Making friends is tough if you’re not naturally extroverted, or if your brain freezes up when you try to hold a conversation. As an introvert myself, I struggled for a long time. But becoming a therapist has helped me put the strategies that helped me into words, and I bet they could help you, too.
Last week, we explored the most common causes of “art block,” which prevents many artists from expressing themselves and bringing their visions to life. This issue can exacerbate stress, anxiety, self-esteem issues or depression, so figuring out how to cure art block may improve your mental and emotional health. Let’s dive in with a solution for each of art block’s most common causes.
If you’re an artist, or even just like doodling sometimes, you’ve probably encountered “art block.” It’s like writer’s block, but for artists, and can be just as frustrating. It’s especially tough because for many of us, art is how we express our feelings, build confidence, and cope with stress. But there’s good news: we can figure out what causes art block by locating the steps in the process where people get stuck.
A great roommate can be the best friend you ever had. A bad one can make life miserable. But most roommates will fall somewhere in the middle: regular people that sometimes you’ll have issues with. So how do you keep the molehills from becoming mountains?
If you’re in high school, you’ve probably heard stories about how difficult it can be to adjust to college life. If you’re in college or graduate school, you already know! Standard advice like “get eight hours of sleep every night” and “eat healthy” may be easier said than done when you’re moving to a new town or living in a dorm. So, set yourself up for success with some self-care tips for students, based on what’s helped my clients the most in their college years.
Most people struggle with jealousy sometimes. Sometimes, you want what other people have; other times, it’s because you’re afraid of losing someone. But most people don’t feel good about saying that outright, so it often manifests as passive-aggressive jealousy. And if someone else does it to you, it could leave you feeling stressed, guilty and confused.
You probably know people with low self-esteem. It can be frustrating and sad to see someone you care about struggle in how they see themselves, and you might wish you could fix their self-esteem for them. But you can be a voice of support that helps them keep going.
Improve your mental health by practicing these simple self-care habits.
Happiness isn’t just an emotion. Happiness is a skill – a set of skills – that you can put into practice to create a fulfilling life.