Paula R. Baines
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4/23/2025 Contrary to popular opinion, kindness is not synonymous with niceness. Those words often are interchanged, or their meanings are meshed. While both involve positive interactions with others, kindness is understood to be a deeper, more genuine expression of care and concern, while niceness is more about being polite and agreeable. Kindness is defined by… Read more
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4/18/2025 What is Cognitive Dissonance? It is the mental discomfort that results from holding two conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. As individuals, we tend to seek out consistency in our attitudes, perceptions, and values, yet we do something that conflicts with the values we hold, we may feel uneasy and uncomfortable. Here are some examples:… Read more
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April 11, 2025 Sounds like a deep question. In the here and now, we may not be fully aware of what is happening around us or who you really are. We are less aware than we think. Dr. Tasha Eurich is an organizational psychologist, executive coach, and researcher. She conducted a multi-year study on self-awareness.… Read more
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April 4, 2025 Did you learn that some or all emotions were hurtful, wrong, or undesired? As humans, we can use emotional repression as a defense mechanism. People who are repressing emotions may use other techniques that do not match their feelings. They might be confused as they might feel angry, or anxious in a… Read more
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3/30/2025 How do we protect ourselves from overwhelm, stress, or anxiety? Our brains have developed psychological strategies, known as “defense mechanisms,” that are unconsciously used to protect us from anxiety, arising from unacceptable thoughts or feelings that we might have. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud first developed the idea… Read more
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March 21, 2025 What are unconscious biases? An unconscious bias refers to the ingrained assumptions, beliefs, and associations we hold outside of our conscious awareness. Sometimes also called implicit biases, these mental short codes inform our decision-making and interactions with those around us — without our knowledge. Charles Ruhl noted he term implicit bias was first coined… Read more
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March 14, 2025 Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung first coined the term ”shadow” to describe aspects of our psyches that have been relegated to the unconscious. Jung believed that our shadow selves contain repressed emotions, thoughts, desires, insecurities, and fears. He theorized every individual has an inherent tendency to project their own unconscious thoughts, feelings, and… Read more
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March 7, 2025 Do you feel drained and fatigued? Do you have low energy? Are you dissatisfied with life? You may not realize it, but what you’re feeling are effects of fear on your body and mind. Fear is one of the most powerful forces in life, wrote Theo Tsaousides, Ph.D. Fear affects the decisions you… Read more
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February 27, 2025 Many people have pondered the meaning of life. You may have yourself. I am not sure if I have asked what the meaning of life is. Rather, I have questioned the meaning of certain things that I have done in my life. If I have been in a negative frame of mind,… Read more
Curious and Creative 