Creative people are often seen as a rarity: smart, curious, and able to look at the world with fresh eyes. A common misconception is that creativity cannot be cultivated, and that instead some lucky people have an innate sense of creativity. But this assumption is wrong. According to classical psychology research, there are three main … Read More
Have you ever tried to fix a problem, only to make things worse? That’s called the Cobra Effect—when an attempted solution results in unintended consequences. Because most of our cause-to-effect experiences involve very simple, direct relationships, we tend to think in terms of linear chain of events. But the world is much more complex than … Read More
Let’s say you want to become a published author. You have this clear objective you want to achieve, and decide on a game plan to get there. You read about the stories of other authors, you make a list of publishers to reach out to, you think about ways you could get an agent. You … Read More
We often assume that the reason why we struggle to achieve our goals is a lack of knowledge. So we buy self-help books and online courses, hoping that it will get us closer to our objective. But what we often don’t do is practice and focus on the process. As a result, we accumulate a … Read More
A few weeks ago, I took a training to become a certified Mental Health First Aider. It’s an amazing evidence-based training which has been designed in partnership with the NHS and is accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health. Here is the link if you’d like to take it in England, but they offer … Read More
Love, money, family, work. So many big goals, which can at times feel overwhelming. And yet we keep saying: “It’s the small things that matter.” A nice cup of tea, getting hugged by a friend, petting a dog. When it comes to happiness, it may just be the case that enjoying the little things and … Read More
When going through tough times, our automatic reaction is to complain and dwell on negative events, which can result in even more anxiety and unhappiness. The word gratitude comes from Latin gratus, which means ”pleasing” or “thankful” depending on the context. Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for the people, experiences, and things we have. While … Read More
Whether struggling to meet a tight deadline or dealing with difficult colleagues, there are many reasons why you may feel anxious at work. Considering that most of us spend the majority of our days working—whether remotely or in an office—being able to deal with anxiety at work is crucial to managing your mental health. While … Read More
It’s no secret that I love writing. I write everyday for this blog as well as other publications, and have an on-and-off journal I use when I feel anxious and need to put my thoughts on paper. Many people don’t realise how much time they spend writing every day: we send emails, we write to … Read More
It’s easy to get carried away when making a decision. We look at the current situation and extrapolate what we consider to be the most likely future outcome. What we often fail to consider, though, are the complex ramifications of the decisions we make. For example, you’re feeling hungry. The fast and easy decision would … Read More