[this article was originally written for Puttylike] Have you ever entered the doldrums? Not the literal doldrums—the tedious places at sea where winds are few and sailors struggled to escape. I mean those times in life when nothing at all feels interesting. During these times, I listlessly ignore that stack of books waiting to be […]
Tag: advice
It’s Okay to Be Bad at Things
“If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.” – G. K. Chesterton Last week I was overcome with paralyzing guilt after slightly miscooking a sausage sandwich. Don’t worry—the sandwich was delicious. But even as I was putting it together, a critical internal voice was opining that the pan had been too hot, […]
You Might As Well Do The Thing: How to Make Decisions While Anxious
[this article was originally written for Puttylike] As a standup comedian who talks a lot about anxiety, I frequently get asked the same question: “how are you SO great?” But after that, people often ask how anyone with anxiety can possibly do something as terrifying as standup. For a long time this confused me, too. […]
How to Tolerate Uncertainty When Waiting
[this article was originally written for Puttylike] Ding. You’ve Got Mail. Later, you will think, “I really ought to turn off that notification. It’s not 1997.” But right now, other things are on your mind. Your throat is tight, your heart is thumping, and you’re nervously staring at that bold subject line which has appeared […]
I’m Anxious – What Do I Do Now?
Quite often, I get asked “what should someone do after they realise they’re anxious?” There’s no definitive answer to that question – every person and every situation is different, so it’s impossible to give one-size-fits-all advice. But there are a few ideas which might help someone figure out the next step for them…
Why Good Advice Might Be Bad Advice (and vice versa)
[post status: a little rough, but there’s something useful buried in here!] Here’s some advice you might hear if you’re dealing with anxiety: “It doesn’t matter WHY you’re struggling, accept the feelings and focus instead on the present” Sounds great. But, then, so does this: “we should confront and heal our past traumas so they […]
Have Fun, For Fun’s Sake!
[This relatively sensible post was originally written for puttylike.com] I often feel pressure, like questions are burnt into my brain by endless repetition: Am I contributing to the world right now? Am I making enough money? Am I deepening myself, learning new skills and growing as a person? You might think that achieving any of […]
You Can’t Not Do Things, You Can Only Do Them
[Another quick post today.] Sometimes it seems as if the solution to a problem is to NOT do something. For example, if our problem is “I can’t stop thinking about this person” it might seem that we simply have to stop thinking about them. Obvious, right? No. Actually, that’s impossible.
Jiggling an Imaginary Rope Helps You Re-Evaluate Your Life
[Warning: contains mild physics.] Imagine a short piece of rope. We’ll call him Ropert. Let’s imagine that Ropert represents our lives.
Doing Things is Overrated… So Stop (A Bit)
You know that bit in the Simpsons intro where Maggie is steering on a pretend wheel to mimic the driving that Marge is doing? Our brains would genuinely be happier if we could attach a fake steering wheel to “life” and pretend we were controlling everything that happens to us.