“I can’t stop thinking about it.” “I keep replaying it in my mind.” “I just want to let it go.” These are things Nicole Johnson, LPC, author of Reparenting Your Inner Child frequently hears in her therapy practice. Whether someone has been wronged by a friend, made a huge mistake…
If you’ve scrolled through mental health TikTok, you’ve probably stumbled upon people who are determined to “heal” their dysregulated nervous system. The gist: When your nervous system is out of whack, your body sends out alerts—physical and emotional symptoms like chronic tension, randomly losing your cool, or mentally shutting down….
The alarm clock beeps, and you press snooze with a groan. When you finally do get up, you’re greeted by your ever-growing to-do list and a complete lack of motivation. We all have days that start like this, and it’s human to sometimes say, “I don’t want to do anything.”…
If you’re reading this, you might be wondering if your grief feels “too intense” or has lasted “too long.” First, know this: you’re not broken, and you’re not alone. While grief is one of life’s most universal experiences, sometimes it gets stuck, and that’s when complicated grief (now clinically known…
If someone has told you to “feel your feelings,” but you’re sitting there thinking “What does that even mean?” you’re not alone. I get this question from clients all the time. Here’s why it matters: The alternative is bottling everything up, and that never ends well. Your emotions don’t just…
Most of us have experienced this confusing moment: tears suddenly start flowing, and you pause to ask yourself, “Why am I crying right now?” Emotions can surface unexpectedly without any clear trigger, leaving you feeling confused, surprised, or even frustrated with yourself. Here’s the truth: emotions are always a response…
We’re all familiar with the silent frustration of another meeting (that could have been an email) popping up on our calendar. What’s less clear? Knowing when our reaction to an irritating situation is healthy and when it enters the territory of anger issues. “Ultimately, anger isn’t the problem, it’s often…
Sexual attraction in relationships is often treated like a taboo subject. Many people feel judged for admitting they’re not physically attracted to their partner, or for worrying about the role of physical chemistry in a relationship. But the truth is, it’s entirely possible to deeply care for—or even love—someone without…
Grief is never easy. But what if you started feeling its weight before a loss even happens? This is the reality for many people who experience anticipatory grief: a wave of sadness and anxiety that arrives in advance of a major loss, often when a loved one is seriously ill…
When’s the last time you tried to imagine yourself in someone else’s shoes? This is one of the simplest ways to practice empathy, a powerful skill that plops you into another person’s headspace so you’re in tune with what they may be thinking or feeling. To be human is to…
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion due to an excessive amount of stress. Many people might experience burnout after working long or taxing hours at a job, but it can also have other causes, like conflict with a significant other or an especially busy or chaotic…
In the early 2000s, a travel company labeled the third Monday in January as the most depressing day of the year and named it “Blue Monday.” While data hasn’t proven the day to be more depressing than any other, the name stuck. Whether or not Blue Monday is really the…
