Therapies and practical advice
![Bronze bust of a bearded man with curly hair, likely an ancient artefact, on a black background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/9fda9c4c-3492-4594-90e1-bb1cd9878e9b/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Emotion regulation
idea
The Stoics were right – emotional control is good for the soul
Both neuroscience and psychotherapy agree that you can change your mental framework as the Stoic Marcus Aurelius described
by István Darabán
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Psychoanalysis and the unconscious
idea
Dark feelings will haunt us until they are expressed in words
Continued mental growth requires dealing with alexithymia, or the inability to express emotions through words or images
by Tom Wooldridge
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Worry and rumination
guide
How to stop overthinking
Grappling with your thoughts will leave you even more entangled in worry. Use metacognitive strategies to break free
by Pia Callesen
![A red hibiscus flower and green leaves are divided into four vertical panels against a blue background, overlaid by raindrop textures.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/8f336c8f-029c-4f5b-815b-751a717d84aa/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Anxiety
film
Climate fears make Sindha feel doomed. Can eco-therapy help?
Directed by Sindha Agha
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/2c0a1c50-5bff-4259-9a83-24e96f2219e1/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Stigma and taboo
idea
Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress
The ‘chemical imbalance’ trope is appealing but dehumanising, and has heightened stigma towards people with mental illness
by Joseph E Davis
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/d592071c-0269-469b-b5b6-93272d333c86/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
History and philosophy of mental health
idea
For Donald Winnicott, the psyche is not inside us but between us
For Donald Winnicott, your psyche isn’t just in your head – it emerges from your relationships with others and the world
by James Barnes
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Difficult emotions
guide
How to calm your inner storm
When your emotions become too painful and overwhelming, regain control using skills from dialectical behaviour therapy
by Sheri Van Dijk
![Three senior male cyclists in racing outfits sit on chairs, each wearing a helmet and cycling shoes, resting between races. The cyclist on the left wears a white and light blue kit, the middle one wears a teal and yellow kit, and the cyclist on the right wears a blue and yellow kit.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/3168132a-a799-4a90-91ae-28f3c2a4b3e3/rt-final-gettyimages-1711506265.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Ageing
idea
Rather than fearing getting old, here’s how to embrace it
Whether you are 20 or 90, each moment of life presents an opportunity to focus on what really matters to you
by Berit Lewis
![Person reading a book inside a bookshop with tall bookshelves filled with various titles, seen through a large window framed by green painted wood.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/9c0d6007-8aa9-4473-b3ac-4412616ecab2/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Stories and literature
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Reading books is not just a pleasure: it helps our minds to heal
Through my own struggles and in teaching bibliotherapy to students, I know that books can help to heal minds and hearts
by Peter Leyland
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/42f467fb-3b5e-48ed-a5ae-055ebadb86fe/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Depression
guide
How to engage with life when you feel down
Withdrawing from activities you enjoy is both a product and cause of low mood. Break the cycle with behavioural activation
by Lucy Foulkes