We all know that life’s routines can become, well, routine. Events and interests that once seemed exciting can, with time, lose some of their sparkle. This gradual fading of pleasure is due to something called hedonic adaptation: our tendency to get used to the good things in life until they seem less remarkable. My latest Southern Star column explores how adding a dash of novelty to familiar experiences can bring back some of the joy we initially felt.
06. February 2025
In my last column, I explored why some people seek criticism to confirm their negative self-views. In this follow-up piece, let’s shift gears and look at how to break free from this cycle and embrace a healthier way of relating to yourself and others.
"I probably messed up, didn’t I?", "You probably think I’m a bad friend, don’t you?", “It’s okay if you think I’m not smart enough, I know I’m not” – my latest column asks: why do some people routinely invite criticism?
Are you thinking about making mental health a top priority in 2025? Here are some pointers to consider.
Could you miss a gorilla in a room full of people? It sounds impossible, but it happens more often than you might think, as documented in a famous psychological experiment. My latest column explores the gorilla experiment, and how we can be blind to the obvious when our attention is elsewhere.
We all know what it's like to walk into a room, fumble a word in a meeting, or trip in front of a crowd – and feel like all eyes are on us. But are they? My latest column explores the so-called spotlight effect, and how we are more likely to assume others are judging us when we're feeling anxious.
In this Southern Star column, I caution against the dangers of learning the wrong lessons in life.
Our brains filter the world through our own unique set of experiences and beliefs. My latest Southern Star column explores how what might seem trivial to one person may feel monumental to another, depending on how they’ve been conditioned to view the world.
Selective attention towards threats means that anxious people tend to be vigilant. Often scanning for danger, anxious people are very alert to the possibility of something going wrong, even in seemingly non-threatening situations. My latest column explores how to break free from this vicious cycle of vigilance and fear.
If you’re anxious, you will see the world very differently to someone who isn’t anxious. My latest column explores how the anxious brain processes and interprets information.