It’s the end of the summer and a time of transition for many people.  Whether you’re returning to school, have kids or family members starting school or are simply transitioning from a more relaxed summer to the structure and pressure of fall and winter, most experience change at this time of year.

This is a title of an article I recently came across in a health related magazine.  Amazing results in just days! The attraction of the quick fix is strong, especially when you’re feeling emotional distress.  If you feel worthless, have no appetite, want to stay in bed all day, are extremely emotional or feel tension, anxiety and discomfort wouldn’t it be wonderful to have “amazing results in just days?”

I grew up listening to Dr. Ruth Westheimer’s call in radio show.  As a teenager, I’d tune in on Sunday nights and listen to Dr. Ruth answer all manner of sexual questions.  One main point in each answer was clear.  You must take responsibility for your own satisfaction.

Mindfulness has begun to gain acceptance beyond the field of mental health.  It is increasingly viewed as a strategy not just for those experiencing stress, pain or intense emotions, but also as a skill to enhance functioning in various aspects of life.

Are you the sort of person who finds yourself wanting to please others, taking on extra responsibility without getting your own needs met?  Or are you simply someone who has competing demands that are impossible to meet?

There is no doubt that music has a powerful effect on our emotions.  Watch any thriller and notice how the music can make you anxious for the hero, tense at the build up to a scene and calm when all the action is over.  Pop music often pulls at our heartstrings and has an uncanny ability to get us moving.  My young children, who hate to pick up their toys, will gladly hop up and start packing the toys away when I put on a little upbeat ABBA.

Getting along with people is essential for happiness and success.  Sharing, avoiding name calling and taking turns are critical skills drilled into us from early ages.  As we grow older, relationships grow more complicated, but the essential need for skills to manage them does not change.

It’s early August.  One full month left of warm weather, school vacation and, for some, summer vacations.  Even for those of us who aren’t students and don’t have summer vacation, warm weather often encourages us to relax, give ourselves an extra few moments and maybe head home from work just a few minutes earlier to enjoy the evening.