Identity Fatigue | Psychology Today
Freud says, “Whatever you say you are, you are not.” Adam Phillips says that identity is a “self-cure for a feeling of exclusion” and puts us forever in a position to defend that identity. Identity is thus false to begin with, and on top of that, takes effort and will to manage and reproduce. Both […]
The Weight Loss Trap | Psychology Today
Losing weight often seems like the right motivation for getting to the gym, but in the long run, your dieting efforts may be destroying your drive. The reason so many give up on their New Year’s Resolutions come February often isn’t about willpower, but more about their “why.” When your “why” is weight loss, then […]
Depression and the Heart | Psychology Today
For decades, we’ve divided health into neat categories: Mental health on one side, physical health on the other. The brain over here. The heart over there. Different specialists. Different appointments. Different silos. But biology doesn’t respect those boundaries—and neither does depression. A growing body of research now makes something unmistakably clear: Depression is not only […]
The Practice of Happiness | Psychology Today
Recently, I was having dinner with a group of friends who also work in Mental health when the conversation turned to happiness. What stood out wasn’t that everyone wanted to be happier, but how differently we defined happiness. Despite the range of perspectives, one shared assumption kept resurfacing: Happiness is something we reach after checking […]
Autistic Masking in Adulthood | Psychology Today
Masking, sometimes referred to as camouflaging, refers to when someone hides who they are authentically in order to meet an expectation that does not align with their true self. In autistic and other neurodivergent communities, it means hiding one’s neurodivergent traits in order to meet neurotypical expectations for behavior. You do not have to be […]
Re-Branding Sleep Apnea | Psychology Today
Over 900 million adults globally are estimated to have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (1). In the United States, more than 30 million adults are affected, yet 80-90% remain undiagnosed (2). The impact of untreated sleep apnea can range from increased cardiovascular risk, diabetes, trouble managing weight, depression, excessive sleepiness, drowsy driving, etc. Why are so […]
The Psychology of Money in a Buy Now Pay Later World
Not long ago, you had to physically hand over cash to buy something. You witnessed it exit your wallet. You sensed it. With Klarna or Clearpay, you can now pay for a new phone in three instalments and barely notice the difference. And it’s being done by everyone else, right? This isn’t just a shopping […]
The Psychology of Mental Health Memes
Memes are a form of digital storytelling, except instead of hunting scenes, it’s a sloth giving side-eye with the caption: “If I delete my Instagram, my social anxiety will delete itself too.” And it spreads, because it’s a blunt snippet that somehow captures our collective anxiety in one post. What Are Memes? Memes are Gen […]
The Power of Paws | Psychology Today
In Western societies, dogs are more than pets—they’re companions, family members, and, in many cases, emotional anchors. The human-animal bond has long been the subject of fascination and study, yet research has often oversimplified this relationship by focusing on single dimensions like attachment or satisfaction. A recent, more nuanced study by Turcsán and colleagues, published […]
Balancing Truth-Telling With Diplomacy | Psychology Today
In a recent episode of The Hard Skills podcast, I dug into the double-bind familiar to so many women leaders navigating workplace politics dynamics: Speak up and risk being branded “too aggressive”; back down and risk being labeled “too soft.” As leaders, we’re expected to speak up and be open and authentic, but as women […]