Dr. Cynthia Ackrill

In a goal-oriented society like ours, it's easy to link accomplishment with "deserving" to feel happy. But as Dr. Jim Taylor pointed out so well on Huffington Post, you might not find happiness at the finish line.

After hours of driving "fast and furious," there's a fear of letting go. After all, what if you drop the ball on something when you let your guard down? What if you lose your edge or can't ramp back up into productive mode again? People even become addicted to the rev of busyness, making withdrawal downright scary.

All day, you eagerly anticipate finding just 30 minutes to chill out, catch up with your significant other, and relax into sleep. But the problem is... though your body is ready to plop down on the sofa and decompress, your brain is still going a mile a minute. It's stuck in "go-go-go" mode. As a result, you're there with your loved ones, but you're not really present. You think, What's wrong with me? Why can't I relax?

You know how awful stress makes you feel…but seeing stress on your child’s face or hearing it in his or her voice? That feels even worse!