Our phones have become an extension of ourselves. We carry them everywhere, reflexively reaching for them in moments of boredom, awkward silences, or even just out of habit. If we’re not careful, the hours we spend consuming someone else’s highlights can mean missing out on living our own. Here are 30 fun, lighthearted ways to reclaim your time and focus on living rather than consuming.

Therapy provides a dedicated and consistent space for introspection and self-reflection. It’s a place where you can hit pause on the chaos, explore your inner world, and discover the intentions that guide you. Think of it as creating a home base for your mind, a safe space to declutter your thoughts and figure out what truly matters to you.

Confidence and competence are closely related but distinct concepts. Confidence refers to the belief in one’s abilities or the self-assurance to take action, regardless of the actual level of skill or knowledge. It is an internal state that can make a person appear poised and convincing, even when their expertise may be limited. On the other hand, competence is the actual ability, skill, or knowledge to effectively perform a task or understand a subject.

In today’s world, busyness is often worn like a badge of honor. From packed calendars to endless to-do lists, it’s easy to conflate being busy with being productive. But are you truly being productive, or are you stuck in the cycle of busyness? The difference lies in whether your actions align with your values and lead to a fulfilling life or simply perpetuate a reactive and exhausting existence. Intentional productivity can help you live a value-led life and avoid the burnout caused by aimless busyness.

As the year winds down, many of us find ourselves naturally reflecting on what’s passed and wondering about the road ahead. This transition can be bittersweet, marked by both accomplishments and challenges, joy and sorrow.

While we can’t control what life throws our way, we have an incredible power: the ability to choose how we respond and how we show up for ourselves in the midst of challenges.

Failure. It’s a heavy word, isn’t it? Most of us define it as not achieving the outcome we hoped for or expected. But we don’t stop there. Oh no. We often add an extra layer of meaning: "And that means I’m a failure." Suddenly, it’s not just about the thing that didn’t work out. It’s about you.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re running behind or that you’ve missed your chance, I’m here to tell you: you haven’t. Being a late bloomer means you’re doing things in your own time and in your own way. It’s a testament to your courage, your resilience, and your authenticity. Trust your timing. Celebrate the richness of your unique path. Life isn’t about meeting someone else’s expectations; it’s about discovering who you are and becoming the person you were always meant to be—on your own terms.

As we grow up we inherit a particular set of guidelines and frameworks for life—many of which shape how we view ourselves, others, and the world around us. These frameworks come from those we grew up with, shaped by their own beliefs, experiences, and even the emotional and psychological readiness (or lack thereof) they brought to parenthood. Our sense of self is formed not only through their reflections and observations but also through the biases they inherited from their parents, influenced by historical, cultural, and personal contexts.

Avoiding discomfort robs us of the opportunity to understand and grow through our struggles. Discomfort is a natural part of life. We all experience pain, fear, boredom, sadness, disappointment, frustration… These feelings are natural, but they’re also uncomfortable. Often, instead of allowing ourselves to truly feel and process them, we turn to quick fixes—short-term solutions to alleviate, bury, or avoid the discomfort in the moment.

Therapy is a powerful tool, but it’s not magic. It’s a space to explore, understand, and practice new perspectives. The real magic happens when you take what you learn and bring it into your life. So, if you’re feeling stuck or wondering why change isn’t happening fast enough, know this: you’re doing it right. Growth takes time, and the small steps you take outside of therapy are the ones that lead to the biggest transformations.

When you think about your daily actions, how often do you find yourself labeling them as “good” or “bad”? Maybe you feel proud of going to the gym and call it “good,” or you regret eating that extra slice of pizza and call it “bad.” This black-and-white thinking is so common, yet it often leaves us feeling stuck, guilty, or even disconnected from the person we want to be. But what if we approached our behaviors differently? Instead of judging them as “good” or “bad,” we could ask ourselves: Is this behavior helpful?

Invitations to be grateful and spread holiday cheer are plentiful. We’re told that this season is all about connection, joy, giving thanks, and definitely giving gifts because do you even care unless you spend money?! But for so many, the holiday season is one not filled with connection, gratitude, and joy; rather, it’s a reminder of loneliness, lack of close connections, and unfulfilled desires. So, if you’re not feeling all warm, fuzzy, and jolly—welcome to living a full life. You are normal!

Being important to yourself is not about turning into a selfish, grandiose prick and neglecting or devaluing others—it’s about valuing yourself enough to make space for your own needs. By recognizing your own self-worth, you’re better equipped to bring your best self to everything you do.

Have you ever admired someone so much that you believed they had wisdom or power you could never access? When our self-esteem is shaky, it’s so easy to give our power away and put others on a pedestal. Relying too heavily on someone else for guidance can make you feel disempowered. Instead of feeling like the driver of your own life, you may find yourself waiting for their direction. This leads to a sense of passivity, helplessness, and difficulty making decisions without their input.

Labels can feel comforting. They give us a name for our experiences, helping us feel seen and understood. They can even foster community—after all, it’s easier to connect with others when we have shared language for what we’re going through. But here’s the catch: life isn’t as simple as the labels we use.

Back in the day, FOMO was a survival tool. If your tribe was doing something important—hunting, gathering, forming alliances—you had to be there to stay relevant and safe. Fast forward to now, and that instinct has morphed into feeling like you need to be at every event, trying every trend, or keeping up with every social circle. But guess what? Your brain hasn’t caught up with the fact that not attending Rachel’s bottomless mimosa brunch won’t lead to exile.

Complex or developmental trauma is a type of trauma that occurs over a prolonged period of time, often in childhood, and involves repeated exposure to harmful events. This can include physical, emotional, verbal or sexual abuse, neglect, or witnessing violence. These types of difficulties and neglectful experiences disrupt natural development and make us adapt to our environment by creating strategies for survival. In a sense, we learn who we need to be in order to survive in our families of origin.

It feels good, in the short term, to get that nod of approval, a “thank you” for your efforts, or avoiding upsetting someone. But here’s the catch: people pleasing isn’t as harmless as it seems. It’s often rooted in fear—fear of rejection, conflict, or simply not being liked. While being considerate is one thing, putting others first all the time can leave you feeling drained, unheard, and resentful.

Depth and insight-oriented therapy offers a powerful pathway to self-discovery, enabling clients to delve into the layers of their experiences, beliefs, and conditioning. This approach emphasizes overcoming the influences of our past—family dynamics, cultural expectations, and early life experiences—that subtly shape our behaviors and perceptions in the present moment.

We’re conditioned to believe that happiness and satisfaction are waiting for us in some future moment when things change in our favor. What if we don’t have to wait? What if anything we long to experience is available to us right now?!