We all know those days when our confidence goes missing. You search for your self-esteem like a set of lost keys, only to find it hiding under a pile of self-doubt. Most common advice about building self-esteem falls flat. Repeating positive statements in the mirror? Research shows these affirmations don’t work for people with low… Read More »Increase Your Self-Esteem With These 4 Research-Backed Methods
Two remarkable studies have uncovered how sleep acts as a secret editor of our emotional past. By tracking brain activity during sleep, researchers have found that our brains do not strengthen all memories equally. They can weaken negative memories while enhancing positive ones when we intentionally activate those positive memories before going to sleep. This… Read More »How to use sleep to transform your emotional memories
The science of trauma treatment has been stuck in the 1980s. While most medical fields race forward with new technologies and approaches, trauma therapy has largely relied on the same techniques for decades: talk therapy, exposure therapy, and medication. These treatments work for some people, but many still struggle with haunting images that interrupt their… Read More »Tetris: A Science-Based Method to Reduce Traumatic Memories
Your mind races with thoughts about unpaid bills, work deadlines, family issues, and health concerns. These worries steal your focus, drain your energy, and leave you exhausted. Sound familiar? You need to schedule your worry windows in your calendar. A worry window is 10-15 minutes each day when you give yourself full permission to worry… Read More »The worry window
Think about what drives you hardest. Your relentless work ethic. Your need to prove yourself. Your hunger for recognition that never quite gets satisfied, no matter how much you achieve. Now look backwards. Did someone important make you feel small? Did chaos at home teach you that control equals safety? Did you learn young that… Read More »Make peace with your childhood trauma
The most harmful relationship in your life isn’t with your ex, your boss, or that friend who always puts you down. It’s with your own mind. You wouldn’t tolerate a person who followed you everywhere, constantly pointing out your flaws, predicting your failures, and reminding you of past mistakes. You’d call it harassment. You’d get… Read More »How to stop rumination and negative self-talk
I used to roll my eyes whenever I heard someone utter phrases like “You got this!” or “Don’t worry, you can handle it!” It sounded like an empty self-help drivel, the kind of cheesy motivational-poster lingo that belongs in a dentist’s waiting room circa 1995. Talking to yourself, let alone in the second person? I… Read More »Self-talk to boost your emotional control
I dreaded the telltale of nerves before a big exam or presentation. My heart pounding, sweaty palms, thoughts spiralling into a maze of what-ifs. I’d take deep breaths, try to relax, attempt to banish the butterflies. But fighting my anxiety only seemed to make it worse. What I didn’t realize then was that anxiety was… Read More »Reframe your anxiety to increase performance
We’ve all been there – a friend calls in tears, a family member shares devastating news, a coworker breaks down in the office. In those heart-wrenching moments, it’s painfully clear: you can’t fix their anguish with a snap of your fingers. The hurt is real and raw. Advice and solutions, however well-intentioned, often ring hollow.… Read More »7 phrases to comfort someone in crisis
When I moved away from home for the first time, loneliness wasn’t the only emotion that surprised me. Even more unexpected was the sheer force of my anger in the face of daily frustrations. Slow traffic sent me into a blinding rage. A missed deadline at work left me shaking. The mildest slights from my… Read More »How to control you anger: Why venting doesn’t help and what to do instead
