The 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, famously once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” This couldn’t be more true now that comparisons take place 24/7 online. When you compare, your view becomes distorted — you diminish your own value, disconnect yourself for your own life and relationships, and feel depleted — and yet we all do it and can’t stop.
Continue reading 4 Ways to Ditch the Comparison Game on Social
History is filled with trailblazers who were fired — often publicly — before finding success in their chosen field.
Steve Jobs was a wealthy, global celebrity when he was forced out of the billion-dollar company he had sacrificed everything to build. Oprah was fired from a reporter role early in her career, which led her to a more junior role. Walt Disney had a similar story, being fired from the Kansas City star for “lack of imagination and no good ideas.”
We read these stories, and so many more like them, and hope the best is likely yet to come. But finding out you are being forced out of your job is difficult, no matter how many inspirational stories you hear.
In the middle of a fight, have you ever asked yourself how to deal with anger? Everyone has experienced feelings of blind, red hot rage at an injustice or aggression aimed at them at some point in their lives. If you haven’t gotten angry, you aren’t human. Everyone gets angry, and that’s OK. For the most part, anger is a normal, healthy emotion. But it’s unhealthy when it flares up all the time or spirals out of control.
Uncontrolled anger can take a toll on both your health and your relationships. That’s why knowing how to deal with anger is key. Continue reading 7 Ways to Deal with Your Anger
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes extreme shifts in a person’s mood and energy level. While everyone experiences ups and downs, and depending on the type of bipolar disorder, there are severe shifts in mood and behavior that can seriously impact on a person’s life.
Continue reading 4 Different Types of Bipolar Disorder, and How They’re Treated
We’ve all felt intense bursts of anger. You’re driving to a job interview you worked so hard to get — and you’re stuck in traffic. It’s Friday afternoon and your boss is wondering if you have some bandwidth to take on an extra project…or two…for Monday morning’s meeting. You’ve planned a birthday party at the park because there’s no way 25 people can fit in your studio apartment — it’s raining. You find yourself wondering how to get over anger.
It’s inevitable that you’ll feel this way again, and many times in similar situations or with people you know well, respect, and love. We all will. Annoyances that get you heated are part of life, but with them comes the opportunity to practice responding to anger calmly and productively. This is important because, while anger is a normal emotion and we should expect unfortunate events to incite it, strong feelings of anger and resentment aren’t always healthy, especially if you can’t let them go. Continue reading How to Get Over Anger
Some days, maybe on the commute home from work or when we’re awoken by noisy neighbors, you find yourself thinking: I hate people. If so, you’re not alone, but there might be something you can do about it.
Sure, in a perfect world, each person we interact with would be kind, considerate, mindful, generous and have a personality that complements our own. They would get our sense of humor and we would get theirs. We would all thrive in a convivial atmosphere where no one was ever angry, upset, or annoyed. But, unfortunately, that’s not the way the world works. Sometimes we are fortunate to be surrounded by people we like, but other times we have to live, work, or interact with people we don’t like. This isn’t something to be ashamed of — how could you possibly like everyone equally? — but if you find yourself thinking “I hate people,” you likely want to know why and how to cope. Continue reading Why You Hate People (and How You Can Change This Thinking)
When the pressure of work deadlines feels especially heavy, or my never-ending to-do list feels nearly impossible to clear, I have a few foolproof solutions. I take long, deep breaths, organize my closets…or call my sister and tell her everything she’s doing wrong and exactly how I, and only I, can change that for her.
Sound like a strange way of finding calm? According to Talkspace therapist Cynthia Catchings, we try to save or fix people — in this case, my sister — because it is easier than trying to deal with our own issues. We believe we don’t have control over our own situations that are making us anxious, so we try to exert control somewhere else.
The rush that helping others provides us is exhilarating and can become addictive. But is it healthy?
Continue reading Why You Try to “Save” People (and Why You Should Stop)
Although obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a serious mental illness associated with high levels of disability, there are a number of OCD treatments that will significantly reduce OCD symptoms. Luckily, help is available — in a variety of forms.
It’s normal to go back and double-check that the hair straightener is unplugged or your car is locked — on occasion. But if you suffer from OCD, obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors become so consuming they interfere with your daily life. No matter what you do, you can’t seem to shake them from your mind. Continue reading How to Receive Effective OCD Treatment
Fact: Americans are anxious. Research shows anxiety is the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 18.1 percent of Americans each year and one-third of Americans over their lifetimes. So, it’s no surprise that a blanket marketed as able to assist with uneasiness and nervousness raised $4.7 million on Kickstarter.
It didn’t start with blankets, however, and it doesn’t end with blankets. There are adult coloring books, aromatherapy candles, essential oils, sun lamps, and a slew of other products that claim are designed to calm people down. So, do they? Continue reading Does Science Back Up Anxiety and Depression “Miracle” Cures?
We’ve all experienced anger. But if your temper is hijacking your life, making you feel like you’re at the mercy of an unpredictable, overbearing, powerful emotion, it may be appropriate to use professional counseling or psychotherapy solutions — anger therapy — to help with your anger issues.
Maybe you’ve felt the full spectrum — from fleeting annoyance to uncontrollable rage — maybe multiple times a week. And for the most part, some anger is to be expected in life. Anger is a necessary human emotion, one that’s usually healthy and normal. But there are times it can get out of control and be destructive, hurting personal and professional relationships and one’s overall quality of life. Continue reading Is Anger Therapy Right For You? Tips for Controlling Your Anger