By Claire Golden It’s no secret to anybody who knows me, even in passing, that I don’t like change. Whether it’s something big like moving, or something small like not having Thai food for dinner as planned, change feels disruptive and sudden to me. This is exacerbated by severe anxiety, which is notoriously triggered by disruptions to routine. However, change is unavoidable, and it isn’t … Continue reading The Rule of Three
By Claire Golden Like many college students and recent graduates, I live in a small space. This means that even a small mess can quickly become overwhelming because it takes up most of my living quarters. I am naturally a messy person, much to the chagrin of everyone who has lived with me. (Shoutout to my younger sister for putting up with the Yarn Blob … Continue reading Clean Room, Calm Mind
By Claire Golden Admittedly, this title is an exaggeration, because I know of no way to banish anxiety completely. However, in my last post about anxiety disorders I promised to share one of my favorite techniques for coping with anxiety. So here it is! Since anxiety tends to focus on either fretting over the past or worrying about the future, one of the best ways … Continue reading The Banish-Anxiety Box
By Claire Golden It’s normal to be nervous from time to time, and some anxiety can be helpful. For instance, if you’re nervous about giving a speech, those feelings can encourage you to prepare and practice. But there’s a difference between being anxious sometimes and having an anxiety disorder. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), about 19% of adults in the United … Continue reading When You Just Can’t Stop Worrying
By Claire Golden Content warning for discussion of mental illness and skin-picking. Did you bite your fingernails as a kid? Maybe you still bite them now, or maybe you grew out of it. For most people, it’s just a bad habit that they can stop with enough concentration that doesn’t affect their life in a significant way. But for a small percentage of the population, … Continue reading More Than A Habit
