Anger was not an emotion that was permitted in the household in which I grew up. This emotion was present, hovering in the air like a dark cloud; it’s just that no one was allowed to acknowledge it. My father dealt with his anger by downing Johnnie Walker Red, starting on the bar car of the Long Island Railroad each evening and then presiding over our family’s dinner table with a glass of the amber liquid by his plate.

The rest of us—my mother, younger brother, and I—sat silently, our chewing and swallowing noises audible in the silence. I brought a book to dinner and read under the table until my brother vehemently protested. Then I started reading every line of type on the orange juice container night after night.

I grew up terrified of anger. I didn’t want to feel angry toward anyone, and I went to great lengths to avoid anyone feeling angry toward me. Boundaries were non-existent. My fear of anger was closely tied to my fear of abandonment and rejection, hallmarks of borderline personality disorder. One of the DSM-5 criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) is “Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights).”

A 2017 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that “BPD patients are reported to experience such an unbearable amount of anger given their proneness to perceive personal…

“No is a complete sentence,” is my favorite recommendation when it comes to setting boundaries. I first heard this phrase at a women’s entrepreneurial conference from keynote speaker Cate Luzio, founder and CEO of the women’s co-working space Luminary in Manhattan. When my answer is “No,” and I find myself launching into a long explanation, I remember this crucial piece of guidance and stop. For what purpose am I explaining—to appease the other person, or to placate myself?

In her book, Set Boundaries, Find Peace, Nedra Glover Tawwab defines boundaries as “expectations and needs that help you stay safe and comfortable in your relationships. Expectations in relationships help you stay emotionally and mentally well. Learning when to say no and when to say yes is also an essential part of feeling comfortable when interacting with others.”

It’s hard to say no. Especially when we’re so used to saying “yes.” I would worry that a friend would reject me or abandon me. As someone diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, I was hypersensitive to that possibility. But if a friend can’t accept your no, then they weren’t the friend you thought they were to begin with.

In her essay “We Don’t Need Self Care—We Need Boundaries,” psychiatrist Pooja Lakshmin, writes that setting boundaries “means that you have to learn how to say no, and recognize that it’s nobody else’s…

More and more pressure comes from the external world for your physical appearance.

It’s important to learn to embrace your own body and practice self-love.

When you start seeing your body with kindness and compassion, you open the door to self-acceptance and a healthier mindset.

This journey frees you from the social prison of beauty.

It’s about honoring the unique person you are and feeling free to appreciate yourself just as you are right now.

 

Understanding Body Positivity and Self-Love

 

What Is Body Positivity?

 

Body positivity is a mindset, that inspires people to appreciate their bodies just as they are, free from society’s standards or so-called “flaws.” It challenges narrow beauty ideals and embraces diversity, encouraging everyone to feel comfortable in their skin without needing to fit a mold.

At its heart, body positivity is about self-acceptance, guiding us to focus less on appearance and more on all the ways our bodies support us every day.

 

The Role of Self-Love in Body Positivity

 

Self-love is the heart of body positivity.

When you embrace self-love, you nurture a sense of kindness and acceptance for your body, seeing it as an essential part of who you are, not just something to be judged.

With self-love, you start to appreciate your body more…

Elections have been shown to be a tumultuous time, particularly as of late, stirring up intense emotions. As a therapist, I can attest to this personally, with the last cycle in particular triggering a surge in my private practice. People came with looking for help managing election stress and worry. There is no denying that the current climate and barrage of news, social media and other sources, are stirring up fear and concern for the impact of whatever the outcome is.

There are underlying psychological factors that can contribute to election anxiety.

Clearly there is significant social and political polarization at play. This creates a sense of threat. Information overload with a strong negativity bias can also fuel anxiety. An added concern, recently ushered in by A.I., adds questions about the legitimacy of the content being consumed, in some cases. This requires people to understand it’s a factor, in that one cannot automatically believe everything they see. The angst of all of this combined is creating a particularly unique tension.

The overarching psychological issue at play is a feeling of uncertainty and lack of control. Elections inherently involve questions about the future, which can trigger anxiety, particularly for those who feel a strong sense of threat to their values or way of life.

Election anxiety, like any type of anxiety, can show itself in many ways. Some have more clearly defined behavioral manifestations they…