#mental-blocks

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#mental-health #psychology #personal-growth #relationships #motivation #emotional-intelligence #self-worth
#motivation
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
4 hours ago

Psychology says people who want to change their lives but never start aren't lazy - they're waiting for a feeling of readiness that behavioral science confirms almost never arrives on its own - Silicon Canals

Feeling ready to act is often a byproduct of taking action, not a prerequisite.
Careers
fromPsychology Today
5 days ago

The Surprising Psychology of Being First or Last

Rank affects motivation, with top and bottom performers increasing effort, while mid-ranking individuals often disengage.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
2 days ago

Start Strong But Never Finish? 4 Causes and 4 Solutions

Starting strong and quitting is common due to tedium, poor planning, and discouragement; recognizing patterns and seeking support can help overcome this.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
4 hours ago

Psychology says people who want to change their lives but never start aren't lazy - they're waiting for a feeling of readiness that behavioral science confirms almost never arrives on its own - Silicon Canals

Feeling ready to act is often a byproduct of taking action, not a prerequisite.
Careers
fromPsychology Today
5 days ago

The Surprising Psychology of Being First or Last

Rank affects motivation, with top and bottom performers increasing effort, while mid-ranking individuals often disengage.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
2 days ago

Start Strong But Never Finish? 4 Causes and 4 Solutions

Starting strong and quitting is common due to tedium, poor planning, and discouragement; recognizing patterns and seeking support can help overcome this.
more#motivation
#success
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
11 hours ago

The Hidden Cost of Success

Success can lead to self-abandonment when internal signals are overridden, resulting in a disconnection from oneself despite external achievements.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Psychology says people who grew up poor and became successful often can't fully enjoy it - not because they're ungrateful, but because some part of them never stopped waiting for it to disappear - Silicon Canals

Successful individuals often struggle with feelings of scarcity and anxiety about their financial stability, despite their achievements.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

It took me until 37 to realize that almost all successful people let go of these 7 habits, but average performers keep clinging to them - Silicon Canals

Successful people abandon habits that keep others stuck, focusing instead on effectiveness and prioritizing their time.
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
11 hours ago

The Hidden Cost of Success

Success can lead to self-abandonment when internal signals are overridden, resulting in a disconnection from oneself despite external achievements.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Psychology says people who grew up poor and became successful often can't fully enjoy it - not because they're ungrateful, but because some part of them never stopped waiting for it to disappear - Silicon Canals

Successful individuals often struggle with feelings of scarcity and anxiety about their financial stability, despite their achievements.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

It took me until 37 to realize that almost all successful people let go of these 7 habits, but average performers keep clinging to them - Silicon Canals

Successful people abandon habits that keep others stuck, focusing instead on effectiveness and prioritizing their time.
more#success
#procrastination
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Psychology says adults who struggle with procrastination aren't avoiding the task - they're avoiding the version of themselves who might fail at it - Silicon Canals

Procrastination often stems from a fear of failure rather than laziness or poor time management.
Careers
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

7 Ways to Get Started When You Can't "Just Do It"

Procrastination can stem from a lack of motivation, and self-reflection may help identify personal barriers to achieving goals.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Psychology says adults who struggle with procrastination aren't avoiding the task - they're avoiding the version of themselves who might fail at it - Silicon Canals

Procrastination often stems from a fear of failure rather than laziness or poor time management.
more#procrastination
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
13 hours ago

Is Too Much Information Fueling Your Anxiety?

Anxiety disorders have increased significantly, likely due to technology's impact on information overload and intolerance of uncertainty.
Books
fromPsychology Today
10 hours ago

Coping With the Up-and-Down Arc of a Prolific Writer's Life

Merrill Joan Gerber's latest book reflects her writing journey from the 1960s to the present, showcasing selected stories from her extensive career.
Board games
fromwww.theguardian.com
4 hours ago

We've gone mad for puzzles. This makes sense it's reassuring to have answers in these perplexing times | Joseph de Weck

Puzzle games have surged in popularity, providing mental stimulation and a sense of peace amid the chaos of modern life.
Humor
fromSilicon Canals
3 hours ago

The people who laugh hardest at their own pain aren't resilient. They learned early that if they set the tone for how their suffering was received, nobody else could decide it was worse than they were prepared to admit. The humor isn't processing. It's perimeter control. - Silicon Canals

Humor can mask emotional pain, allowing individuals to control perceptions rather than genuinely cope with distress.
Careers
fromSilicon Canals
20 hours ago

I'm 66 and I spent forty years being extremely good at my job and last spring I realized I had optimized my entire existence for the approval of people I didn't particularly like - Silicon Canals

Professional dedication can sometimes mask a deeper need for approval from others, leading to personal sacrifices and a loss of self-identity.
Productivity
fromFast Company
2 days ago

3 tips from a cognitive scientist on how to beat decision fatigue

Cognitive effectiveness is influenced by circadian cycles and decision fatigue, which can be managed through effort-accuracy tradeoff strategies.
#self-awareness
fromSilicon Canals
8 hours ago
Psychology

Most people who overcame years of laziness didn't find motivation - they found a mirror they couldn't look away from - Silicon Canals

Self-awareness is crucial for real change; many people misperceive their own behaviors and motivations.
Mindfulness
fromTiny Buddha
6 days ago

When Self-Awareness Turns into Overthinking and How to Stop - Tiny Buddha

Self-awareness can shift from growth to self-surveillance, leading to overthinking and frustration instead of healing and clarity.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
8 hours ago

Most people who overcame years of laziness didn't find motivation - they found a mirror they couldn't look away from - Silicon Canals

Self-awareness is crucial for real change; many people misperceive their own behaviors and motivations.
Mindfulness
fromTiny Buddha
6 days ago

When Self-Awareness Turns into Overthinking and How to Stop - Tiny Buddha

Self-awareness can shift from growth to self-surveillance, leading to overthinking and frustration instead of healing and clarity.
more#self-awareness
Mindfulness
fromSilicon Canals
23 hours ago

Psychology says people who constantly research self-improvement but never start aren't lazy - they've confused the feeling of learning with the feeling of changing - Silicon Canals

Learning about self-improvement can create a false sense of progress without actual change in behavior.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Psychology says people who mellow out as they get older aren't the ones who suffered less - they're the ones who decided, at some point and without always knowing they were deciding, that the suffering was going to make them more open rather than less, and that decision, remade daily in small ways that nobody notices, is the entire difference - Silicon Canals

Emotional responses to life's challenges can change over time, leading to greater peace and stability despite ongoing difficulties.
Relationships
fromPsychology Today
16 hours ago

Before You Share Your Body, Ask: Do They Know You?

Physical intimacy often occurs before emotional intimacy, highlighting a paradox in relationships where vulnerability is avoided despite physical closeness.
fromFast Company
3 days ago

What to do after a life-defining mistake

The only thing worse than making a mistake is keeping it bottled up inside. Learning from the mistakes of others could help you embark on the healing journey of sharing and working through a mistake of your own, with someone you trust.
Books
#intelligence
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
4 hours ago

9 signs you have a genuinely sharp mind (even if you never thought of yourself as particularly intelligent) - Silicon Canals

Intelligence often manifests in quiet observation and attention to detail rather than loud proclamations or traditional measures of success.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
9 hours ago

Research suggests that high intelligence doesn't protect against bad decisions - it makes people better at constructing convincing justifications for the bad decisions they were already going to make - Silicon Canals

Higher intelligence can lead to greater polarization rather than alignment on contested facts.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
4 hours ago

9 signs you have a genuinely sharp mind (even if you never thought of yourself as particularly intelligent) - Silicon Canals

Intelligence often manifests in quiet observation and attention to detail rather than loud proclamations or traditional measures of success.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
9 hours ago

Research suggests that high intelligence doesn't protect against bad decisions - it makes people better at constructing convincing justifications for the bad decisions they were already going to make - Silicon Canals

Higher intelligence can lead to greater polarization rather than alignment on contested facts.
more#intelligence
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
14 hours ago

Psychology says people who were told they were gifted as children often grow into adults who avoid challenges - because their identity was built on being naturally good, not on getting better - Silicon Canals

Labeling children as 'gifted' can hinder their growth by tying their self-worth to innate talent rather than effort and improvement.
Relationships
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

The people who are best at hiding unhappiness aren't the stoic ones or the quiet ones - they're the ones who became so skilled at giving everyone around them exactly enough warmth to never be looked at too closely - Silicon Canals

People often hide their struggles behind a facade of warmth, leading to loneliness despite appearing thriving.
Writing
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

The Joys of (Creative) Constraint

Many successful writers experience anxiety, but self-imposed constraints can help alleviate this and enhance creativity.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
16 hours ago

Psychology says the most emotionally strong people aren't the ones who never fall apart - they're the ones who fall apart privately, reassemble without fanfare, and never use their recovery as a reason for anyone else to feel guilty - Silicon Canals

Emotional strength involves acknowledging feelings and recovering privately, not denying vulnerability or pretending to be unbreakable.
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

7 Lessons for When Your Attempts to Control Outcomes Fail

Many situations contain irreducible uncertainty. No matter how many variables we try to control, we can't reduce uncertainty to zero. It's inherent in the messiness of life.
Productivity
Relationships
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

I'm 34 and have always struggled to maintain close friendships - and the most uncomfortable thing I have ever admitted to myself is that I have been the one who made them hard to maintain, not through cruelty or carelessness but through a consistent and barely conscious tendency to keep just enough distance that nobody could ever get close enough to disappoint me - Silicon Canals

Sabotaging friendships by maintaining surface-level connections prevents deeper relationships and emotional intimacy.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Some people don't fear failure. They fear succeeding and then being expected to sustain it, because the version of them that achieved it was running on adrenaline and desperation, and the person who shows up on Monday is someone quieter who doesn't know how to replicate what the emergency produced. - Silicon Canals

The fear of success stems from the pressure to replicate high performance, not from a desire to avoid good outcomes.
Mindfulness
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Psychology says the most important life lesson isn't learning to make better decisions - it's learning to live peacefully with the ones you can't undo - Silicon Canals

Irreversible choices shape our lives and learning to coexist with them is crucial for mental well-being.
#self-worth
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
11 hours ago

Why Confidence Doesn't Always Reflect True Self-Worth

Authentic self-worth is grounded in presence and self-acceptance, contrasting with fragile self-worth tied to external perceptions.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
18 hours ago

Nobody teaches children how to know their own worth - we teach them to perform, to achieve, and to behave, and then wonder why so many adults reach fifty still measuring themselves against someone else's ruler - Silicon Canals

Self-worth is inherent and not based on achievements or external validation.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
11 hours ago

Why Confidence Doesn't Always Reflect True Self-Worth

Authentic self-worth is grounded in presence and self-acceptance, contrasting with fragile self-worth tied to external perceptions.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
18 hours ago

Nobody teaches children how to know their own worth - we teach them to perform, to achieve, and to behave, and then wonder why so many adults reach fifty still measuring themselves against someone else's ruler - Silicon Canals

Self-worth is inherent and not based on achievements or external validation.
more#self-worth
fromApaonline
1 week ago

How to Walk Away

Breakups can make you depressed and even damage your heart and immune system. Being the one who says 'it's over' can be torturous, especially if you're hurting someone you still care deeply about.
Philosophy
#emotional-intelligence
Mindfulness
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Psychology suggests people who stay calm during conflict aren't less emotional - they learned early that the person who controls the temperature of the room controls the outcome, and they stopped reacting and started choosing - Silicon Canals

Controlling emotional responses during conflict can significantly influence the outcome of the situation.
Mindfulness
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Psychology suggests people who stay calm during conflict aren't less emotional - they learned early that the person who controls the temperature of the room controls the outcome, and they stopped reacting and started choosing - Silicon Canals

Controlling emotional responses during conflict can significantly influence the outcome of the situation.
more#emotional-intelligence
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
1 day ago

When the Body Heals: Recovery From Relational Stress

Emotional stressors can lead to chronic stress, affecting immunity and increasing autoimmune disease risk, but healing can occur after relational stress ends.
#emotional-regulation
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

People who grew up being told they were too sensitive didn't become less sensitive. They became editors. Every reaction now passes through a filter that decides whether the feeling is proportionate enough to be allowed out, and that filtering process is so automatic they genuinely believe they're calm when they're actually curating. - Silicon Canals

Sensitive children often suppress their emotions, leading to automated behaviors that mask true feelings.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

People who grew up being told they were too sensitive didn't become less sensitive. They became editors. Every reaction now passes through a filter that decides whether the feeling is proportionate enough to be allowed out, and that filtering process is so automatic they genuinely believe they're calm when they're actually curating. - Silicon Canals

Sensitive children often suppress their emotions, leading to automated behaviors that mask true feelings.
more#emotional-regulation
#mental-health
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago
Mental health

What Does Mental Well-Being Look Like?

Mental health should be viewed positively, focusing on well-being rather than just the absence of illness.
more#mental-health
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

Mental Time Travel Is Our Ticket for a Healthier Society

Short-term thinking can lead to regrets; mental time travel enhances decision-making and benefits organizations through Future Design.
Productivity
fromPsychology Today
2 weeks ago

1 Productivity Hack That Could Be Making You Anxious

Modern productivity culture's optimization habits paradoxically increase anxiety and mental fatigue rather than enhance effectiveness, despite widespread adoption of tracking tools and metrics.
Psychology
fromMail Online
19 hours ago

You really SHOULD laugh at your mistakes, study reveals embarrassed

Laughing at minor mistakes makes individuals appear more likeable and socially confident, while excessive embarrassment can be viewed negatively.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

There's a specific kind of tiredness that has nothing to do with sleep. It comes from years of translating yourself into a version that other people could handle, and the exhaustion lives in the gap between who you are and who you've been performing so consistently that even you forgot there was a difference. - Silicon Canals

Workplace burnout often stems from the exhaustion of pretending to be someone you're not, rather than from overwork itself.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

People who clean before the cleaner arrives, apologize when someone bumps into them, and pre-explain before anyone has asked for a justification all grew up in homes where taking up space without earning it first was treated as an act of aggression. - Silicon Canals

Cleaning before the cleaner reflects a deeper issue of feeling unworthy of help without prior justification.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

When Parts Begin to Merge: Inside Integration

Integration is a complex, lived experience involving reorganization of the self, requiring safety and support systems for healing from complex trauma.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
22 hours ago

Some people don't cancel plans because they're flaky. They committed when one version of their energy was available and the person who wakes up that morning is operating on a completely different reserves system. The commitment was real. The capacity isn't. - Silicon Canals

Cancelled plans reveal a flawed assumption about self-consistency and commitment, suggesting a need for a new understanding of social expectations.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
7 hours ago

Psychology says the most emotionally draining people in your life aren't the ones who ask for help constantly - they're the ones who treat every conversation like an emotional deposit they're making so they can withdraw twice as much the next time, and the transaction is so subtle most people don't realize they're being drained until they're completely empty - Silicon Canals

Certain people drain emotional energy by exploiting reciprocity without offering genuine support in return.
Mindfulness
fromSilicon Canals
6 days ago

The difference between people who actually change their lives and people who just talk about it almost always comes down to what they do in the first 90 seconds after waking up - Silicon Canals

The first 90 seconds after waking significantly influence the rest of the day, often leading to reactive behavior if not managed properly.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Psychology says people who feel like they've been living someone else's life aren't confused or ungrateful - they're often the ones who were so good at adapting in childhood that they never stopped adapting long enough to find out who they actually were - Silicon Canals

Adapting to others' needs in childhood can lead to feeling disconnected and lost in adulthood.
Mindfulness
fromMindful
6 days ago

Feeling Like a Fraud in Your Own Mindfulness Practice

Surrounding oneself with experienced meditation practitioners can raise personal expectations and feelings of inadequacy during difficult times.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Psychology says the reason older people stop caring isn't emotional withdrawal - it's that they've finally learned to distinguish between what actually matters and what they were only caring about out of social obligation - Silicon Canals

Older individuals prioritize emotional connections over superficial relationships as they age, focusing on what truly matters in their lives.
#overthinking
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
6 days ago

Overthinkers often don't realize it but psychology says the way they experience happiness is fundamentally different from most people - they can't feel joy without immediately calculating how and when they'll lose it - Silicon Canals

Chronic overthinkers experience positive emotions differently, often dampening their intensity and duration instead of savoring them.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
6 days ago

Overthinkers often don't realize it but psychology says the way they experience happiness is fundamentally different from most people - they can't feel joy without immediately calculating how and when they'll lose it - Silicon Canals

Chronic overthinkers experience positive emotions differently, often dampening their intensity and duration instead of savoring them.
more#overthinking
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

Outsmarting Depression: A 6-Step Roadmap to Personal Renewal

Depressive symptoms, often dismissed as everyday blues, can escalate quickly and disrupt life, highlighting the importance of recognizing and addressing mental health issues.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Psychology says people who slowly become unpleasant to be around as they get older didn't develop new flaws - they lost the motivation to manage the old ones, and the management, it turns out, was doing considerably more work than anyone around them understood while it was still running - Silicon Canals

People don't become worse with age; they simply stop managing their flaws as their energy to do so diminishes.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
5 days ago

Caring for the Part of You That Wants to Die

Suicide ideation affects 15.6% of U.S. adults, with significant risk factors including mental disorders, trauma, and social circumstances.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Psychology says people who reply to messages within seconds aren't just efficient - they've built their sense of safety around being reachable, because somewhere in their past, being slow to respond had consequences - Silicon Canals

Instant responses to messages often stem from a psychological need to mitigate perceived threats rather than mere efficiency.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Not everyone who avoids asking for help is proud. Some of them asked once, received it with a lecture attached, and learned that the cost of support was a small erosion of standing they could never quite earn back. - Silicon Canals

Asking for help can lead to unintended consequences that affect relationships and self-perception.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Psychology suggests people who adopt their parents' bad traits as they get older aren't becoming their parents - they're reverting to the most deeply installed operating system they have, the one that was running before they were old enough to choose a different one, and stress, age, and the slow erosion of self-monitoring are simply the conditions under which it boots back up - Silicon Canals

Behavioral patterns from childhood can resurface under stress, revealing deep-rooted psychological templates formed from early experiences.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Psychology says people who apologize constantly without realizing it are more damaged than they appear - because they internalize blame and absorb conflict, a survival response from childhood, which never switches off even when they're safe - Silicon Canals

Excessive apologizing often stems from childhood experiences of mistreatment and can lead to chronic self-blame in adulthood.
Psychology
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 days ago

Stop the brain rot! 12 ways to stay sharp in a mind-frazzling world

Brain rot, characterized by cognitive decline from easy information, is rising due to social media and shortform videos, leading to exhaustion.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
2 days ago

How to Help Someone Have an Empathy Makeover

Empathy can be developed through structured reflection and practice, enhancing mental health and relationship dynamics.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Self-taught people often don't realize it, but psychology says the way they solve problems is fundamentally different from most people - Silicon Canals

Self-taught individuals develop unique cognitive patterns that enhance problem-solving through exploration and unfocused thinking.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
4 days ago

How to Stop Taking Things Personally When You Have ADHD

ADHD can intensify the tendency to take things personally due to emotional processing and past experiences.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
4 days ago

Perfectionism May Be the Root of Poor Communication

Perfectionists struggle with loneliness due to self-absorption and fear of revealing their needs, often blaming others for communication failures.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
4 days ago

I'm 34 and I just realized I've been performing competence at work for seven years because somewhere along the way I confused being impressive with being safe, and the exhaustion I thought was burnout was actually the weight of never once letting anyone see me learn something for the first time. - Silicon Canals

Performing competence can lead to self-erasure and social rewards, masking genuine capability with a polished exterior.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
4 days ago

The Negativity Bias Impacts Everything in Our Lives

Humans are evolutionarily predisposed to focus on negativity for survival, but this can lead to harmful cognitive patterns.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
6 days ago

I used to be unhappy and I blamed everything around me - until I realized I'd built an entire life around avoiding the one conversation I needed to have with myself - Silicon Canals

Unhappiness often stems from avoiding self-reflection and attributing life issues to external factors rather than personal choices.
fromFast Company
1 month ago

Self-discipline can be your worst enemy

Looking back, I think the incident happened because I was at an internal breaking point between who I had been and who I was becoming. It was Blair's first indication that the self-discipline she imposed on herself-insisting that she could do everything perfectly on her own-wasn't healthy. In addition to the significant stress of her high-pressure job, she was also still carrying the grief of losing her partner five years earlier.
Mental health
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
5 days ago

Why We Don't Change-Even When We Know What's Wrong

Insight alone is insufficient for change; real experiences are necessary to challenge ingrained beliefs and expectations.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
5 days ago

Psychology suggests if you still write things down on paper instead of your phone you aren't resisting progress - you've found something that works and are practicing the increasingly rare skill of not replacing it simply because something newer arrived, and that skill, applied consistently, turns out to predict a surprising number of other things about how you make decisions - Silicon Canals

Handwriting enhances cognitive engagement and memory retention compared to typing, leading to better decision-making and creativity.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

Why Creative People Struggle to Commit to One Path

Multipotentiality reflects cognitive flexibility and creativity, challenging the notion that pursuing multiple interests indicates a lack of focus.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

What to Do When You Hit Life's Low Point

External crises trigger deep self-reflection, especially during midlife, leading to questions about fulfillment and the meaning of life.
Psychology
fromFast Company
1 week ago

Are you falling into the comfort trap

Psychological safety is crucial for high-performing teams, enabling risk-taking and vulnerability without fear of punishment.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

Why We Assume the Worst, and How to Stop

Assumptions distort reality and can harm connections, but CBT helps challenge these thought errors through curiosity and fact-checking.
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

Finding Your Zone

The Yerkes-Dodson Law, first described in 1908, suggests that our performance improves with physiological or mental arousal-but only up to a point. Picture a bell curve: Too little arousal ( boredom, fatigue), and we underperform. Too much arousal ( anxiety, panic), and performance drops. Somewhere in the middle is our "zone of optimal arousal," where we're alert, focused, and effective (Yerkes & Dodson, 1908).
Mental health
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