Recently, we were hit with a period of deep cold that often made it dangerous to do anything outside. Ordinarily, I don’t mind the cold, but in these instances, where it is inadvisable to go outside for one’s safety, it can be difficult.

Do you play tug-of-war with your anxious thoughts? I often find myself playing this exhausting, time-consuming game, and it can be frustrating. If you find yourself trying to let go of anxious thoughts, but they keep returning, you could be playing mental tug-of-war with anxiety. It's something that happens automatically and repeatedly, but you don't have to play. If you tend to overthink, playing tug-of-war too often, and would rather do something else, read on for insights into this annoying mental game and ways to put down the rope.

Those who read this blog may remember that it was a little over a year ago that I lost my apartment, almost all my possessions, and nearly my life in a massive fire. In the year since the fire, I have tried my best to return my life to some degree of normalcy. This has proved to be much more difficult than I could have imagined. Having never had to come to terms with a traumatic experience such as this, I’ve learned that the aftereffects of such traumas can be surprisingly unexpected.

We may be social creatures, but other people certainly can cause anxiety. Social anxiety is largely about being around (or even thinking about being around) others and a host of worries related to others' perceptions of us. Even if you don't experience social anxiety, other people can be difficult to deal with and cause worry, agitation, or general angst. Regardless of what type of frustration or anxiety some people might be causing in your life, you don't have to let them continue to negatively impact you. Here are three ways to deal with any type of anxiety about other people.

Taking steps to overcome anxiety is a positive action, but do you need a break from trying to reduce your anxiety? Learning about anxiety, gathering tools to beat it, and using those strategies in daily life are healthy initiatives to take charge of your mental health and wellbeing. When you take these steps, you empower yourself to break free from anxiety.

I’m far from the first person to discuss the above topic. However, I feel it is important to continually raise awareness of the social causes of anxiety until those causes are recognized more broadly.

The purpose of this post is not to promote or denounce anxiety medication or cannabidiol (CBD), as taking medication and supplements is a personal decision to be made with medical advice. Instead, it's to inform you of a potentially dangerous interaction that not even all medical professionals are fully aware of: CBD is not safe to ingest if you take a medication that carries a grapefruit warning.

When I get stressed out, I clean and organize my stuff. Sometimes I take most of the day to organize all the junk in my room, and very few things help me feel better.

Anxiety-related brain fog help is available. That's important because brain fog is a frustrating occurrence that can disrupt daily functioning and impact how we feel about the quality of our lives. An experience rather than a medical or mental health diagnosis, the brain fog that can accompany anxiety can make us feel disorganized and forgetful, frustrated that we can't seem to make a simple decision--and then even more anxious because of it. That this mental fogginess can be an effect of anxiety rather than an actual mental illness is positive news. This isn't something inherently wrong with the brain, which means that we can directly address it. In the spirit of blowing away the fog and clearing our mind, here are 12 practical tips for helping anxiety-related brain fog.

Changes in technology and social norms create anxiety for people like me who avoid social media as much as possible. In previous posts on this blog, I’ve discussed my aversions to social media and how it almost certainly exacerbates anxiety. I’ve discussed ways to structure my life in order to better live with those aversions.