From dreams to "sexting" to yawning, we're communicating to the world and creating an image of ourselves, good or bad. Here are five ways communication can help is improve our relationships:

Do You Need to Speak Up More? by Sharon Melnick

Here are some questions you might want to ask yourself:

•Where in your life do you want to voice your opinion more?
•Are you afraid of saying the wrong thing in a meeting with high level management?
•Are you too anxious to say what you really feel in your personal relationships?
•Do you get nervous talking about yourself in networking meetings?

Here are some strategies I used to prevent myself from being afraid of speaking up. YOU can use these to speak up in your life. (These strategies pertain to meetings but they also can be applied to discussions in your personal relationships) >>

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It Started with a Yawn by Judith Glaser

Since I was young, I have been watching, noticing and wondering why people yawn. I have noticed that people yawn together. When someone yawns, others around them often yawn as well. It is as though they are mimicking each other.

I've also noticed that people yawn when someone they are talking with 'talks for a long time' about a complex subject that they are not fully following. 'Metaphorically it's like communicating "enough, I can't hold that much information in my brain." or "I can't understand what you are saying - I can't grasp it all." Read more>>

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Living with Chronic Illness: Are you Talking? by Rosalind Joffe

Almost 50% of the adult population live with at least one chronic disease  (astounding isn't it?), having good health is greatly prized. Living with chronic illness means that life's challenges become ...  even more challenging.

After more than 10 years of coaching people around living with illness and their work life, blogging on this topic, and in my personal experience, I've decided that the basics matter.  The basics allow a person to thrive, not just survive.

Here are my top 3 thriving skills:

1.Communication
2.Communication
3.Communication
Yup.  It's that important.

Let's look at why.

First, most illness symptoms are invisible.  No one knows  what your symptom/health is today/ in this moment--  unless you tell them.  And even where some of effects are visible, that doesn't mean that others understand how this impacts YOU, unless you tell them. Read more>>

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What's Your Nightmare Telling You? by John Button

A nightmare can be really jarring!  Often it wakes us up.  When that happens, get out of bed and sit with paper and pen to sort it out.  In my 40 years as a dreams therapist, I find it is very helpful to immediately write about dreams or nightmares.  The frightening parts of the dream begin to release themselves once you write about them.

The next step is to calm down and relax so you can open up to the possibilities of what the dream might mean.  Listen to what the dream is saying metaphorically, not literally.  The message is usually telling us what is currently missing in our life that needs to be dealt with immediately. Read more>>

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Sexting and Parenting in the Digital Age by Sandwiched Boomers

A recent survey of parents with children between the ages of 10 and 18 found their number one worry was not school shootings, bullying or grades, but sexting. Nearly half said their child had received some kind of racy message or image in the past. And with impulsive teens not fully grasping the gravity of their actions, many are hitting 'send' before they consider the consequences of their actions.

Yet there are real benefits for students using Web 2.0 social media as other recent studies indicate. Those with social anxiety describe feeling less shy and more accepted on interactive websites and they gain experience as leaders. College students reporting low self-esteem feel a greater sense of community and group identity after significant involvement with Facebook. Other research indicates even empathy can increase from frequent online communication with friends, tightening the bonds between them.   

Does this create a dilemma for you? Read more for five tips on what to do.>>

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