This is a column that depicts the new research from Elizabeth Mostofsky, PhD, at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Her findings as to what happens to a living spouse after the death of a loved one are dramatic. Heart Attacks and Valentine’s By Rita Watson/ Providence Journal / February 5, 2012 Providence Journal…
Author: Rita Watson
Sex is linked to happiness among married and single seniors
Sex is linked to happiness among married seniors Rita Watson, Providence Journal, Feb 20, 2012, Thrive section During her long years of marriage Zia Agatha prided herself on being the aunt who counseled our mother and her sisters on how to please their husbands in the bedroom. Zia would have loved being alive today to…
In era of computer dating, we still crave community
In era of computer dating, we still crave community Rita Watson/ Providence Journal, February 19, 2012 With love in the air and online dating skyrocketing, it was intriguing to read a column from a psychiatry department chair advocating that we meet and marry The Girl or Boy Next Door.
Creating and re-creating memories is good therapy
HEALTH / WELLNESS Creating — and re-creating — memories is good therapy by Rita Watson, Providence Journal, THRIVE, January 16, 2010 The bride and groom at 91 celebrated 69 years of marriage with veil, top hat, wedding cake, and music. One of the nursing home directors donned a Frank Sinatra fedora and sang into a glitter…
Get early start on Valentine’s Day by writing notes
Get early start on Valentine’s Day by writing notes Rita Watson/ Providence Journal With thanks to Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Valentine’s Day can become more than just another high-pressure Hallmark holiday. Browning’s Sonnet 43 “How Do I Love Thee?” sets the stage for a Valentine love box. The idea occurred to me while writing a…
Valentine’s Day Countdown 2012: LoveColumnist and Beltway Bachelor
In my columns, With Love and Gratitude/Psychology Today I highlight success secrets to strengthen relationships and ward off infidelity. As an incurable romantic, I love Valentine’s Day and consider myself to be a Valentine maven. To keep Valentine’s Day from becoming a disappointment, here is my Second Annual Valentine’s Day Countdown. While I plan to…
Forgiveness is one resolution worth making
Forgiveness is one resolution worth making, January 8, 2012 Rita Watson In talking to women and men about New Year’s Eve, it seems that a new model is emerging. Instead of lavish partying, they are celebrating with little groups of friends. Oftentimes, these become reflections of the past while voicing hope for the future. January…
In a season of miracles, let new traditions guide you
Rita Watson: The Real Holiday Gift of Appreciation, December 25, 2011 This year Christmas and Hanukkah, which both celebrate miracles, overlap. Yet the significance to little miracles in our own lives seems to have been lost in gift-giving madness. Shopping anxiety has smothered the time when individuals essentially reestablish their relationship to tradition and belief…
Holiday Expectations and Gratitude
Rita Watson: Holiday Expectations and Gratitude / Providence Journal, Nov. 27 Hidden agendas and unspoken wishes are like the emperor’s new clothes. If we pretend these do not exist, relationships become vulnerable and exposed. Talking and trusting takes courage. The holidays are a time when happiness, expectations, and gift wishes get so mixed up that…
7 ways to give yourself a break at the holidays
7 ways to give yourself a break at the holidays Rita Watson/ Providence Journal The holiday music rings in the cheer of mistletoe and holly, carolers and parties. Then come the presents and gift cards, long lines at the post office and impatient crying children, obligations, expectations, and exhaustion. How can it be that such…