Dr. Neill Neill

Have you ever noticed that as you grow older in a relationship, each partner changes? Sometimes the change is internal brought on by a great external change in your relationship—like the birth of a new baby. Do you notice that your partner has changed? Or do you still view them as they were when you first got together?

Jane and John seem to be at an impasse…

Dr. Neill Neill

 

If you want to be at the top of your game, you must close cycles. The principles apply to your career, your marriage and your life. Overwhelm is a consequence of having too many open cycles.

 

A cycle begins with an intention, is followed by action and is closed by the fulfillment of that intention. I intend to eat broccoli with dinner, for example, so I wash some broccoli, cook it, serve it and, finally, close the cycle by fulfilling my intention to eat broccoli.

 

The example, of course is cycle within a larger cycle of eating a meal, and that is within a yet larger cycle of maintaining health. We call a cycle "open" the moment the intention exists. It stays open until the intention is fulfilled. Obviously, each of us has many cycles open at any moment in time.

Dr. Neill Neill

 

Good communication is the hallmark of a healthy relationship. However, communication often falters when one or both parties fail to take personality style into account, especially when making decisions. Guilty as charged…

 

One time I got a huge wake-up jolt. My wife said one day something like, "Let’s do _____ this weekend. This is what I would like to do. You usually make all the decisions."

Dr. Neill Neill

For many people the holidays involve quite a bit of food and beverage intake in the celebrations; yes, even excess. Then in January diets abound and gym memberships surge.

 

In our family, typically, everyone would eat too much in December and gain a few unwanted pounds. Then, come the New Year, the list of New Year’s resolutions would include losing weight through some form of diet and fitness program.

Dr Neill Neill

Food craving leads to consumption. Consumption leads to more food cravings. Alcohol craving and consumption works the same way.

 

‘Tis the season for eating, drinking and otherwise celebrating with others we are connected to. It can be a great time of enjoyment, love, generosity and generally good feelings.

 

Yes, good feelings accompany eating. And a great deal of time we eat for those good feelings associated with foods we ate in the past. We don’t need a second helping of turkey for the nutrition. We don’t eat that third mincemeat tart because we are hungry. We turn to these foods for the good feelings associated with them. And we end up eating too much.

Dr. Neill Neill

 

For most families the holiday season is an emotional time. Our young children make more demands upon us. Our adult children expect something of us. If our parents are alive, they may have expectations of us. Our friends may expect us to go shopping with them or go to parties—thus causing holiday stress!

By Carrie Powell-Davidson

 

We hope that Christmas is a time of joy and happy memories for everyone but the sad truth is, it is not.  Many people have experienced the loss of a loved one and celebrating Christmas without them is unbearable.  Others may be battling one of life’s challenges such as addiction, illness or poverty and well, their priorities just don’t include a warm and fuzzy holiday.  For many of us who work so hard throughout the year, the mere thought of taking on yet another burden like preparing for Christmas is squashing any hopes of a merry ho ho.  As retailers and revelers prepare to greet the festivities with open arms, let’s slow it down a notch and have a look at some ways that might help you to relax this season.

Dr. Neill Neill

 

You have been married and under the same roof for 27 years. For most of that time things have been good, but the last few years have been punctuated with verbal attacks, blaming, criticizing and justifying on both sides.  How do you go about rebuilding your marriage? 

 

You now have separate bedrooms and sometimes go for days without interacting. The underlying atmosphere is so thick with resentment you could cut it with a knife.

 

Neither of you wants the marriage to end, but when you interact, the sparks fly. Your friends say divorce is the only answer.

 

What should you do to rebuild your marriage?

Dr. Neill Neill

 

When two people get married for the first time, they seldom anticipate ever being part of a blended family. However, blended families, and how we transition into them, are facts of modern life.

 

On the first evening of a recent holiday weekend my wife Eileen and I headed off to a cottage on Mount Washington. About the same time three other cars were en route. Our daughter (Eileen’s) and our two grandchildren arrived. Eileen’s ex husband and his wife arrived with their son and Eileen’s and his son. Then their daughter from Ontario and her toddler arrived in the fourth car.

Dr. Neill Neill

 

Have you ever felt burned out? Are life and work becoming just too much and you need a break? Burnout is all too common in the fast paced society we live in.