My anxiety and depression diagnoses serve a valuable purpose. — In 2014, I was in a dark place in my life. I blamed my anxiety and depression on the “quarter-life crisis.” But really, that was just my attempt to wish away my mood disorders. …

When hope dims, affirmations rekindle the flame. Here are my six favorite affirmations. Exerting effort at anything and not seeing positive results can be discouraging, I learned this after job rejections, friendship losses, breakups, poor grades, and failure to meet personal goals. Perhaps you’ve had some of these experiences, too. …

Although mental health stigma has declined over the last year, it is still a major issue. Here are some ideas on how to recognize and reduce it. Mental health stigma affects how we perceive psychiatric disorders. It also affects self-esteem and progress in mental health treatment. …

Memories with my first best friend and her family — Last week, Christine Graves asked writers to talk about their first best friend. For this story, I will talk about my first best friend, Brooke, and her family. Note: All names have been fictionalized for confidentiality. In the 1990s, my neighborhood was full of active children and young families. From…

A childhood hobby became my current therapy. — In 2015, adult coloring was a huge trend! At the time, I thought, Why are all these adults coloring? It’s so childish! But when a friend constantly talked about how coloring reduced her anxiety, I decided to give it a try. At first, my patience only allowed me to color…

While eating dinner at Culver’s, my best friend and I did a devotional on the YouVersion app. During our conversation, an older man in a wheelchair approached us and shared his testimony. He talked about how he injured himself while being reckless in his 20s. Then he said his friend…

Progress is more important than perfection. — During my freshman year of college, my English professor assigned the class to read a book called This, I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women. For this story, I wrote a list of my current beliefs. I believe… Everyone is on their own journey. Some stress helps…

A script with inappropriate and professional interactions — A few weeks ago, EyeingAI published a story with writing prompts about customer service. One writing prompt that captured my attention was… “How can you de-escalate a tense situation with a customer who is angry or frustrated about [shipping delays/product defects/service issues]?” I’m sure that many people who have been…

On Mother’s Day a few years ago, I was having lunch with my mother. The waiter passed out flowers to every woman and wished them a “Happy Mother’s Day.” That memory hit me yesterday, and it sent a rush of thoughts through my mind. …