Daryl's Newsletter July'18: Recommendations, Tips, and Valuable Resources
Daryl Chow, MA, Ph.D. (Psych).
W: darylchow.com
What Is This?
, you are probably wondering why you are receiving this email. Over the years, through my work as a psychologist both in Singapore and Australia, I've met so many wonderful people and had the wonderful opportunity to walk with you through times of crisis. I'm in such a privileged position, to be able to collaborate with people like you, and be part of your transformation.
Some of you might not have heard from me in a long time. If I haven't been of help to you, I'm sorry. I hope life gifted you other opportunities and people that lifted you.
Some of you might not even want to hear from me again. That's ok. Please unsubscribe from this email list below.
You might be aware that I now devote half of my time helping clinicians develop, so that they can help clients reap better results.
I've been giving starting this private newsletter a lot of thought (since Jan'18 actually)... This monthly resources, is my attempt to give back to you.
My Gifts To You
Here's how:
Each month, I'd share with you two things:
1. Recommendations
- a list of stuff that I've come across that might be of help to you.
2. From My Desk
- stuff that I write about for the general public and GPs, besides professional development matters for mental health clinicians.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Here are 5 articles you might find it useful:
1. How to Recover When The World Breaks You
Ryan Holiday is one of my favorite authors (The Obstacle is the Way, Ego is the Enemy). In this short blog, he shares some of his learnings from Stoicism.
2. How to Have a Real Conversation With a Teen
Straight out of the TED HQ, this blogpost is a useful one for parents with teens.
3. This is How to Sleep Better
This is based on a great book on Sleep by Matt Walker. The book is somewhat dense in the science behind sleep. This blog provides a bite-sized summary.
For more, here's one thing you can do to fall asleep faster, and more on the topic of dealing with insomnia from Dave Asprey (The guy behind the bulletproof diet/coffee).
The quality of sleep is such an important—and underrated factor—in our physical and mental health.
(News: I'm going to be recording a guided meditation audio to aid sleep. Let me know if you would like to find out more when it's out. Email.)
4. Examine.com
Frankly, there's a lot of quackery and misguided information about supplements and nutrition. Most consumers aren't going to find the time to access the peer-reviewed journal articles (most are costly to even access them) and scrutinise the facts. Examine.com is one of the key places I turn to.
There's also a paid reference guide (downloadable) that it's useful to have for the family.
5. Can Your Job Make You a More Controlling Parent?
Parents, the experience of autonomy and freedom is just as important for your kids as it is for yourself. An intriguing article from organisational psychologist and author Adam Grant, known for his books, Giver and Takers, and The Originals (The first book is a recommended if you are thinking about improving work cultures in your office). You can learn more from his ted talks.
“Whatever you do, don’t try and escape from your pain, but be with it. Because the attempt to escape from pain creates more pain.” – The Tibetan Book Of Living And Dying
FROM MY DESK
Besides running a blog for mental health professionals worldwide, I have two blogs dedicated to the wider public and GPs, called Full Circles: Reflections on Living, and Mind of Health. Here are some extracts from them.
1. The Dark Side of Pursuing Happiness
This is counterintuitive. The pursuit of happiness makes us, well, unhappy. As Tim Urban from the famed waitbutwhy.com would say, happiness = reality minus expectations.
2. Five Personal Ways to Find Out About Your Mental Health
I'm generally cautious about screening tests for depression, anxiety, etc. Why? Because there's a high chance for false positives, and, more importantly, they compare us to an "average". I think it's more important to focus on a more individualised approach.
3. Is Your Gut The Second Brain?
Lots of recent evidence suggest that the role that our gut health plays in our mental healthissignificant, and underrated. For instance, 70% of our serotonin is purported to be produced in our gut!
If this topic interests you, checkoutGuilia Enders book. GUT.
4. When Someone Says "I Lack the Discipline."
Here's a short blog post from those of you interested in sticking with your goals.
5. Why It's Important to Listen to the Music of Your Emotions
In our rationalist society, emotions get a bad rap. Here I propose a sensible way to understand the biological underpinnings of emotions and listening toit's function in our lives.
One last thing.
If you are interested in specific topics to be addressed in either Full Circles or The Mind of Health, please drop me an email. You can propose a specific topic, or write down a question that you have.
Note: As you would expect, this is not a substitute for counselling/ psychotherapy.
If needed, you can contact my office at Henry Street Centre to schedule an appointment. T: 9335 8777, E: admin@henrystreetcentre.com.au . Our ultra-pleasant admin staffs will help you out with the scheduling.
I also offer video-based conferencing for existing clients who wish to continue their development. I use either Skype or a HIPAA Compliant website called RingMD. Drop me an email if you wish to enquire about this.
, I hope you found some of these resources valuable.
Cheers to you and loved ones.
Blessings,
Daryl