How to tell if someone is hoarding – and provide effective help
For many, letting go of possessions is intensely stressful, even when the clutter puts them at risk. Here’s what you can do
by Michael A Tompkins
Difficult emotions
Before it was ‘bittersweet’, nostalgia was seen as a parasite
Early modern ideas about nostalgia, infused with the elements of horror, invite us to think more deeply about human longing
by Jac Lewis
How to understand and cope with mood swings
Sudden mood changes can be unsettling, but getting to know them will help you regain balance and, if needed, find support
by Zindel Segal & Norman Farb
Disappointment is not just a feeling – it’s a political force
When political regimes fail us, don’t turn to optimism. It’s disappointment that holds the radical potential for change
by Rafael Holmberg
The loss remains, so why does intense grief usually fade?
Grief’s ‘double vision’ beholds both the bereaved and dead. Recognising this duality helps explain our ability to move on
by Berislav Marušić
Social comparison is driving us to despair. It doesn’t have to
In the social media age, it seems impossible not to measure ourselves against others – but we can dodge the worst pitfalls
by Wojciech Kaftański
How to compare yourself with others fairly
Ever worry that you don’t measure up? These CBT-based practices can make social comparison less painful and more productive
by Joel Minden
Why being snubbed can make you feel so hurt and enraged
The psychology of ostracism helps explain why you can sometimes shrug it off, yet other times feel the urge to lash out
by Christiane Büttner
How to support someone with depression
Being there for someone can be challenging. A clinical psychologist shares what to say and do to help them feel less alone
by Emma Cotterill
Feeling nothing can be as devastating as feeling too much
Emotional ‘emptiness’ is a damaging, underexplored phenomenon. Better understanding it could help steer people to fulfilment
by Christopher J Hopwood
How to forgive (even if they’re unrepentant)
Feeling ill will toward someone who harmed you is natural but draining. You can let it go, whether you reconcile or not
by Richard S Balkin
It’s not foolish to foster hope in the face of illness and death
As a great loss loomed, I feared straying too far from the hard truth. But I learned to distinguish denial from hope
by Christiana Boules
Avoiding sadness can backfire, here’s how to turn towards it
Everyone has stretches of sadness. Shifting how you think about and relate to sad feelings could help you through these times
by Beth Kurland
Bureaucracy and other civic bullshit can be good for us
No one enjoys waiting in stuffy buildings or on congested roadways, but there’s an upside to our fellowship of frustration
by Joel Cox
Fixating on her body, a woman grapples with strange distortions of the self
Directed by Chenghua Yang
If feelings for an ex are troubling you, try ‘opposite action’
Acting on misguided feelings of love only fuels the emotional fire. Learn to let the fire burn out with these DBT-based tips
by Kiki Fehling