Did you know that our physiological reaction is the same in case of a real and a perceived danger? Our stress response doesn't differentiate between us being chased by a lion (real danger) and us freaking out about that public speaking we're scheduled to do tomorrow (perceived danger). From evolutionary perspective, this makes perfect sense: we want to be well prepared for possible dangerous situations in order to stay alive. But what happens when we start seeing dangers wher

We want to understand things. Of course we do. We also want to understand other people and why they behave in a certain way. But what to do when understanding is beyond our reach? I was working with two clients who were in a romantic relationship. They were madly in love with each other and yet both came to me complaining that the other one doesn't understand them. Case in question: how the other reacted when they needed support and comfort. When feeling down, he wanted to be

A manager who wants to take a month of parental leave, but worries he’s abandoning his team. Another who blames herself for not being able to reconcile long work hours with time she wants to spend with her kids. An employee who’s considering a move to a new team, but hesitates as her departure might hurt her current boss. These are all real-life examples of a common theme: guilt — the emotional weight people carry when they want to do something for themselves or their familie

'What am I doing here? This is all stupid! I can't do this until retirement. I'll go crazy if I don't leave soon. I'm wasting my life here!' These are some of the thoughts that went through my mind every day back when I hit a professional crisis. Every day in the office was torture, every Sunday evening poisoned by the idea of Monday. I was constantly frustrated and didn't see a way out. I knew I had to change something, but I didn't know how or where to start. The usual thin