Catastrophizing about your days might ruin your life — Have you got a friend who likes to imagine worst-case scenarios? Or perhaps the person who looks on the bleak side of life is you. A pal once said she imagines what might go wrong so she can plan what to do if an emergency arises. Another told me he…

Maybe their lifestyles match their needs — It’s easy to judge other people’s way of life inadvertently. We see our hopes, values, and problems reflected in what we imagine they experience and whatever we see them do. We’re likely to assume they share our ethos, even though, if we gave the matter much thought, we’d realize everybody…

Suggestions from a mega-productive content writer who writes for a living (and for fun) — Many blog and content writers want to be more productive. Nonetheless, if productivity hacks aren’t for you, and you prefer to wait for your muse to whisper in your ear when she’s good and ready, that’s fine. This article is for those writers who, although they love writing, sometimes experience…

To boost your bonhomie and ditch narrow thinking, you can adopt listening with an open mind — Most of us consider ourselves wise and more fruitful when receptive rather than closed off from ideas and interests that differ from ours. We can grab opportunities and relate to people when we accept them as ourselves. But do we listen in an open-minded way? If you want to boost…

We need to get comfortable with the discomfort of screwing up — “You’ll never get the opportunity to do your best work if you’re not willing to first do your worst and then let yourself learn and grow.” Lori Deschene Is it just me? Or do you prefer people to see you in your best light rather than notice you sometimes struggle…

Keep your hair on and stop doing everything at once — Some days are just too out of control, aren’t they? It always happens when you’re already pushed for time; unexpected visitors arrive, a pal has a meltdown and needs support, the oven stops working, and people are coming for dinner. Or just when you think you’ve finished work at the…

They won’t hang around if you stop entertaining them — We all share at least one thing in common; we have many habits that don’t serve us. But we hear so much about changing them in the media and in popular psychology and wellness books that the subject feels boring. If anything, too many change-your-habit stories can put you off…