Maybe You Don’t Need to Talk to Someone
Stressed? Burned out? Lonely? Dealing with a breakup? Conflict with a co-worker? Feeling down? The blanket recommendation for anyone going through a rough patch these...
Are You Quiet Quitting Your Relationship?
“The opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference” — Elie Wiesel
Quiet quitting—the now ubiquitous expression that refers to doing the bare minimum at...
7 Ways to Check Your Phone Less and Live More
How much time do you spend on your phone a day? Be honest. Due to a combination of denial and genuine lack of awareness, most...
This Is How to Stop Ruminating
“Nothing in life is as important as you think it is, while you are thinking about it.”
— Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow
Do you ever get...
You Can Stop Worrying About Finding Yourself
Ten years ago I was invited to give a talk at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting. In those days, I wasn't used to...
What Vulnerable Narcissists Really Fear
Vulnerable narcissists, also known as covert narcissists, may not be as overtly obnoxious or arrogant as grandiose narcissists but possess their own unique set of unappealing...
Are Foursomes the Secret to Keeping Romance Alive?
A candlelit dinner for two is the classic way to keep romance alive but research from Wayne State University suggests that going on a double...
The Psychological Diagnosis for People Who Lie About Everything
It's a basic truth of the human condition that everybody lies. The only variable is about what. — Hugh Laurie
Truth be told, we all...
The Benefits of Diversifying Your Social Portfolio
“Friendship isn’t a big thing — it’s a million little things.” Paulo Coelho.
Mounting evidence shows that tending to our friendships matters as much to...
A Cure for Catastrophizing
“There were many terrible things in my life and most of them never happened.” — Michael Montaigne
“Everything is ruined:” Catastrophizing is the tendency to jump...
Take Control of the Story You Tell About Yourself
“We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” Joan Didion
We are story-telling creatures. They help us make sense of the world and our place...
Goblin Mode: The Antidote for Perfectionism
So the Word of the Year is goblin mode. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the selection is “a word or expression reflecting the ethos, mood, or...
Houseguests Take Note: How Not to Overstay Your Welcome
My parents used to have a pillow with the inscription, “All our guests bring happiness. Some by coming, others by going.” Benjamin Franklin put it more...
Forget Critical Thinking. It’s Critical Ignoring That Will Keep You Sane.
"I feel like I have too many tabs open in my brain," explained my friend. I can totally relate. At the end of the...
‘Tis the Season for Contentious Dinner Table Conversations: 3 Strategies to Stop Persuasion Fatigue...
'Tis the season to be merry. For many, 'tis also the season for contentious dinner table conversations. If heated debates about politics, vaccine mandates...
A Booster Shot for Your Relationship
"We're just going through the motions," explained Sarah. She was referring to her relationship of nine years. She and her partner loved each other...
Don’t Let the Pebbles Pummel You
Determining whether a person is clinically depressed is not an arbitrary decision. Psychiatrists follow strict guidelines specified by the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual...
5 Ways to Overcome Imposter Syndrome
"If they only knew ... I am a total fraud and everyone is about to find out."
If you have ever felt this way, you...
The Benefits of Meditating on Mortality
My mother-in-law loved music, art, and food. Her hearing was selective at the dinner table. If a guest dared to decline a dish, she...
The One Question Therapists Don’t Often Ask But Should
It takes a great deal of courage to make an appointment with a psychiatrist. Oftentimes there is a lag between obtaining a therapist's number...