Anxiety can make work or school difficult. A strong sense of perfectionism can make starting and completing tasks daunting, sometimes leading to incomplete work and missed deadlines. Fears about presentations can make life miserable. Even worries about sitting in a quiet room where others can see or hear you or stressful situations with coworkers or classmates can cause anxiety symptoms to skyrocket. The effects of work or school anxiety can make every day miserable or even keep you at home in avoidance. One approach to deal with this is to become a SCUBA diver. 

Nearly everyone can relate to being in an unhealthy relationship. It's easy to see it when those we care about are in them, but sometimes it's harder to see when we are in the midst of one ourselves. Luckily, there is a lot of information from relationship experts online and in books about relationship red flags. But what about relationship green lights? What are the signs that you are in a healthy relationship?

Healthy sleep habits are an essential part of bipolar disorder management. They are also some of the most difficult habits to develop. Proper sleep is critical for physical and mental health, but the highs and lows that come with bipolar disorder can make it exceptionally difficult to wind down at the end of the day. Unhealthy sleep patterns can lead to a vicious cycle of mood instability that wrecks havoc in every facet of our lives -- work performance not least among them.

This Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, I am focusing on my self-esteem. On this holiest day for the Jewish people, we ask for absolution from wrongs we have done against others, but it is granted only if we first ask those people for forgiveness. Only then can we be forgiven on a higher level. Today I will ask myself for forgiveness for the ways I have wronged myself by allowing poor self-esteem to color my days.

Raising a child with mental illness usually comes with a healthy dose of "mom guilt," and raising a child with ADHD is no exception. While a little "mom guilt" keeps me on my toes, sometimes it becomes debilitating, so I was relieved to find out that ADHD and mom guilt are co-occurring problems that many parents struggle with. I'm not alone, and neither are you.

Have you noticed that depression causes self-sabotage? I've noticed it myself. Since the past few months, my sleep schedule has gone for a toss. I find myself staying up late even on days when I'm tired, and oversleeping has become the norm.

For many people with mental illness, mental health medication and recovery go hand in hand. Unfortunately, psychiatric medication comes with a lot of stigma and stress. There are a lot of people who don't understand how psychiatric medication really works or why it's so important for many people in recovery, and their stigmatized view of medication can stick in our brains long after we've heard them say something.

Recovering from self-injury can put a lot of pressure on us. We expect that self-harm recovery is a simple process with no obstacles on the road. However, it’s a complicated journey, and there is no one perfect way to recover. You might stumble once or twice, but that’s okay. You can still continue where you left off.

Feeling overwhelmed by supporting someone with mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but sometimes we can struggle to admit our true feelings. Here's a little bit about how I felt when my brother was diagnosed with chronic anxiety and depression.

My anxiety presents itself to me in many physical forms. I can pinpoint the exact onset of an anxiety or panic attack if I pay attention to my body's signals, using a meditative body scan, to help prevent the discomfort.