Why ‘Follow Your Passion’ Is Terrible Advice
Graduation speeches, self-help books and well-meaning therapists preach the gospel of “following your passion.” It is predicated on the belief that if you follow your passion, you will be happy, and you will become...
8 Counterintuitive Strategies for a Happier Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Here are a few tips to help you and your family keep the peace and make the most of the holiday:
1. Be clear-eyed
Manage expectations. It’s nice to have...
4 1/2 Ways to Deal With Someone Having a Meltdown
A friend was recently in line at his favorite bagel store and witnessed a scene that has become all too familiar: an adult having a meltdown. When the manager asked the customers to move...
Self-Help Is Important. Other-Help Is Too.
One spring a patient named Margot came to my office feeling despondent. At the beginning of the year, she attended a seminar on the importance of self-care, which was titled, "Make This Year All...
How To Be More Optimistic
"It's just bleak out there." My patient was referring to the weather and also her general outlook. "Bleak" captures the way many people are feeling right now—general malaise, emotional exhaustion, and overwhelming pessimism. I...
How To Bolster and Boost Mental Health During a Transition
Transitions can be exciting but also stressful. In my experience, people tend to respond to major life changes in one of two ways: Denial or Distraction. Deniers cling to the past and are flooded with nostalgia....