The Savvy Psychologist's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Mental Health

Can mindfulness treat cancer? Help you fall asleep? Everyone's talking about mindfulness and how it can improve well-being and performance. But through all the hype, we may be losing sight of what mindfulness actually is ... and is not. Let's take a balanced look at mindfulness science to bust some myths. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/mental-health/what-were-getting-wrong-about-mindfulness https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/savvypsychologist https://twitter.com/qdtsavvypsych

Have you ever had to deal with someone who seems to think they're better than you or that the world owes them? Uh-oh! That's entitlement rearing it's ugly head. Here are five ways to protect yourself and avoid conflict by setting boundaries, being consistent, and showing compassion. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/mental-health/deal-with-entitled-people https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/savvypsychologist https://twitter.com/qdtsavvypsych

In this year of collective grief, we mourn the people, the stability, and the life experiences we have lost. How do we cope with this grief and help each other through it? How do we talk about it with kids? I talked to Dr. Patti Ashley about going through grief to reach the grace on the other side. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/mental-health/self-care/grief-to-grace https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/savvypsychologist https://twitter.com/qdtsavvypsych

Have you ever haggled over the price of a car? Negotiated a salary? What strategies did you use in these interactions? Whether you're an employee, a parent, or an FBI hostage negotiator, psychological science can give us tips for how to successfully navigate a negotiation. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/mental-health/negotiating-tactics-psychological-science https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/savvypsychologist https://twitter.com/qdtsavvypsych

Whether to have kids or not is a monumental decision, and the pros and cons are hard to predict or quantify. How do you decide? Borrowing ideas from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/mental-health/should-I-have-kids https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/savvypsychologist https://twitter.com/qdtsavvypsych

Sleep paralysis is a freaky phenomenon that has inspired ghost stories and alien abduction conspiracies. Fortunately, there's a scientific explanation for why it happens, and also ways to prevent it. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/what-is-sleep-paralysis https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/savvypsychologist https://twitter.com/qdtsavvypsych

Wouldn’t it be nice if our brains let us be happy and calm all the time? The science of emotions tells us that negative emotions like fear, anger, and sadness are actually healthy and useful. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/mental-health/negative-emotions-not-bad https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/savvypsychologist https://twitter.com/qdtsavvypsych

Sarcastic people can be hilarious, but when their barbs are pointed at you, they can be annoying or even hurtful. How should you respond? Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/mental-health/how-to-deal-with-sarcastic-people https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/savvypsychologist https://twitter.com/qdtsavvypsych

Worried about bills? Not sure if you're saving enough? Feeling uncertain about your financial future? Many are worried about their personal finances. We talked to Money Girl Laura Adams for advice on how to reduce your money anxiety by setting the right priorities and knowing some insider tips. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/mental-health/money-anxiety https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/savvypsychologist https://twitter.com/qdtsavvypsych

Becoming an antiracist starts with an important first step—losing our defenses. Confronting the implicit biases we all have means getting uncomfortable ... and it's the only way to grow. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/mental-health/how-to-be-less-defensive-about-racism https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/savvypsychologist https://twitter.com/qdtsavvypsych

Racist encounters are stressful and detrimental to Black and African American mental health. It shouldn't be Black people's burden to right these wrongs—it's everyone's job to be anti-racist. But until there is equity, here are some tools to protect against the toxic effects of racism on your mental health. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/mental-health/coping-with-racism https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/savvypsychologist https://twitter.com/qdtsavvypsych

You may be surprised by how many ways racism impacts mental health, from the way trauma is transmitted from parents to kids, to how racism affects the way people see themselves, to its impact on the very building blocks of the mental healthcare system. Today we take an unflinching look at racism and how it affects Black and African American people's mental health. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/mental-health/racism-black-mental-health https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/savvypsychologist https://twitter.com/qdtsavvypsych

The screen casts an eerie glow on your face. You can't tear your eyes away from the bad news. You feel depressed and angry, but you can't stop scrolling. Why do we do this to ourselves, and how can we stop? Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/mental-health/self-care/stop-doomscrolling https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/savvypsychologist https://twitter.com/qdtsavvypsych

Do you fall into existential dread when you're reminded that you'll die someday? You may be surprised by the factors that subtly (or not so subtly) change our attitudes toward death. We may even be able to control some of them to master our fear. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/mental-health/master-fear-death https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/savvypsychologist https://twitter.com/qdtsavvypsych

There's more to postpartum mental health than "baby blues." These lesser-known challenges may not get as much attention as postpartum depression, but they're no less real to new moms who experience them. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/womens-health/postpartum-mental-health-issues https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/savvypsychologist https://twitter.com/qdtsavvypsych