Headlines that Show Us How Bad our Mental Health Systems Are

Headlines that Show Us How Bad our Mental Health Systems Are

ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

Both articles tell the stories of people who can’t get the mental healthcare they need, and both dig into some of the political decisions that have caused this. Both also demonstrate how complicated the issue is and how much damage is being done behind the scenes by some of the same leaders who claim to support mental health.

They don’t. There are a lot of political and industry leaders who benefit from the status quo. Many people are also left behind due to a lack of affordable care. Those patients, their families, loved ones, and society pay the price when mental healthcare is lacking. It doesn’t have to be this way. It will take more than words to fix it.

Sharing – When the world stops

Sharing – When the world stops

ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

We all need people who will stop and be with us. I’ve been lucky enough to have that, and I’ve had the privilege to be there for others during difficult times. I have also probably missed many an opportunity to stop and be with someone because of the hectic pace of life, and I’m not proud of that.

The question is, what do we do as a society to allow people’s worlds to stop? How do we reach a point where it’s acceptable and the expectation that we will stop when necessary?

We’ve seen the alternative. We’re living in it. A world where we rarely stop and listen to ourselves, let alone each other. Where people are hurting all around us yet afraid to talk about it. Afraid of what happens if we stop while the world moves on.

Sharing – 5 New Books on the Science of Making and Keeping Friends

Sharing – 5 New Books on the Science of Making and Keeping Friends

ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

Last week, I wrote about how important friendship is to our well-being and how terrible most of us are about making and keeping friends. Given that, I thought I would also share this list of recommended books. If you have other recommendations, feel free to leave them in the comments!

Sharing – Why Do We Downplay Our Accomplishments?

Sharing – Why Do We Downplay Our Accomplishments?

ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

We all have different reasons for downplaying our accomplishments. Many people don’t take the time to recognize their wins, whether due to imposter syndrome, a well-intentioned but overly focused attempt at humility, a lack of self-worth, or perfectionism. 

This is a problem. When we can’t see our accomplishments, the only thing left is seeing our failures. We get a warped sense of ourselves when we only see our failures. We carry that warped sense of ourselves into the world and interact with others based on a mindset that sees only failure. That impacts our relationships and work, becoming just another failure point.