What is Kindness? Kindness can be defined and demonstrated in a variety of fashions. Many people know kindness when they see it, or the absence of, but don’t consciously think about the impact of kindness. Defining kindness is not as simple as pulling a dictionary definition of the word. Kindness can vary between people, cultures, […]
“If you ain’t first, you’re last!” Sure, according to Ricky Bobby this may be true. However, in the real world this couldn’t be further from the truth. While comparing ourselves to others seems natural, it can also be destructive and hinder our happiness, pride, and motivation. Using measurements, like race results, appearance, grade point averages, […]
Gratitude is a wonderful way to enhance mental wellness. Many theories of happiness, Positive Psychology texts, and researchers recognize the value of gratitude. Gratitude allows people to focus on what they have, and minimize what they lack. (I am grateful for my dogs) What exactly is Gratitude? There are many definitions of gratitude, people should […]
Everyone has different ways of finding wellness. For some being in a group is fun, energizing, and yields significant happiness. For others, groups are scary, exhausting and a joy sponge, sucking all positive away. For most it depends on the group. The same can be said for family, exercise, reading, and just about anything, it […]
The gratitude 100 was one of the coolest endeavors of my life. I gained a far greater appreciation for the work, dedication, and determination of endurance athletes, mad respect to anyone who runs that far, far greater task! Because I am cashed and had a bike under ! The only problem, because of my lack of […]
The Next Right Decision (AKA the NRD) is a tool designed to help people understand the influence their decisions have on the way that they feel. The quiz gives points for healthy decisions that a person can make. It is designed to encourage better decision making through awareness. You merely take a very brief survey […]
This article originally appeared in the Summit Daily News on December 26, 2016 in the Dear Drewbie column regarding the importance of gratitude. It has been updated since. A few years ago, Dave Askeland, fearless leader of Summit’s Colorado Mountain College, showed our crew a Soul Pancake video about the value of gratitude. (I am […]
This article was originally published in the Summit Daily News as part of the Dear Drewbie column on February 27, 2017 by Drew Mikita. My favorite class to teach is Abnormal Psychology, a class based on diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. I always hate the word “abnormal” it is outdated, offensive, and indicates that […]
What: Drew Mikita is mountain biking 100 miles to raise money for the Kailash Home kids to run in the 2018 Everest Marathon. I will be video recording messages of gratitude along my bike ride to supporters and donors. The first (and maybe only?) Gratitude 100 Bike Ride. When: Late September, 2017 (exact date will be […]
The following article appeared in the August 20, 2016 issues of the Summit Daily News (PDF Available here)
Personality testing is done by many professionals in the field of psychology. Individual counseling, job placement, mental health screening, dating and more are all forms of personality testing. What is personality testing? Personality testing is an attempt to measure or assess the psychological makeup of an individual. With dozens of theories and approaches to personality, […]
This article was originally written for the Summit Daily News and ran in the March 19, 2016 edition, it has been edited. The placebo effect is generally defined as a treatment that has no known effect on a person’s health and well being, other than the fact the person believes it does. Usually, we think […]
If you tell people that you think the moon and mental health have a relationship, they immediately assume you are a crazy-crack-pot-conspiracy theorist. However, the moon does have an impact on mental health, maybe slightly, but an impact nonetheless. This phenomenon is often referred to as the Lunar Effect. As many counselors, psychologists, or even […]
There is an ongoing, fundamental debate in psychology that has to do with the topic of nature and nurture on development. This debate pertains to factors of development. Nature are the biological factors like DNA, body chemistry, and human biology. Nurture on the other hand are all the external, or environmental factors influencing development. This […]
When studying the diagnosis of mental illness it is essential to remember two crucial elements. First, the context of the abnormal behaviors. Second, there is a vast continuum of mental health disorders pertaining to severity. When looking at the diagnosis of mental illness it is paramount to understand that disorders generally fall on a spectrum, or […]
When making a diagnosis of a mental illness it is extremely important to look at the entire context of a person’s life. People often want to simplify down a person’s behavior to just DNA, learned behaviors, relationships, life events, pandemics, trauma, health issues, etc., etc., etc. Truthfully for virtually all people it is a combination […]
Yep, it’s here already: the New Year. At this time of year, many people aim to bring about great change in their lives with lofty resolutions aimed at improving their life, health or behaviors in some way or another. But, when the majority of resolutions never see February, us resolutioners need to improve the ways […]
How to think and live outside the box We all know the old adage “Think outside the box.” We maybe even use this saying when stuck trying to come up with a new idea to improve our business, personal life or relationship. These are generally some obstacles stopping us from being creative, innovative or improved. […]
Addiction, Psychology, Technology Addiction
It seems there is an app for just about everything these days, a device to enhance your life experiences or some other form of technology that you are convinced you need. Love it or hate, technology has nestled its way into our snow sports culture. Let’s be honest, it isn’t going away. Technology addiction is […]
goal setting, sport psychology
Everyone has something that they would like to improve on, whether it’s dropping a few pounds, shedding minutes in a marathon, improving a relationship or just being happier as a person. An often-scoffed-at technique to help any sort of life improvement is goal setting. Why are people so against goal setting? Truth be told, I […]
In the last several years, the word “nerd” has taken on a new meaning. Be a nerd, and be proud of it! Once a mocking, derogatory slight at a person who is intelligent or educated, nerd is now almost used as a term of endearment (for many at least). Whenever I call someone a nerd, […]
music and mental health, Psychology
Face it — we are never going to all agree on what is good music. As a loyal, dedicated and die-hard Phishhead, I have accepted that not all people will understand the beauty and artistry of my favorite band. I gave up trying to convince people Phish is hippie poetry that is for you. Let […]