Jen Zamzow, PhD

Finding meaning and purpose in a world of hurry and hustle

What to Do When You’ve Failed

by 4 Comments

If you’re like most people, you probably started the year off with high hopes. You told yourself that THIS is going to be your year. You’re finally going to get healthier, get more exercise, and save more money.

Then, you encountered a hiccup. Maybe you were stressed or busy or tired. Or maybe you just plain didn’t feel like doing what you promised yourself you would do.

If so, you’re not alone. When psychologists John Norcross and Dominic Vangarelli tracked the progress of 200 individuals who made New Year’s resolutions, they found that nearly half of the participants had failed within the first month. In fact, nearly a quarter of the participants didn’t even last a week!

How we respond to our slip-ups can help determine whether we get ourselves back on track or fall off the rails completely.

Continue Reading

Compassion for the Holidays: How to Not Let Politics Ruin Your Family’s Holidays (at THRED)

by 1 Comment

Compassion for the holidays. How to not let politics ruin your family holidays. #compassion #holidays #politics #civility

It’s been a tense year, to say the least. Political polarization is at an all-time high and people on both sides are angry. Many people don’t just disagree with the other side’s views anymore; they think the other side’s views—and the people who hold them—are abhorrent.

It can be hard enough to navigate political differences with strangers and acquaintances. But what are we supposed to do when the ones holding the views we find abhorrent are sitting across the Thanksgiving table from us?Continue Reading

Why We Can’t Agree on Gun Control (in the Washington Post)

by 3 Comments

In the wake of yet another mass shooting — this time claiming the lives of at least 12 people in Thousand Oaks, Calif. — it’s painfully obvious that the United States has a problem with gun violence. In our current political environment, it’s also obvious that little can be done about it.

Sixty-one percent of Americans favor stricter gun laws, according to a recent Gallup poll, but this statistic hides a strong partisan divide: Continue Reading

3 Tips for Building Bridges Across Political Divides

by Leave a Comment

American flag

Note: This is Part 2 in a series on how (and when) to talk politics in today’s tense political climate. Click here to read Part 1: How to Talk Politics Without Destroying Your Relationships or Getting Yourself Fired: 3 Tips for Avoiding Disaster.

Our political divisiveness has gotten so bad that it often feels like we’re in a state of war. Battle lines have been drawn, and we now see our main mission as taking out the other side before they destroy the country.

When we feel like we’re in a state of emergency, it can sometimes feel like we need to take immediate action and change other people’s minds right now. The problem is, that’s generally not how it works. We don’t change minds, we change hearts. And it takes time.

So how do we do that?Continue Reading