Jennifer GobleMental Health Matters American Nobel Prize winner Ernest Hemingway said, “When you stop doing things for fun you might as well be dead.” I think of Christmas as being an entire month of fun; cooking, sending cards, decorating, entertaining, music, and buying gifts. It is an all-in-one fun package. Or is it? It CAN be. (Excuse me while I step up on my … [Read more...]
Newspaper Column, "Mental Matters" published each Wednesday in the South Platte Sentinel Health Section
Make the 23 days until Christmas happy ones
Mental MattersBy Dr. Jennifer Goble I experienced a twinge of anxiety when I wrote the title for this article – 23 days until Christmas. Dec. 25 should, would, and/or could be the joy of preparation, the process, the anticipation of the greatest day of the year. Unfortunately, Christmas day is often a day of, “Don’t ask me to do one thing! I … [Read more...]
Always make it a day of thanks
Jennifer GobleMental Health Matters Tomorrow is the day for food, family, and fun; Thanksgiving. For me, this year is a day of poor, pitiful pearl because I am not going to be with family. Boohoo ME! Times like this call for me to put on my big girl hat and practice what I preach. For example: I’m only as sad as my mind allow; shift my thoughts; it’s up to me; … [Read more...]
Improving patience is a life-long struggle
Jennifer GobleMental Health Matters My sister, who has leukemia, is waiting for her white blood count to come up so she can go home for a few weeks before receiving a bone marrow transplant. My niece and sister-in-law are both waiting for someone to buy their homes so they can move and buy another house. We are all waiting for the presidential election to determine who leads … [Read more...]
Pope united the nation for a few brief days
Mental MattersBy Dr. Jennifer Goble Pope Francis’ visit to the United States moved me to tears. Watching thousands of people, including politicians, exhibit excitement, with respect and reverence, gave me hope. It was so touching. I wanted the joy and faith reflected in eyes and body language of all men, women, and children etched in time. Each person’s religion, … [Read more...]
‘#62MillionGirls don’t have that chance’ deserves support
Mental MattersBy Dr. Jennifer Goble Michelle Obama on “The Late Show with Steven Colbert,” spoke of her new campaign to raise awareness of the 62 million girls around the world – half of whom are adolescent – who are not in school. The First Lady asked supporters to post photos of themselves on Twitter and Instagram like this: “In school, I … [Read more...]
Plan, schedule, prepare and then make it happen
Mental MattersBy Dr. Jennifer Goble Often, we surprise others. Sometimes, we surprise ourselves. Such is the case with my husband and I; we actually rode our Spyder (Can Am three wheeled motorcycle) to Niagara Falls. Our route: CO, NE, IA, MO, IL, IN, KY, OH, WV, PA, NY, Canada, MI, OH, IN, IL, IA, NE, HOME. Forty-five hundred miles. We had a great time, and achieved two … [Read more...]
Building boundaries is a healthy skill worth learning
Mental MattersBy Dr. Jennifer Goble If you say, “Yes” when you want to say “No” you need better boundaries. If you don’t stop or step out of a bad situation, you need better boundaries. If you sense that someone expects you to give them your last dollar or the only ten minutes you have free all day, you need better boundaries. If you are more … [Read more...]
There must be grieving when a loss occurs
Loss is a painful condition that occurs when we lose someone or something. Grief is the emotional response to loss. Loss can be personal, such as losing a job, income, or freedom. Loss may also have to do with significant life events such as death of a loved one, divorce, chronic illness, drug addiction, infertility, drought, or tragedies such as 9-11. No matter the loss, … [Read more...]
Similar to magnets, opposites really do attract
Mental MattersBy Dr. Jennifer Goble One thing I know for sure, from years of counseling, is opposites really do attract. Similar to magnets, like personalities repel, and opposites attach with force. I usually find the phenomenon true, especially with parents and children, friends, love relationships, and co-workers. We are attracted to people who balance us, yet we get hurt … [Read more...]
Working as a solid unit makes counseling more effective
Jennifer GobleMental Health Matters Anyone who has read my book, knows the myriad of concerns motivating a person to pick up the phone and make a counseling appointment. When an individual reaches out for counseling, s/he usually wants or needs change; they are sick and tired of whatever is going on, and they want help to shift or eliminate a challenging or painful … [Read more...]
Consequences create rules and show parental love
Jennifer GobleMental Health Matters Looking back, I think I was a challenging (rebellious) teenager. For example, I would sneak out of my bedroom at night, tap my girlfriend’s window, wait for her to come out so we could meet up with our boyfriends who had cars. Getting back to my room was easy because the basement steps were concrete and didn’t squeak. My dad … [Read more...]
Candidates just ‘want to talk about me’
Mental MattersBy Dr. Jennifer Goble In my old age, I am becoming political. Yep, I watched both grueling and entertaining Republican and Democratic debates. With my background, I paid particular attention to body language and facial expressions. Considering what I believe makes a quality person, I noticed behavior and respect shown toward others. I also tried to determine if … [Read more...]
Life often unexpectedly throws a curve ball
Mental MattersBy Dr. Jennifer Goble Just when we think life is smoothly clicking along, life throws a curve ball and knocks us off center. That happened to me and my family last Thursday when my youngest sister, Patty, was diagnosed with leukemia and immediately hospitalized for chemotherapy. I was living life and planning winter travels when my oldest sister called with the … [Read more...]