Tickle Your Funny Bone: 5 Humor Exercises to Get Happier!
October 20, 2016 by Dr. Ryan Niemiec ·
Laughter can be a great way to reduce stress as is relaxes the whole body. But, did you know that you can use your strength of humor to create more happiness in the short term and the long run? New research from humor scientist, Willibald Ruch, and his team,... Read More
How To Frame A Client Meeting Around Strengths
August 23, 2016 by Dr. Ryan Niemiec ·
One of the first “homework assignments” I give my new clients is to take the free VIA Survey through my VIA professional site. For a recent client I decided to have her take the survey through my VIA professional site and not show her the results upon completion. Her... Read More
Addicted to Your Phone? 10 Tips for Breaking Away
July 14, 2016 by Dr. Ryan Niemiec ·
Next time you are out in public, whether waiting in line for your coffee, walking through the grocery store or sitting on a bench at the park, look around and notice what others are doing. I’m guessing that more than half of them will be on their phone. And,... Read More
A Simple Mindfulness Exercise To Use With Clients
May 3, 2016 by Dr. Ryan Niemiec ·
Practitioners are always on the lookout for new tools to help others overcome challenges, find peace, and be at their best. Mindfulness research clearly shows meditations and mindfulness practices can help but the quantity of meditation choices these days seems infinite. In a previous post, I discussed how an... Read More
A Mindful Pause May Change Your Day
April 25, 2016 by Dr. Ryan Niemiec ·
Nobody wants to admit that they are “going through the motions” of life, but sometimes we are all guilty of it. One simple exercise that will allow you to slow down, take an inventory of your emotions, and re-connect with your strengths is below. This easy strategy can help... Read More
5 Simple Ways to Discover Your Strengths
April 6, 2016 by Dr. Ryan Niemiec ·
What if someone asked you: “What are your strengths?” Would you be able to quickly articulate your best, core qualities? You have many different types of strengths–talents, skills, values– but your character strengths are your capacities for thinking, feeling and behaving and reflect the best of you. Here are... Read More
7 Tips for Dealing with Bad News
March 18, 2016 by Dr. Ryan Niemiec ·
Do you know how to respond when someone shares bad news? Do you quickly try to avoid feeling uncomfortable and change the subject? Or do go into “fix-it” mode and rattle off a list of a solutions to their issues? If you approach the person mindfully (being open, curious,... Read More
Do You Know The Difference Between Savoring and Mindfulness?
March 17, 2016 by Dr. Ryan Niemiec ·
Many people in my mindfulness courses have commented that they enjoy practicing “mindfulness” because of they are able to relish “tasting” a piece of chocolate or that first warm drink of coffee. However, this is not practicing mindfulness and is instead the act of savoring. The distinction here is... Read More
The Positive Psychology Academy Awards for 2015
February 26, 2016 by Dr. Ryan Niemiec ·
This is one of my favorite posts to write each year because it combines two of my passions- positive psychology AND films! Every year, I try to watch as many movies as possible and study them for their portrayal of the most popular themes in positive psychology. For anyone... Read More
What Are Your “Defining Moments”?
February 22, 2016 by Dr. Ryan Niemiec ·
We all have moments in our lives that can be considered “defining moments”– times when a certain thing happened that changed our life trajectory. Taking time to reflect and focus on these moments can improve your life. Consider this first date I had 14 years ago. After a stagnant and... Read More