Learn How to Small Talk and Transform All Your Relationships

Plus how to become truly smart. [View this email in your browser]( Welcome to your weekly mental health break. Keeping you updated on all things psychology, relationship & mental-health related. [Learn to Small Talk and Transform All Your Relationships]( Use these tips to hone your small-talking skills not only at work or on dates, but also with your friends and family. [Are You the Family Scapegoat? (10 Question Quiz)]( How many of these ten signs, symptoms, and experiences do you relate to? [2 Types of Motivation that Make or Break Your Adventures in Life]( We can be motivated 1) toward what we want or 2) away from what we don’t want. Which drives you? [10 Ways to Take Better Care of Yourself This Winter]( The winter months can be particularly tough on us both physically and mentally. These 10 self-care activities are well-suited to winter. [Why Don’t We Stand Up to People Who Say Inappropriate Things?]( We have a well-practiced routine for the conversations of our everyday lives. We keep them moving along smoothly; we don’t rock the boat. News & Views [Faking Emotions at Work May Do More Harm Than Good]( Plastering on a smile to simply get out of an interaction might not be the best choice for your health. [Is It Time to Teach Teens ‘Safe’ Sexting?]( It's time to move beyond fear-based education and give students the knowledge they need to make informed decisions. [Smoking & Drinking in Pregnancy May Multiply SIDS Risk]( Combined exposures to alcohol and tobacco have a synergistic effect on SIDS risk. [Judo Shows Promise for Kids with Autism]( A martial art form that uses unarmed combat to train the mind and body may socially and physically benefit kids with autism. World of Psychology [5 Powerful Ways to Stop Worrying About What Others Think]( We live in other people’s heads. And all it does is make us judge ourselves more harshly. [Do You Know Anyone with the Busyness Disease?]( We force ourselves into a seemingly endless “productive” busyness that’s actually far more harmful to us than good. [10 Easy Ways to Foster Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence at Home]( Here are 10 easy ways you can start working on developing your child’s EQ at home. [How to Become Truly Smart]( If you wish to become smarter, you don’t need to go back to school (though that’s certainly an option). [Why Celebrity Narratives Can Be Dangerous for Your Mental Health]( When a celebrity tells us a story, it feels more special. But a good story can have a dark side too. Best of Our Blogs [Coping with Anger from a Loved One’s Mental Illness]( (Anger Management) - If you don’t express it in a healthy way, it’s going to come out in an unhealthy way. [Why Our Public Response to Kids Who Self Harm Is So Wrong]( (Childhood Behavioral Concerns) - It’s the topic that’s rarely talked about, but frequently engaged in. Why do we respond like this? [Anxiety, Depression and Self-Care: 10 Tips for Journaling to Improve Mental Health]( (A Neurodivergent Perspective) - Writing doesn’t have to be painful. In fact, it’s one of the best forms of therapy we have. [Childhood Trauma and Your Inner Critic - and What to Do]( (Psychology of Self) - While we all have an inner critic, and the severity of its presence varies from person to person, its existence is not natural. [The Value of Pushback in Friendship]( (World of Psychology) - We often gain more from honest relationships and constructive criticism that will tell us the truth, even when it hurts. Your Weekly Mental Health Break Feel free to forward to a friend or share on social media! Need to update your newsletter preferences? [Update your profile here]( We love to hear from you! Please send any feedback you may have to us at: talkback@psychcentral.com [Hugging Strangers to Improve Mental Health]( Many people in our culture experience a profound lack of caring and respectful platonic touch. Today’s guest, Rev. Edie Weinstein, has a remedy for this. [Anger, Rage, and Mental Illness]( Have you ever been in a state of absolute rage, and said or done something you completely regret later? In this episode, Gabe and Jackie discuss blind rage. [Ask the Therapist]( [My Family Hates Me But I Don’t Seem to Care]( Hi, I’m a 17-year-old female from the U.S. I was diagnosed with psychosis and... [Lack of Self-Worth]( In the simplest of terms: how does one get over a fear of positivity and goodness in one’s life? If I set out to achieve anything, internally I am self-destructing... [Does this sound like Munchausen syndrome?]( After my parents’ death (when I was 16 and 20), my aunt helped me immigrate to Canada from Romania 6 years ago to... [Is My Husband Being Disrespectful?]( A few months ago, my mother-in-law accused me of something I didn’t do. She went so far as to threaten me with police and lawyers. When I showed... Check Out What's New on Psych Central [Introducing Ending Silence]( Tarra Bates-Duford PhD, MFT, CRS, CMFSW, BCPC, author of new Psych Central blog Ending Silence, specializes in familial dysfunctions and traumatic experience. [What's Your Personality Type?]( Our personalities determine how we interact with the world around us, from co-workers to loved ones. The more you know about your own personality, the better able you are to understand and benefit from those interactions. Our 16-Type Jungian Personality Test will give you your four-letter personality type (like the Myers-Briggs). It takes just a few minutes to complete, and you'll get an instant, free result. [Discover your personality type today!]( [Join Our Community]( Psych Central's 250+ support groups are available 24/7 and filled with compassionate, caring people -- just like you! [Join and share with over 500,000 fellow members today](. Join our daily conversation on [Facebook]( Follow us on [Twitter]( Copyright © 2020 Psych Central, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to a Psych Central Newsletter at our website, PsychCentral.com, or you attended one of our free webinars. Our mailing address is: Psych Central PO Box 5464Bradford, MA 01835 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.