hanson. It is titled "Making Your Offering." More information about the San Rafael Meditation group can be found here.
Twelve Good Things
Each year I dedicate one issue of the Just One Thing newsletter to Twelve Good Things that I feel are really worth your attention.
10 Reasons to Take Good Care of a Mother
Mothers get stressed and depleted over time through the accumulation of a thousand little things. It is through doing little things each day that are good for you that you accumulate a growing pile of positive resources for your health, well-being, strong teamwork, and lasting love. These are worth knowing for a mother herself, and for anyone who knows her.
The American Mindfulness Research Association
The American Mindfulness Research Association’s mission to support efforts to establish an evidence base for the process, practice, and construct of mindfulness; promote best evidence-based standards for the use of mindfulness research and its applications; and facilitate mindfulness-related dialogue and discovery.
In this audio, Rick talks about what we do with speech that is unwanted. How do we handle it?
Taking in the Good Stuff
Parents put out so much during the day that it’s easy to get depleted: more is going out than is coming back in. It’s so vital to keep putting back in your tank. Here, let’s look at how to fill yourself back up emotionally.
Tips for Taking in the Good
You really can change your brain for the better, little by little. Join Rick and Forrest Hanson for a warm-hearted, practical conversation on Taking in the Good.
Acne Update: Nothing Like a Blemish to Ruin Your Day!
Some perspectives and approaches for parents to help their children deal with skin conditions.
Giving Emotional Support
Under the press of everything you have to do as a parent, combined with feeling tired and frazzled, it’s only natural to feel a little distant from your mate. But as the saying goes, “love is a verb,” which means that an intimate relationship ultimately rests on how we act toward our partner.
Building Good Will
Daily life has its stresses, and these days it’s seems like there’s more of a general uneasiness about how things are going that makes people more edgy and aggressive. Here are 21 Ways To Turn Ill Will to Good Will.