Understanding Restlessness and What You Can do to Overcome It

on July 10, 2020 at 9:26 AM /

It seems like every day there’s a new warning or disastrous event happening in the world. I try to limit my time on social media, stay away from the news, and think happy thoughts, but I’m always worried about something. Between COVID-19 continuing to spread, constant protests, political news, and my daily responsibilities, I have trouble thinking about anything else! And it seems to hit me hardest when I go to bed. No matter what I try, I just can’t sleep. I’ve tried reading and watching TV to take my mind off things, but nothing is helping. I can’t seem...

Sometimes it Isn’t the Horse or the Saddle, It’s the Rider

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on July 3, 2020 at 12:17 PM /

How often do you overlook the role you might be playing in a problem and assume that, if you tweak something caused by someone or something else, poof, no more problem? The Situation In the past when I rode my horse, I was often lopsided. I literally leaned off to one side. It isn’t an ideal way to ride. And even though I’m an experienced rider, sometimes steering and getting my horse to go (walk, trot, canter) was met with major resistance. So, what did I do to fix the problem? Well, I started by getting a new saddle, but even with...

Fine-Tuning Your Social Skills for Today’s World

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on June 19, 2020 at 2:01 PM /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. I moved to Tampa a few months ago for a great new career opportunity. Things have been good for the most part, but my shyness and tendency to feel terribly awkward around people I don’t know well has really been holding me back from getting to know my new coworkers. They seem like great people, but I always back out when they invite me to lunch or to get drinks on Fridays after work. I’m just so scared of saying the wrong thing and having them judge me. I really...

Protests in America: Why They’re Happening and Why We Should Listen

By Rice Psychology Group

on June 5, 2020 at 2:35 PM /

As fun as I like to think that I am, no one sees a psychologist if their life is going along smoothly. People come to me when they’re uncomfortable – too uncomfortable to go on with the “status quo.” That’s how changes are made, too. What we are currently doing is more uncomfortable than the discomfort of doing something different, so we change. I once had a colleague explain that, because making changes is hard, part of the work psychologists do is maintain the discomfort, to help people sit with, and remember why change is necessary. The same thing is happening...

An Anxious Return: Heading Back to Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on May 29, 2020 at 1:51 PM /

The company I work for reopened last week. I was excited at first to finally get out of the house and earn a paycheck again, but seeing the crowded hallways, closed office doors, and multiple face-to-face meetings are making me very anxious. At home, I was mindful of keeping things especially clean due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When going out to get groceries, I was even more careful. But now at work, with people hovering over me so much and participating in one meeting after the next, my anxiety is getting out of control! People seem to have such different...

A Few Effective Ways to Deal with Someone Else’s Anger

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on May 15, 2020 at 1:51 PM /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. A coworker and I were handling a project for a few weeks. Our big presentation was this morning and it didn’t go the way we wanted. We made a few mistakes, and because of it, our boss came down on us. Afterward, I was ready to discuss and correct our mistakes, however, my coworker lost her temper and said some pretty aggressive things to me. I was really surprised after her rant but was clueless about how to handle it. We all get angry sometimes. Anger is a normal and...

Celebrating Mom at Home: What to do on Her Special Day in the Social Distancing Era

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on May 8, 2020 at 3:46 PM /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. I’m really close with my mom. We live nearly half a country apart but talk every day. Mother’s Day is our favorite holiday, and this year, it’s killing me that I can’t visit her to celebrate. We are both sheltering in place, which means I can’t visit. Even if I could, Mom is so protective of me that she wouldn’t let me make the trip out of fear of me or my family getting sick. I really want to do something special for her this year but have no...

If Your Child is Moody, Then it May be Time for a Break from the Screen

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on May 1, 2020 at 1:35 PM /

When our kids’ school switched to online learning, I thought it’d be for a short time. Now their school has extended it for the rest of the year, and I’m noticing just how much time they spend on their laptops and phones. At first, it was no big deal since they have nothing of great importance to do here at home other than schoolwork. But now my husband and I have noticed that they have even less motivation than usual and are often more bad-tempered. I think it has to do with all the time they spend online, especially playing...

Getting Outside Again: The Benefits of the Outdoors for Your Kids

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on April 24, 2020 at 2:32 PM /

When the stay-at-home order was first put in place, my family and I made the best of it. We were lucky enough to have our jobs switch to work-from-home, and my husband has taken responsibility for helping our kids with their online schoolwork. As the weeks went by, though, we all became incredibly lethargic from being inside all day. One day, we decided to spend an afternoon in the backyard away from our laptops, phones, and tablets. It felt great! I did some gardening, my husband did some yard work, and the kids tossed the ball around and made up...

The Benefits of Keeping a Four-Legged Friend Around During Home Isolation

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on April 17, 2020 at 3:25 PM /

The first couple of weeks of my city’s stay-at-home order were rough. I’m single with no kids, so my apartment was quieter than I could have ever imagined while working from home. It got so bad that I started feeling stressed and anxious from being cooped up all day. During a call with my sister, she suggested adopting a dog. She owns one, or actually tells me that her dog owns her, and says that there’s never a dull moment in her home. I went to my local animal shelter and came home with the cutest dog! Eloise is small,...