This is the second week where I start to write an article, I do research and then I stop halfway. I didn’t want to do like last week and not post. These personal posts are at the same time easier and harder to post. Easier because there is no research involved, harder because they are much more personal. But I’m starting to have the same symptoms I had last year before my burnout and I’m […]
Tag Archives: Stress
Art journaling
Art journaling is a way to visually express thoughts and emotions. It can be through abstract shapes, lines, colours and words. The good thing about this is that anyone can do it even the less artistically minded person. Benefits: Like regular journaling, this type of journaling can have the following benefits: It is a good activity that has multiple benefits and linked to the topic that I covered last week. Children and adults both get […]
How to use a colouring book mindfully?
Now as I mentioned last week (see here), to get the benefits of colouring it is important to understand the difference between mindlessness and mindfulness. When someone is mindless, they are using a form of escape. To escape what? Often it can be as simple as escaping boredom or as complex as escaping our thoughts, feelings or even behaviours. Using mindless activities to procrastinate for example. When someone is mindful, they are rooted in the […]
What is colouring for adults?
I’ve recently been watching a fantastic artist on YouTube. She does a lot of colouring in colouring books but her final results are amazing. It made me think of a fad a few years ago (that is probably still going on… though because I no longer work at an art supply store I can’t really say anymore) about adult colouring books. Are they relaxing or are they stressful? Is there benefit to doing this regularly? […]
Perfectionism: Tips and Tricks
There is a principle that helps to understand the cause and effect between two related things. This is called the Pareto principle and it states that 80% of the results of an action can be attributed to 20% of the cause. It is most likely where we get the phrase “work smarter, not harder”. Unfortunately, for the perfectionist that always tries to get 100% and do 100%, rather than coming to understand that maybe 80% […]
How to tell if perfectionism is a problem?
Last week, I mentioned a lot of negative aspects when perfectionism is problematic (see here if you missed it and here for the difficulty with the definition). But how can you tell if what you are doing is problematic or not? Given the multiple negative impacts, why then is perfectionism often viewed as a strength? Or how many of us use it as a strength disguised as a fault in interviews? As mentioned in my […]
What are the negative effects of perfectionism pushed too far?
To understand the answer to this question it is important to know that there are different types of perfectionism. Can someone have more than one type? Unfortunately, yes. And as with most cases since it has links to personality and some mental health issues, it may be difficult to change these types of behaviours. It is definitely important to try, if any of the following issues or problems are negatively impacting your life or the […]
What is procrastination?
Procrastination comes up in a lot of different fields and a lot of different activities. It can even be mistaken for laziness in some cases. So, what exactly is it? Why do we do it? And how not to do it? Is it laziness? Over the next few weeks, I will try to find answers to these questions. I tend to procrastinate a lot in certain situations. I wonder why when I say I love […]
How to overcome overthinking? – Part 4
The last few weeks I gave an overview of what is overthinking (see here), why it isn’t helpful (see here) and what usually causes it (see here). It’s important to understand a problem and what triggers it in order to best find a solution. It’s also important not to fall into the trap of overthinking about overthinking, however. In this article I will show a few strategies. Try at least one, or more, if you […]
What causes Overthinking? – Part 3
This can be a very frustrating situation because you wonder: “Why do I do this to myself?” But it is important to keep a few things in mind about this process: Last week I also gave reasons why this thought process had a negative impact on us and why it is a habit we should break (See here if you missed it). Understanding the reason why we develop this habit can help in directing our […]