The Art of Self-Improvement

Cutting-edge and ancient techniques for overcoming exhaustion.

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D.

Magical Thinking

Why Manifesting Is Bad for Us

Manifesting is a dangerous self-help trend that advocates magical thinking and is based on a victim-blaming ideology.

Melencolia I (1514)

Do You Feel Heavy, Exhausted, Depleted, and Weighed Down?

Are gravity’s laws torture? Does it feel as though the cosmos has conspired to pull you down? There is hope when our hearts feel hopeless and heavy.

Perfectionism.

5 Reasons Why Perfectionism Can Make Us Ill

Perfectionism can make you ill, exhausted, and burnt out. But you can also learn how to turn it into a positive quality by being a "good enough" perfectionist.

What's So Great About Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

ACT teaches us to FEEL good, not to feel GOOD. And it takes mind metaphors seriously.

Burnout

The Burnout Paradox

How can we distinguish effectively between unchangeable external factors and improvable internal factors in burnout?

The 12 Best Self-Improvement Books

Many of the best self-improvement books were written in the long-distant past.

What We Really Talk about When We Talk about Self-Help

Do you believe in willpower and our unlimited ability to shape ourselves, or that we are to a large extent determined by nature and nurture?

Define or Be Defined: On Self-Labelling

Self-labelling is not just an exercise in branding, but a deeply revealing cultural practice, indicative of dominant social and cultural trends.

Dead End

Defusing the Culture Wars

A simple ACT technique may be a highly effective means of freeing us from narrative warfare and enabling us to engage in shared value-led action

Stones.

Is Our "Me-First" Culture Waning?

There are encouraging signs that we are moving toward more other-oriented social values. It is high time, and we will all benefit.

The Art of Humility

Humility is not just an ancient virtue with a rich history, but also a trait with significant positive effects on our cognitive, interpersonal, and decision-making skills.

Bust of Socrates (470-399 BCE).

What's So Great About Self-Knowledge?

Continuously deepening our self-knowledge should be our primary psychological aim. It is the basic prerequisite for all learning and growth.

Crisis Management, Ancient-Style

How Stoic thought can help us cope in the COVID-19 world.

Altruism

The Power of Altruism

During a pandemic, altruism matters more than ever, not just for keeping our and others’ spirits up, but also for overcoming the outbreak.