The terms empathy and sympathy may be familiar but do you really know the difference between them and which one is most helpful?

The terms empathy and sympathy may be familiar but do you really know the difference between them and which one is most helpful?

We all have challenges quieting the mind and managing our reactions and responses to various stressors in our environment. Our brain is hardwired for survival and therefor it is prone to creating basic plans, contingency plans and even revisiting the past to sort through what went wrong and how we can do things differently in the future. Almost as if we are on autopilot, we are constantly living in the past and the future – neither of which is the present moment.

We all have challenges quieting the mind and managing our reactions and responses to various stressors in our environment. Our brain is hardwired for survival and therefor it is prone to creating basic plans, contingency plans and even revisiting the past to sort through what went wrong and how we can do things differently in the future. Almost as if we are on autopilot, we are constantly living in the past and the future – neither of which is the present moment.

For some people, this time of year is filled with hope, magic and wonder. We see the twinkle in our children’s eyes and we feel the warm flutter of holidays past in our hearts. However, this is not the same story for everyone. This is a year like no other we have experienced before, and many people will not have the opportunity to spend time with their loved ones. This reality can create more feelings of sadness and loneliness, leading people to feel disconnected