Winter Blues: Stuck in the post-holiday doldrums?
After all the holiday celebrations, Christmas family visits, and Spring Festival travel, you may feel a bit down returning to your routine in Shanghai. The winter weather doesn’t help. Many people feel more lethargic and moody during the cold, dreary weather. Some people face more...
Was 2016 a Really Bad Year?
How to Close Out 2016 on a Positive Note • Be aware of things you’ve learned about yourself. This is an important way to reframe your experiences and use them to continue making positive changes. • Be grateful for the people who appeared in your life and...
How to Ruin the Holidays
1. Compare and complain. For example, if you go home to a small town you can focus on how nothing is as exciting or interesting as Shanghai (and tell everyone about it). If you stay in Shanghai for the holidays, you can complain about how...
Creating Your Own Oasis in Shanghai
It’s common for Shanghai expats to focus on escapism, in other words always looking toward “the day it’s over”. Both unconsciously and in statements and actions, expats are often waiting for the next vacation, trip home, or repatriation for an escape. Or, they may pack...
Five Tips to Be Ready for a Healthy, Happy Relationship
If you are single, you have a wonderful opportunity to prepare yourself for a healthy relationship and to choose the right partner. In choosing a partner, you should not feel you have to “sacrifice” things. That negative connotation is not a great way to start...
Help Your Kids with School Bullying
Bullying is defined as unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. An estimated 60% of children are bullied at least once during their school year, and over 20% of children are bullied repeatedly over a much longer period...
Beyond Nervous: Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Everyone knows the feeling of fear. This emotion is a completely natural reaction to possible danger. Fear is useful because it keeps us from being harmed, by avoiding such situations or helping us defend ourselves. This protective element has been necessary for survival. If our...
Introducing Petra Albrecht, German-Speaking Psychologist
Petra Albrecht provides psychological counseling in German at the various Body & Soul locations. She has extensive knowledge and experience treating anxiety and stress in adolescents and adults. B&S: Tell us a little bit about your background. P.A: I obtained my master's degree from the Department of...
How can counseling treatment help you with sleeping difficulty?
1) Lying in bed for several hours, but still highly alert to noise during night time 2) Waking up much earlier than regular time 3) Feeling tired or exhausted during the daytime 4) Feel nervous during sleep 5) Having difficulties concentrating on regular tasks 6) Thinking about work, your family...
Dealing with Emotions
First, when encountering a situation (could be a person, external stimulus, event or issue), people see it with certain assumptions (these are preconceived concepts based on the belief system). Through this filter, one reacts based on his/her biology and the way he/she measures reality. Reaction is...