Author: Ashley Laderer

Contributor

Back To Reality: How To Get On Track After Too Much YOLO

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
man underwater

Letting the concept of “YOLO” go to our heads happens to the best of us. It can drive all of our decisions and we end up partying too hard, drinking too much, going weeks without exercising, falling behind on work, and letting our dishes pile up to the ceiling. Sure, you want to make the most of your life and live it to the fullest, but there’s definitely such a thing as too much YOLO. When we’re living a little too hedonistically, it’s common for us to lose sight of what’s really important to us and get off track. We all need balance.

In today’s society, it’s all too easy to go wild in order to escape. When you finally come back to reality, you might feel somewhat lost. Thankfully, getting off track doesn’t mean that you can’t get back on. Continue reading Back To Reality: How To Get On Track After Too Much YOLO

Is It OK to Break Up With Someone Struggling With Mental Health?

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
partners hugging under umbrella

A few years ago, my boyfriend broke up with me because of my mental illness. To be more specific, I was dumped because of the behavior my mental illness was causing, and the strain it took on our relationship. It was one of my biggest fears come true, to be “too much to handle” in a relationship.

I’d been struggling with depression for years prior to the relationship, but while we were together, I was going through one of my darkest and lowest points ever — having mood swings and sobbing at the snap of a finger. He had to deal with my crying spells, refusal to go out and socialize with his friends, and my late night anxiety attacks. I had zero control over my emotions. Continue reading Is It OK to Break Up With Someone Struggling With Mental Health?

Why We Find Emotionally Unavailable People Attractive

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
man sipping his drink wearing sunglasses

When I look back at my quasi-relationships that haven’t worked out, I can see a common denominator. I was going after guys who were emotionally unavailable (let’s be real: beyond emotionally unavailable).

For one example, I was almost in love with someone who had so many red flags he could have been an air traffic controller. He was an hour late to our first date, and chronically late after that…(the first red flag). Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I continued to see him. He had several tattoos that he’d gotten with or for exes, and while we were “seeing each other” he got another that was a nickname another ex gave him…(another red flag). Oh, and he was still legally married, something he told me months later…(the biggest red flag). Continue reading Why We Find Emotionally Unavailable People Attractive

How Keeping Secrets Can Impact Your Mental Health

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
girl hiding behind curtain

You know the saying: “Secret secrets are no fun unless you share with everyone.”

While not everyone gets a kick out of keeping secrets, a lot of people do deem secret-keeping necessary, whether they’re hiding something from their romantic partner, family, or friends. People keep secrets for a multitude of reasons. Maybe they feel embarrassed or shame about something, they feel they might get in trouble (with the law or with a person), or they feel like their relationship with somebody might be destroyed should the big secret be revealed. Continue reading How Keeping Secrets Can Impact Your Mental Health

College Mental Health Resources You Need to Know

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
student walking in fog with backpack

Whether you’re going to college for the first time or going back to school after a long summer break, the transition can be extremely stress inducing. This shake up can cause symptoms of anxiety or depression, whether or not you have a preexisting mental health condition.

It’s totally normal to experience mixed emotions and stress when the start of a new semester rolls around.You don’t have to let these emotions take control and get in the way of you having a great time at school. The good news is, there are plenty of resources if you’re struggling, or if you need to help a friend who’s in a rough place. All you have to do is know where to go or who to call when you need help. Continue reading College Mental Health Resources You Need to Know

5 Tips to Tackle the Transition to College

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
students walking on path

Change isn’t always easy. Transitioning from high school to college is one of the biggest transitions a young adult goes through, and it can come along with a lot of challenges. Whether you’re continuing to live at home and going to a local community college or moving across the country to a far away university, you’ll still be dealing with some of the same challenges that come along with starting this new chapter of life. Continue reading 5 Tips to Tackle the Transition to College

7 Tips for Dealing With the Anxiety of Making New Friends in College

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
group of friends sitting on grass

Friends are a huge part of what makes college fun. Some of your favorite memories in college will probably involve the friends you’ve made there. After all, school is about so much more than just going to class and doing well on exams. When you’re starting your first semester, it can be overwhelming to think about creating a bunch of new connections and forming a new group of friends. Socializing and making friends comes easily to some people, but for others, it can be anxiety inducing. Continue reading 7 Tips for Dealing With the Anxiety of Making New Friends in College

Why Having the Same Personality as Your Partner Isn’t the Secret to Happiness

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
two girls in matching wigs looking at each other

I thought I hit the jackpot when I found a boyfriend who was very similar to me: an introverted cancer who would rather stay in and watch movies with a glass of wine than go out to wild parties. He wrote moody, romantic poetry just like me, he was artsy and sensitive just like me — the list goes on.

In some ways, I did hit the jackpot — but the excitement didn’t last long. A couple months into the relationship, I learned that just because we had very similar personalities, it didn’t mean that we were compatible and it definitely didn’t mean we were going to work out in the long run. Five months after we fell madly in love, we were donezo. As you can imagine, a breakup between two moody writers was not pretty. Continue reading Why Having the Same Personality as Your Partner Isn’t the Secret to Happiness

What Do Your Fantasies Mean?

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
girl on carousel

While we as a society are becoming more open about sexuality, one thing we can’t avoid talking about is fantasies. I’m not talking about sex dreams –– I’m talking about the sexy scenarios we create ourselves in our waking life. You may have one particular recurring fantasy that you can’t get out of your head, or you may have a lot of them across the board. You may be dying to create these fantasies in real life, or you might be content with simply just imagining the scenarios. Continue reading What Do Your Fantasies Mean?

6 Ways to Be More Compassionate About Your Body Image

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
woman smelling flowers wearing a shirt that says resilience

We love summer, but we don’t love the negative messaging surrounding body image and the harm to self esteem that it typically breeds. Summer means pool parties and beach days, people wearing their swimsuits, and being a little bit more scantily clad in general. You’ll also likely see an influx of articles about the best workouts and diets for a beach body, but let me tell you a secret: if you have a body and you’re on the beach…you’ve already got a beach body.

Developing better self confidence and self esteem is something that doesn’t come easily to a lot of us. It’s easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others in the summertime, and to kick yourself for not looking exactly how you wish you looked. We have to work hard at building a better body image — and while we’re doing that, we also have to remember to be kind to ourselves.

Continue reading 6 Ways to Be More Compassionate About Your Body Image