Chris Hammer, Ph.D.

Mindfulness For Stress Reduction And Better Sleep

There seems to be a lot written about mindfulness lately, and so I've sort of steered away from the topic. But I was reminded again recently about how important a topic it really is: how one simple practice can make such a difference to one's well-being. ... Read >

The Structure Of Accountability

I'm the first to admit that I'm not a natural-born writer. The words don't always come easily, and I often don't know exactly what it is I want to say. So why am I writing this article? It's primarily because I want to: I do have things to say, and I do w... Read >

A Healthy Dose of Optimism

I heard a great quote recently that got me to thinking about what it means to be optimistic: "If life doesn't give you at least a little sugar as well, your lemonade's gonna suck". In other words, a positive attitude isn't always sufficient in and of itse... Read >

The Introverted Leader

I'm an introvert. And so are many other reasonably bright, well-rounded, effective individuals. So it's not a bad thing. But I do believe that to be most effective, the introverted leader should examine what this personality style can mean in the context ... Read >

Are You In The Habit Of Showing Up?

I've recently been trying to get ahold of someone to come and take a look at a problem I'm having with my roof. I've left three messages with this particular company, and none have been returned. Similarly, a few months ago I needed to get a potential moi... Read >

Coaching Skills for Leaders (The Nuts and Bolts)

Research has shown that people perform at higher levels when they are coached as opposed to "managed". So, you might be asking, what is coaching, in a nutshell? What are some of the tools I can use as a leader? How, specifically, do I have a "coaching" co... Read >

What Self-Assumptions Are You Making?

There was a poll awhile ago on a writers' site asking authors to share how long it typically takes them to write their articles. As I looked through the posted replies I was quite surprised at the average length it actually takes people to complete someth... Read >

The Benefits Of Being Real

After a meeting with a client today I was struck at how positive my mood was. I reflected on why this was, and I came to the conclusion that it really boiled down to authenticity: to the opportunity for both of us to just 'be real'. We both took advantage... Read >

Stress Management And The Art Of Being

I sat down to write this article today and I experienced a bit of a block - which ironically caused me some stress. And as I struggled with how to formulate the topic, I began to think about the process of writing itself, and how it might feel to actually... Read >

Making Sense Of Your Own Spiritual Development

You're likely reading this article because you've been thinking about your own spiritual development, or because you've had some sort of spiritual experience that's made you look more closely at the topic. Or maybe you're just interested in spirituality j... Read >

How Influential Are You As A Leader?

Are you in a position to influence others - at work, at home, in your community? Is having influence important to your position or cause (as a manager, parent, or someone with a vision who's trying to create something better)? Do the ways in which you exe... Read >

Affording the Right Level of Autonomy

How much autonomy is appropriate to give? Empowering our children, employees, or anyone we're leading is, we know, the best way to improve satisfaction, motivation, and commitment - but it also takes the right style to pull it off successfully. Do you ... Read >

Just Keep Trying

Whatever you do in life, just keep trying. Thomas Edison once said, "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up". Think about the meaning of that statement for a moment. Really. Imagine po... Read >

Surround Yourself With the Right People

I ran into some old friends last weekend, and immediately I felt a new sense of energy - catching my 'second wind' after a rather tiring morning. I think this happened for two reasons: one, simply because I was happy to see them, and two, because they're ... Read >

A Daily Dose Of Gratitude

I was reading in the paper awhile ago about the guy who had won $17 million in the lottery. And if that wasn't enough, in the last 5 years he'd also won two other lotteries valued at around $1 million each, as well as a couple more in the five-digits. ... Read >