The Psychology of...

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often perceived as hyper-organizational behaviours such as closing doors repeatedly or washing hands until the skin is raw. In reality there are various subsets of the OCD condition, one of which is often called scrupulosity in which the primary anxiety has nothing to do with germs or cleanliness rather it is the fear of being guilty of religious or moral failure. In this case the sufferer fears that their efforts, which are often intense and excessive, are still not good enough in the eyes of God or their own moral compass. While a typical sufferer of OCD might become obsessed with germs getting them sick, this particular form of the condition strikes the individual at their core. Their fear is that they are morally or spiritually inadequate and they risk eternal consequence because of it. This condition can be particularly insidious for the following reasons. First, treatment for OCD in the form of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies is highly ...

In my recent interview with the Know Nothing Podcast we discussed what it means to have zest. Here is a follow up to that conversation. Zest is about approaching your lived experience with energy and engagement. Regardless of circumstances, those who have zest are able to see life as an adventure. In the VIA Strengths Survey  zest is categorized as a subset of courage. Perhaps because it takes courage to take the risk of actually enjoying life. Lowering expectations and coasting is far less vulnerable than daring to live a life full of meaning and excitement. Zest is linked directly with psychological and physiological well-being. Zest = life engagement I think a perfect example of seeing someone lost in their zestiness is when you pull up to a red light and in the car next to you is someone belting out their favourite tune. Your inner jerk will leap at the opportunity to rip into this poor soul. There are fewer easier targets than these. But I have made a vow to never mak...

Click the link below to have a listen to an interview I did with the Know Nothing Podcast. KnowNothing Podcast Synopsis: There's a brief exchange in the beginning about my guilty pleasure pro-wrestling but then we get into a casual conversation about positive psychology, what it means to flourish, and how to apply this philosophy to your life in order to improve the world around you and within.