Take a look at this diagram from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s great book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience: Flow is a state where you’re “in the zone,” performing well at a task you care about. One of the requirements for getting into flow, as shown above, is that your skill level must match the challenge. If it’s too easy, you’ll be bored; if it’s too difficult, you’ll feel anxious.1 But this… Read More »The Three Kinds of Anxiety
Last weekend, we watched Luca, one of the latest Pixar films. The main character, Luca, befriends another boy named Alberto, who inspires Luca to become more adventurous. Luca, however, is an anxious child, full of fear and self-doubt. Luckily, Alberto has a trick to overcome these issues, which he teaches to Luca (click here to watch a brief clip of the scene): Alberto: “Hey, hey, hey. I know your problem.… Read More »Silenzio Bruno!
You’re stuck in traffic. You dropped a glass on the floor and it shattered. You hurt your back moving a piece of furniture. It’s pouring rain and you forgot to bring a jacket. You have to clean the bathrooms, dust, and vacuum before company comes over. There’s a long line to check out at the grocery store, and the clerk is moving really slowly because they’re chatting with a customer.… Read More »5 Ways You Can Practice Acceptance
Therapy is great. Cognitive therapy is a powerful intervention that has helped millions of people overcome depression, anxiety, and other psychological challenges. There are many types of cognitive therapy, but most focus on helping “people learn how to identify and change destructive or disturbing thought patterns that have a negative influence on behavior and emotions.” Therapists show clients how their “automatic negative thoughts … contribute to and worsen emotional difficulties,… Read More »Therapy Isn’t Enough