Our reactions to most situations can benefit by pausing ourselves and being present in the here and now. We are all faced by events we find distressing every day, both small and large; burnt toast, account overdrafts, misbehaving children, loss of employment, failing grades, and sometimes even the loss of a loved one. Depending on our individual reactions to these events, we can escalate them into episodes of profound depression, panic attacks, substance abuse, mania, hyper-aggression, or one of many other mood and behavioral conditions. Read more