Stuck

Why we can't (or won't) move on from bad jobs, bad relationships, and bad habits, and how we can all move ahead.
Anneli Rufus
Anneli Rufus

Depression Is a Thief

Depression steals our interest in those things that used to thrill us, but — at first, at least — we don't know we've been robbed. Victims of burglaries and stickups know, but we don't. When and how will we demand our stuff back?

Disaster Shapes Chile's "National Psychology"

Living in a land beset by frequent natural disasters creates a sense of solidarity.
Anneli Rufus

Why Changing My Name Was & Wasn't the Worst Thing I Ever Did

I changed my name, regretted it for decades, then did something about it.
Anneli Rufus

Self-Help Tips for Empaths: A Cartoon

A few simple tips for empaths seeking to safely navigate this crowded world.
Kristan Lawson, used with permission

Where Is Your True Home?

Does living in a place that doesn't feel like home trigger trauma and anxiety? How can we find our authentic "homes away from home"?
Anneli Rufus

Suicidal Friends & Relatives: a Cartoon Story

A cartoon story about suicidal friends and relatives.
Kristan Lawson, used with permission

Coachella, King Kong,Tom Hardy's Bare Private Parts & PTSD

He's photographed Brad Pitt, Naomi Watts and other superstars, but his early work as a war-zone photojournalist left Greg Williams with PTSD.
Stay Here Where Life Can't Kill You

Stay Here Where Life Can't Kill You

Revisiting a place beloved in childhood then nearly forgotten, I start to believe that I left some unseen part of myself there that has been awaiting my return.
Why Am I Reading About Angelina Jolie's Alleged Anorexia?

Why Am I Reading About Angelina Jolie's Alleged Anorexia?

Technology allows us instantaneous access to countless topics and activities. Yet in this "mirror, mirror on the wall" era, we use it instead to focus ever more intensely on ourselves.
Cruisology 101

Cruisology 101

Cruises aren't for everyone—casinos, buffets, limitless cocktails, and constant social contact are dealbreakers for some—but making passengers feel special and safe has built a booming, $37 billion industry. A week onboard restored this introvert's faith in traveling.
Selena Gomez's Ostensible Self Esteem Tattoo

Selena Gomez's Ostensible Self Esteem Tattoo

Having an affirmation inked upon your back in a foreign language raises many questions, such as: Why put it in a place you can see only in mirrors and photographs? For whom is this message really meant?
Today's News: Swimsuit-Clad Women Underperform in Math Tests

Today's News: Swimsuit-Clad Women Underperform in Math Tests

Why are news stories based on scientific studies so trendy? Because reading them makes us imagine ourselves on speaking terms with the brilliant scholars who developed this data. This raises our self-esteem.
What's Behind Beyoncé's #WhatIsPretty Project?

What's Behind Beyoncé's #WhatIsPretty Project?

We who have low self-esteem find it hard to talk about low self-esteem because low self-esteem makes us want first and foremost to shut ourselves up.
Rihanna Sought Counseling for Low Self-Esteem

Rihanna Sought Counseling for Low Self-Esteem

It's hard to believe that a multimillionaire superstar with many homes and over 35 million Twitter followers would seek self-esteem counseling, as was reported this week. Then again, it's not hard to believe that a domestic-violence survivor, which Rihanna also is, would seek such counseling.
Mothers, Don't Let Your Children See You Hating Yourself

Mothers, Don't Let Your Children See You Hating Yourself

Low self-esteem is a life-sucker. But think of it as a form of brainwashing, a bad habit that can be unlearned.
Can Places Possess Healing Powers?

Can Places Possess Healing Powers?

Certain locations allegedly possess inherent healing powers. Are such powers authentic or a mere matter of projection? And if such places make us feel better anyway, who cares?
Self-Esteem Stories Are Oh So Obvious

Self-Esteem Stories Are Oh So Obvious

Discussing self-esteem authentically requires delving under the obvious assumptions.
The Lost Last Parent

The Lost Last Parent

We're never quite ready to have no parents at all.
Do These Brownies Make Me Look More Compassionate?

Do These Brownies Make Me Look More Compassionate?

More and more food and drink companies actively support charities. By buying these brands, we buy membership into the greater good -- and feel better about ourselves.
Who Hates Themselves? It's Not Always Who You'd Think

Who Hates Themselves? It's Not Always Who You'd Think

It's all too easy to assume we know who does and doesn't—and "should" and "shouldn't"—have low self-esteem.
Katy Perry Disables Her Google Alerts

Katy Perry Disables Her Google Alerts

Is fame a golden key that frees us from self-loathing? That belief—and not just material riches—is the real reason so many people want to become famous.

Low Self-Esteem Is the New "The Dog Ate My Homework"

Is attributing past misdeeds to low self-esteem too easy of an excuse? Some of us with low self-esteem are actually quite law-abiding and considerate.
Hate Yourself? Give Thanks

Hate Yourself? Give Thanks

On Thanksgiving, we who have low self-esteem can find gratitude challenging, because we believe that whatever good things we have, we don't deserve—that we acquired them by mistake or accident or theft.
What Will You Talk Yourself Out of Today?

What Will You Talk Yourself Out of Today?

We who struggle with self-loathing turn down invitations we want to accept, because we believe we don't deserve to have fun.
Thinking Like an Italian

Thinking Like an Italian

For an award-winning Swedish chef who runs an Italian restaurant in America, it's a matter of mind.
On the Road, Again

On the Road, Again

When we travel, we see and experience a thousand things and want to remember them all. Yet we know we will not. Which memories will we lose, and which will we get to keep?
We Need Ghosts More Than They Need Us

We Need Ghosts More Than They Need Us

If ghosts didn't exist we would have to invent them.
Apology Porn

Apology Porn

What does disgraced gender-studies professor Hugo Schwyzer's gut-cutting public confessional tell us about self-loathing and social media?
Self-Loathing: The Ultimate Prejudice

Self-Loathing: The Ultimate Prejudice

We weren't born hating ourselves. So how did we learn?

After Loss, Courage

An interview with author Monica Wesolowska, whose new memoir details what happened after her newborn son was given one of the worst possible prognoses.

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