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Fake positivity is doing us more harm, than good
The first step is simply saying: it is fine to struggle. It is fine to feel pain, anger, disappointment, sadness and three billion other spectra of negative emotions. Moreover, embracing these emotions, together with the good ones, and anything in between, is what helps us build the emotional intelligence and emotional agility that can carry us through life in the healthiest possible way.
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What makes a good psychologist: an analysis of a reader’s experience
A good mental-health professional takes the time to understand where you stand. You probably will need to spend quite some time telling your story before they provide some feedback for you. However, this does not mean that they need to stay quiet. Instead, they should encourage you, make you feel safe and appreciated, and above all - understood. They can do this not only by asking you more questions, but also formulating their opinions and explanations of your symptoms in a language that makes sense to you. Simply put, a good psychologist shows you their warmth, care, and empathy for you through their words.
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Unconventional self-care techniques worth your time
The most crucial aspect of every self-care ritual is understanding the influence it has on you. Pay attention whether you are experiencing only a momentarily spur of joy; or, if you are truly benefiting from what you are doing. A well-developed and consistent self-care routine for me is two dimensional and it consists of: a) momentary self-care - it addresses current stress and helps us calm down, unwind, or relax after particularly tough period; and b) long-term self-care: it addresses our distorted thoughts, certain character traits, and bad habits that we would like to change. So, without any further due, let us look at some self-care techniques that I love.
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Reader’s submission: My battle with anxiety, depression, and depersonalization-derealization disorder
It felt like I was constantly just floating in the air. I was moving, but it was like I don’t feel or control my legs at all and that I will trip over any second. In order to actually ‘feel’ my legs, I would rub my feet. Once I did this so intensely that I even managed to tare up my left sneaker. Most of the time, I couldn’t tell whether I was dreaming or if something was really happening. My memory and concentration were awful. Yet, the worst part of it all was that this disorder, combined with my anxiety, was stopping me from living my life to the…
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Support system: finding help and hope in difficult times
If the first step in nourishing your mental health is realizing you struggle, then creating a support system is what will help you overcome those struggles. In fact, regardless of why you struggle, only realizing that you do, will not be of much benefit to you. Only with the help of others and with your unshaken determination to get better, you will overcome the behavioral patterns which constantly make you feel like you are stuck in your life.
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How are our hormones and emotions correlated?
Hormones and emotions: a complicated, but very real and measurable relationship. Sometimes, when we struggle or experience hardship, it is not merely because of our choices. More often than not, it is about our brain chemistry. The science of the human mind says that our brain is primarily wired for our survival, but interestingly enough, the hormones that evolved to ensure our survival and to sharpen our instincts, are also the hormones that determine our happiness levels. When it comes to hormones and emotions, there are four highly relevant hormones: dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphin. I remember them easily when I take the first letter of their names and create…
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How do our relationships influence our mental health?
When it comes to our mental health and psychological well-being, there is rarely any other social phenomenon that influences us more than the relationships we build and nourish with other people. But, what makes relationships so special? Why do they have such significant power over us and over our mental health?
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Moving abroad? There is only one thing you need to take with you.
For almost every young person who moves abroad to study or work, the following problem arises. The place where you are going is no longer the place where you will be the only one who is excellent at what s/he does. High school is over and your University collected the best of the best, put them into a carefully selected class, and left them all there to figure life out on their own. So, what do you do when you end up in a group where everyone loves the subject you are studying as much as you do, everyone is good at it, and everyone is alone? Do you compete,…
Ideas that matter: read, think, learn
