How many times have we heard the tired advice “take care of yourself”? Great…but how are we supposed to do that when work seems to consume all our time? Here’s how I developed my own “me time” bit by bit over the years.

What does it mean to be a good parent? Must you always control your anger? Must you always be 100% consistent in enforcing rules? Must you always maintain a unified front with your partner? What if it was OK to be inconsistent, upset, and even at odds with other caregivers? What if giving our children a safe window into the real stresses and conflicts of being an adult is exactly what our kids need to become competent adults?

Sometimes, sticking with familiar routines for too long can lead to staleness and a sense of living life on auto-pilot. Introducing a bit of novelty here and there can give that much-needed jolt to the senses and promote new ways of experiencing the world.

Why is it so easy to get caught up in a video game, even a complex, difficult and sometimes frustrating game, but it’s harder to study or work in “real life?” Understanding the deep dividing line between games and our “serious work” has a lot to teach us about our minds and maybe even a way to bring some of the game-world excitement into our cubicles.

The recent blockbuster film Inception asks “how can we tell the difference between dreams and reality?” But how often are we “dreaming” with our eyes open each day? Without effort, we can not only lose touch with what’s going on around us, but sink deeper and deeper into troubling worlds of our own construction.

In a psychological experiment, jam-tasting experts and students more or less agreed on the best tasting jam — until the students were asked to analyse their preferences. Then they promptly forgot how they actually percieved the jam and started thinking too much.

Returning to work before you’re fully recovered from illness can be a disconcerting experience when you discover that the skills you rely upon to do your job seem to have deserted you. So how do you recharge your spiritual reserves as well as your physical and emotional ones?