In the previous two posts in the Social Anxiety in the Classroom series, we discussed the differences between shyness, introversion, social anxiety, and social anxiety disorder, and I shared my personal journey with the aforementioned. Today we’ll explore some of the exercises I’ve found helpful to start reducing the negative impact of social anxiety. I’ll…
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Social Anxiety and Perfectionism from Early Childhood to University (Social Anxiety in the Classroom: Part 2)
This is the second part of a three part series on social anxiety in the classroom. On Monday (the first part), we discussed the differences between shyness, introversion, social anxiety, and social anxiety disorder (SAD). Now that we are clearer on the terminology, I want to share my personal trajectory from early childhood to university.…
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Shyness, Introversion, Social Anxiety, Social Anxiety Disorder: Which One? (Social Anxiety in the Classroom: Part 1)
Well then, class, who has the answer to this question? Hmm… no hands? …How about… you? What do you think? If you read this quote and your mind immediately recoiled, know that you are not alone. In this three-part series, we will explore: The differences between shyness, introversion, social anxiety, and social anxiety disorder &…
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Guest Post: 5 Simple Steps to Overcome Stress – Kay from Rose-Minded
Today we have a guest post written by Kay from Rose-Minded! Not only can stress ruin your day, it can ruin your life; chronic stress has been proven to be deadly. According to Occupational Health and Safety and the National Council, about 90% of primary care visits are stress-related. The six leading causes of death…
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Big List of Self-Care Date Activities For Those ‘Off’ Days
Alright, Nico. Why are you sitting around in bed? How useless. You’re wasting your time. Again. Why can’t you control your own thoughts and emotions? You know, rationally, that nothing will come of moping around all day. And yet. And yet. These are words I spoke to myself just the other day. I was having…
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6 Girl Boss YouTube Playlists for Mental Health & Wellness
I’ve been hooked on self-help and lifestyle videos recently. It started when I was in a depressive episode a few weeks ago and tried to climb out of it using what seemed to be the only distraction I could use – YouTube. The autoplay function served me well, because I turned on one video on…
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Plan for self-care during midterm/finals season
Dealing with depression and anxiety as an overachieving perfectionist at university is pretty damn horrible. All three elements are interlinked. If one starts rearing its head, the others will very likely join. It is a frustrating experience that I know many of us perfectionists struggling with depression and anxiety share. Even if you are not…
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Take the time to self-validate – a letter to students
You read this all the time on my blog: BKTY (be kind to yourself). The idea seems fantastic – being able to self-validate, being able to calm yourself down when things get rough, and being able to love yourself with your flaws instead of despite them. But if you ever get cynical (like I do),…
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4 Steps to Process Negative Emotions
For the majority of my life, I’ve been a heavy self-criticizer. I’m sure many people out there are the same way. When I would feel negative emotions, I would direct them toward myself and berate myself endlessly. It never made sense to me – why would I ever be worthy enough to feel any of…
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Challenging cognitive distortions – a guide for students
Two weeks ago, we explored 11 cognitive distortions that are commonly seen in students. The aim there was to learn to recognize and identify them when they arise in our everyday lives. Today, I’d like to help you to redirect these cognitively distorted thoughts toward healthier alternative thoughts. I want to reiterate that everything here…
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- Anxiety
- Anxiety Disorders
- Bullet Journalling
- Depression
- Mental Health
- Mental Illness
- Therapeutic Art
5 Bullet Journal Spreads for Mental Health (+ beginner’s guide)
I started a bullet journal in early-March 2017. At the time, I was a wreck. I had been trying to orient myself in a swirling mess of thoughts, emotions, and tasks. Following my hospital discharge, I was researching positive habits and ways to confront my perfectionism. Grand dreams were brewing about how I should lead…