2023 · 07. September 2023
You might want to change your life, but nevertheless keep doing things that make you unhappy. Why? My latest Southern Star column explores this all-too-common problem.
2023 · 27. July 2023
Here’s an underrated mental health tip – try to give people the benefit of the doubt. The opposite approach isn’t a good idea, as I hope will become clear in a short personal anecdote.
2023 · 13. July 2023
Do you think most people have richer social lives than you? Do you sometimes feel bad about yourself when you think about other people’s social lives? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, you’ve got company – research shows most people think others have a better social life then they do themselves.
2023 · 29. June 2023
Does the word self-compassion make you cringe? To many, it sounds a bit icky, touchy-feely, self-indulgent. However, it’s none of these things. In fact, many people find practising self-compassion to be very hard work. My latest column explains why it's important to make the effort and to treat yourself as you would treat a friend.
2023 · 15. June 2023
My last column looked at the power of anticipation, and how looking forward to positive events is a free source of happiness. However, what if you rarely allow yourself to look forward and get excited? Not only that, what if you are more familiar with negative anticipation, and frequently spend days dreading an upcoming event? My latest column looks at why anticipatory anxiety is a bad strategy and why it's like you are "bleeding before you are cut".
2023 · 01. June 2023
Research has found people experience a bigger boost in happiness when anticipating a trip than actually taking the trip. My latest column looks at the power of anticipation – free happiness, as it's been called – and how you can use it to improve well-being and mental health.
2023 · 18. May 2023
Admitting you’re wrong isn’t easy. It can be especially difficult if we have acted in a way that has hurt ourselves or others. As a result, we often rationalise obvious mistakes and try to justify the unjustifiable. My latest column suggests a different approach: hold your beliefs lightly and embrace the inevitability of wrongness.
2023 · 21. April 2023
We’ve all heard the line about trying to look at the glass as half-full rather than half-empty, but I came across a different variant on it recently – one that may make you more open to the idea of making a change in your life.
2023 · 06. April 2023
Why do some people seem to enjoy hurting others? It's a complicated question, but my latest column looks at one simple factor that is often overlooked – boredom.
2023 · 23. March 2023
My last column explored the issue of anger – the different ways anger is manifested, the various factors that drive it, and the negative consequences associated with anger problems. This week, let’s look at specific steps on how to better manage your anger.