http://www.isnare.com/?s=author&a=Michael+Brickey%2C+Ph.D. Relationships Michael Brickey, Ph.D. Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=123451&ca=Relationships The Girl Scouts have a song that goes, “Make new friends and keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.” It is great advice. What typically happens as people age is that their circle of friends shrinks as people move, develop different interests, or die. Can’t you just feel life closing in when... Wellness, Fitness and Diet Michael Brickey, Ph.D. Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=123455&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet Magazines are full of articles such as, folic acid (Vitamin E, Beta Carotene, etc.) prevents.... This is presented as if it were news. The articles imply we should run out and buy the supplements. Such articles are especially common in magazines that advertise vitamins and supplements. Every month t... Self Help Michael Brickey, Ph.D. Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=120848&ca=Self+Help The Six O’Clock news deluges us with crimes, fires, scandals, and crises at a rate of a story every two minutes. CNN does the same. There usually is little we can personally do about these news items. After watching the news it is easy to feel a little down and powerless. The few features on lifesty... Relationships Michael Brickey, Ph.D. Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=120854&ca=Relationships On their deathbeds people rarely say, “I wish I had spent more time at the office.” Rather they talk about their relationships with people. It’s wonderful to have a lot of friends. What we want most, however, is to leave “footprints in people’s hearts.” It’s so easy to get caught up in our to do li... Relationships Michael Brickey, Ph.D. Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=122247&ca=Relationships Someday the cover of Time magazine will have a picture of the first couple to be married 100 years. Reporters will flock to them to ask their secret. But you don’t have to wait to learn their secret. Research has already given us a good idea of what helps marriages last. By the way the current reco... Self Help Michael Brickey, Ph.D. Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=122245&ca=Self+Help The research is clear that vital centenarians are a self-reliant independent lot. They do what they think is right and what fits with their dreams. Few have had any ulcers. They remind me of Maria in the musical, “The Sound of Music.” She perturbed the Mother Superior by being such a free spirit. Si... Self Help Michael Brickey, Ph.D. Thu, 06 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=123454&ca=Self+Help I often hear people make remarks such as, “My mind isn’t what it used to be.” It sounds harmless, but if you make remarks like that often enough you will come to believe them. Two analogies are applicable. First, our minds are like muscles–use them and they grow strong; don’t exercise them and they... Wellness, Fitness and Diet Michael Brickey, Ph.D. Mon, 03 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=122248&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet Most of us know we need to exercise but have difficulty getting motivated to do it. Research is giving us a lot of encouragement. Recent research indicates that even small amount of exercise make a big difference in health and fitness. It suggests that exercise doesn’t have to last a half hour or mo... Self Help Michael Brickey, Ph.D. Thu, 23 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=122244&ca=Self+Help As a psychologist I have worked with many people who were stuck in grief. They speak about losing someone with poignant emotion–as if it happened yesterday. But it happened years ago, sometimes decades ago. Some people, however, deal with loss very effectively and come to terms with a loss within a... Aging Michael Brickey, Ph.D. Tue, 12 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=120852&ca=Aging Dan Poynter knows I am a longevity expert and sent me a copy of his new book, The Older Cat, to review. This is a very loving book about how to help your cat live a long life, be Florence Nightingale to your cat when she is ill, and make difficult decisions about when and how to let go when your cat...