10 Good Habits To Adopt For Emotional Fitness
Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D.
Dr. Goldsmith was named by Cosmopolitan Magazine and in the book The Complete Marriage Counselor (Adams, 2010) as one of America’s top therapists. He was also one of 12 authors who inspired, was sited and quoted in bestselling author Alisa Bowman’s new book Project: Happily Ever After, in addition his own books; Emotional Fitness for Couples – 10 Minutes a Day to a Better Relationship which was published by New Harbinger on Valentine’s Day 2006, and the sequel, Emotional Fitness for Intimacy - Sweeten and Deepen Your Love in Just 10 Minutes a Day released by New Harbinger in April '09. Dr. Goldsmith also published Emotional Fitness at Work – 6 Strategic Steps to Success Using the Power of Emotion, the third in the Emotional Fitness book series, that was released in September ’09 by Career Press, who also published 100 Ways to Boost Your Self-Confidence – Believe in Yourself and Others Will Too in May of 2010. The Happy Couple, another New Harbinger publication was released on December 1st, 2013. His latest book, 100 Ways to Overcome Shyness will be released by Career Press in the summer of 2015.
Since 2002, his weekly column, Emotional Fitness, which is syndicated by Tribune News Service, and has been featured in over 400 publications including The Chicago Sun-Times, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, and Time Magazine, giving him a substantial readership. “Dr. G” also hosted a weekly radio show on NPR affiliate KCLU, with nearly 90,000 listeners from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. He has been interviewed on numerous TV/Radio shows and for many publications; his expert advice is regularly featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine and he is also the top blogger for Psychology Today, his Emotional Fitness blog has had over 8 Million views. Dr. Barton also served as the national spokesperson for the Mars Candy My M&M's Treasured Moments Challenge, and is currently the national spokesperson for the SunTender Pre-Marital Mentoring Program.
He received recognition from the City of Los Angeles for his work with survivors of the 1994 earthquake. Emotional Fitness was the winner of the Clark Vincent Award for Writing from the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. In addition, Dr. G received the Peter Markin Merit Award from the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists for his humanitarian efforts. He has also been named as the recipient of the Joseph A. Giannantoino II Award in recognition of his contributions as an Outstanding Educator in the field of Addiction Medicine, given by The California Association of Alcoholism and Drug Counselors, who also inducted him into The CAADAC Hall of Fame on October 1, 2011. Dr. Goldsmith was a National Merit Scholar and a Professor of Psychology at Ryokan College, Los Angeles.
Dr. Goldsmith connects with audiences worldwide with his energetic, uplifting and fun communication style. Not a button-down shrink, “Dr. G” has a unique ability to inspire and entertain which leaves his readers, viewers and listeners always wanting more. “Dr. G” began working in the field of psychology when his career in professional basketball was cut short because he only grew to five foot six inches tall.
Latest posts by Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D. (see all)
- The Top 10 Things To Be For Successful Relationships - Apr 25, 2015
- The Top 10 Relationship Killers You Need To Avoid - Apr 25, 2015
- Do YOU Know Why People Fall In love? - Apr 25, 2015
10 habits to help you regain your emotional fitness
When things get out of control and you momentarily lose your emotional fitness, there are any number of little things you can do to regain it. Here are ten habits to help get you started.
1. Wash your hands and face and brush your teeth. It cools and cleans the parts of your body that you use most frequently, which is relaxing, and gives you that “fresh start” feeling.
2. Put on clean socks and some shoes that you haven’t worn in a few days. Shoes take a day or two to release any moisture they have absorbed, and this is a very easy way to put a little pep back into your step.
3. Give yourself a good shave (face or legs). This is another instant refresher. Especially if you have sensitive skin or the weather is dry. Plus, when we know we are looking our best, we naturally feel better.
4. Look at any trophy, diploma, or certificate of achievement that you have earned.And if it isn’t framed and on the wall, frame it now. These are reminders of your accomplishments, and taking in your success is important to maintaining your self-esteem.
5. Remember your last (or greatest) success and think about it for sixty seconds. Taking in your success as often as possible will help you reach another and another. Quite simply, it reminds you that if you’ve done it before, you can do it again.
6. Know you are the person your loved ones think you are. And yes, that goes for your dog too. Knowing that you are unconditionally loved can’t help but make you feel good about yourself. It’s so easy to beat yourself up, I recommend pulling yourself up instead.
7. Wash your car, inside and out. Hey, when our wheels are shiny, we feel better. If you don’t think this applies to you, just remember how you felt the last time you got a ride in someone’s very funky car. Race you to the car wash.
8. Organize your closet and get rid of anything that no longer fits. Old clothes may come back into style, but you really don’t want them on hangers for the next twenty years. Throwing out the old makes room for the new. For some, the feeling they get from putting on a new “power suit” fills them with pride.
9. Cook a lovely meal. Even if you are by yourself, preparing a tasty dinner, setting the table, and treating yourself to a wonderful culinary experience will lift your spirits. Sharing it with someone you love and/or respect will make it even more nurturing.
10. Look around you, remember that you started with nothing, and know that everything you see, you created. We can all lose our feelings of self-worth, especially when something goes wrong in our world. The truth is that if you have done it before, you can do it again-no matter what.
None of these habits has to be uncomfortable or take you much time. Finding ways to give yourself a little boost when you’re not feeling like you’re at the top of your game is a trick that truly happy people use on a regular basis.
