One of the main contributors to emotional dysregulation is cognitive distortions. Cognitive distortions are irrational thoughts that we experience surrounding a specific event, situation, or as a learned response. Cognitive distortions are common, but when experienced more regularly, they can become harmful to our overall mental health and functioning. Common Types of Cognitive Distortions: Catastrophizing: […]

Here’s a game I like to play: Whenever I am struggling to make a difficult decision, allowing fear to prevent me from moving forward, or feeling generally dissatisfied with how I am choosing to live, I transport myself to my hypothetical last few moments of my life. I envision that my clock on Earth is […]

What are boundaries? When you hear the word boundary, what comes to mind? Maybe it is the literal definition from the Oxford Dictionary, “a line that marks the limits of an area” or “a limit of a subject or sphere of activity.” Maybe you think about it in terms of relationships, work, family, or energy […]

Those parts of yourself that you show to the outside world, those parts that make up “the mask” you wear that’s your ego. It is the driver of your greatest desires, fears, and insecurities. It’s all about “me” and “I” and how do I get what I want and what about me. The ego is […]

Think for a moment about the last time that you rested or took a second to check in with yourself. Resting or practicing self-care may be a message that is encouraged frequently, and we may nod our heads in agreement, but do we really practice this? There is something significant in coming back to this […]

Do you consider yourself an honest person? Is there something you are currently hiding? At any given moment, the average person is mentally guarding 13 secrets. A person will tell over 109,000 lies during their lifetime (unless you identify as female, then apparently you are slightly less dishonorable and will only tell 65,000 fabrications). The […]

Have you ever felt like you were sharing with someone, and they were hearing you but not actually listening? Maybe you feel like conversations are an uphill battle that will end in a disagreement or misunderstanding. Most of us can feel like we operate on different wavelengths than others and we can never really get […]

Modern society, particularly a modern society in the midst of a pandemic, can be an enemy for those who struggle with mental illness. Our lifestyles are often a direct reflection of the values held by our culture. And if our culture is image-obsessed, overworked, and driven toward instant gratification, it should come as no surprise […]

Take a moment to visualize or think about what you might say to yourself throughout the day. Are you self-critical or make judgments about yourself? It is often easy to jump to the negative, and many of us have developed unhelpful thinking styles as a result. The cycle of negative self-talk contributes to low self-esteem, […]

Self-Love is defined as regard for one’s own well-being and happiness. It is not selfish, narcissistic, or even ego-driven. It is the product of respecting and honoring yourself. And just like all aspects of positive mental health, it must be practiced on a daily basis if we want to feel its impact on our life. […]