This article first appeared on Happify In an earlier piece, I spoke about three unhealthy dynamics that can play out in intimate relationships. These dynamics are often based on the beliefs we developed in our early years and inhibit our ability to form relationships of trust and genuine connectio...

This article first appeared on Happify Communication is an act of courage, especially when it happens in the form of advice and feedback. Even with the best of intentions, we give ourselves over to an unpredictable outcome—to our words blossoming in the mind of another, or being rejected and met ...

This article first appeared on Forbes Many bright and successful women hate to call attention to their achievements. Although they are often as ambitious as men, they keep their successes to themselves, hoping others will notice their competence and reward them for it. While this may work in an id...

This article first appeared on Forbes As a woman, there are many reasons you may want to think about personal branding. You might be in a workplace where you feel you’re not getting the credit you deserve. You may be returning to the job market after taking a break to be home with the children. Y...

This article first appeared on Happify No one likes to make mistakes. Failures disappoint the most optimistic of us. But some people can let the disappointment turn into shame. As psychologist, author, and Wharton professor Adam Grant has said, we often let "This is awful" turn into "I'm awful." ...

If you’re like most women I know, it’s not often that you remind yourself that you’re enough. In fact, like them, you may be spending the majority of your time focusing on all the ways you’re not competent enough, confident enough, beautiful enough, or just not enough of something that you n...

This article first appeared on Forbes How many times have you decided to change something about some aspect of your life and given up once the initial excitement slowly drifted away? How many times have you wanted to play bigger, pursue your dreams, have those difficult conversations, but done noth...

This article first appeared on Forbes Let’s face it, none of us likes being criticized. Regardless of the reasons or the validity of the criticism, it feels like a blow to our basic desire to be liked, accepted and appreciated. And because we’re biologically programmed to avoid negativity like ...

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This article first appeared on Happify A casual remark from your boss destroys you. Meanwhile, your friend receives negative feedback about her performance and walks away unaffected. As you beat down on yourself, you wonder, "Why oh why, can't I be more like her? ...

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This article first appeared on Happify My big project is due next week. It sits in my planner—in red, bolded letters—haunting me. It’s been there for over a month now. I remind myself every day that I'll get to it tomorrow. The next day, it mocks me like th...

I used to work with the clinical population before I decided to embark on an extensive 3-year Master’s degree in positive psychology and coaching psychology. The biggest change I noticed was in the clientele I now had. My job was less about helping them change their outlook on life by building mo...

  Most of us want to let go of control and perfection. And most of us struggle with it. Why? Because of the biological, societal, and sometimes personal cards we’re dealt. [Tweet "Not a moment that lasts too long, from the noon that transforms into evening to the future that turns into the ...

It's already 6 p.m., and I’m still working on that project I took on for a friend. Dirty dishes line the counter, the groceries are yet to be done, and the kids are fighting downstairs—they must be hungry. But dinner may not be ready for a while. I’m not in the midst of a creative outpouring...

Nearly every household has a family rebel. My youngest daughter was ours. Her favorite words: “I won’t!” I remember how these words used to unravel me as I tried to keep her mittens on while walking her to school before I rushed off to work. Or how I struggled to have her drink from a sippy c...

So many of us struggle with personal boundaries. We feel that to be worthy of other people’s love or appreciation, we must always be helpful, even if that means putting aside our own needs and feelings. And so we end up saying yes when we want to say no. Or we can accept abuse in our relationship...