You’ve seen it. Cinematic montages of morning coffee captioned like movie scripts, dramatic retellings about life’s mundane events, plot twists, and people stepping into their “main character era” like they just walked onto a film set. The idea is simple- romanticize your life, see yourself as the protagonist, and bask in the spotlight of your own narrative.

Sounds empowering, right? Well, not always.

What is Main Character Syndrome, anyway?

Main Character Syndrome (MCS) isn’t an official psychological diagnosis, but it’s definitely a cultural moment. It’s the tendency to see yourself as the star of the show; where everything that happens is part of your storyline, and everyone else is just supporting characters, obviously!

A little self-importance is natural. Heck, it’s even necessary, but when does it go too far? In my own understanding, perhaps it’s when your personal story arc becomes the story.

Reality with a Filter

Social media didn’t just encourage MCS, it put it in 4K resolution and everyone wanted social media to be the director of their lives. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have turned everyday existence into a performance that encourage people to document their lives like a carefully curated film reel.

It was no longer about just about sharing life’s moments, it became so much about crafting a narrative and making sure they look like something straight out of an A24 film, complete with aesthetic coffee shots, dramatic text overlays, and indie soundtrack-worthy captions.

But constantly curating your life to fit a storyline can wrap self-perception. You just end up spending too much time scripting your life, and before you know it, you are living for the aesthetic, not the experience.

When we’re too focused on being the main character, it’s easy to forget that everyone else is living an equally complicated, messy, meaningful lives too.

Main Character Energy Gets Lonely

There’s nothing wrong with adding a little flair to your life; after all, perspective shapes experience. And tbh, romanticizing your life does have the potential be all fun and games. You might even manage to convince yourself of this, but …

when everything becomes content, conversations will turn into dialogue rehearsals, experiences become photo ops, and relationships can feel transactional. The pressure to constantly be someone funny, wise, effortlessly cool, and whatever else is trending, can leave little room for just being.

When you’re always trying to fit your life into an Instagrammable narrative, the mundane parts of existence (which, let’s be honest, is most of life) start feeling unbearable.

Everyone knows that not every moment is a perfect, slow-motion, sun-drenched scene. Real life isn’t always cinematic. Sometimes it’s awkward, uneventful, or downright boring. Sometimes you spill coffee down your shirt five minutes into the day.

And that’s okay.

How to Be the Main Character Without Losing the Plot

Social media rewards a carefully curated version of authenticity, but true connection comes from embracing the unfiltered parts of life too. Studies have even linked excessive social media use to higher levels of narcissism and decreased empathy. This is exactly the kind of behaviour that shows up when people start treating others as background characters instead of fully realized humans with their own emotions.

When your desire to be the protagonist disconnects you from reality, or makes real-life relationships feel secondary to your own narrative, it might be time to take a step back. Because the best protagonists evolve, stay grounded, and (shockingly) care about others too.

You are the main character in your own life, but you’re not the only main character.

So, how do we embrace self-romanticization without getting lost in our own echo chamber?

• Acknowledge other storylines. Every person you meet has their own plot twists, struggles, and triumphs. Don’t just play a role in their lives, actually engage with them.
• Drop the script. Let go of the performance because not everything needs a highlight reel.
• Be real, not just relatable. If you’re having a deep conversation with a friend, maybe don’t pause to tweet about it.
• Appreciate the unedited version of life. Not every experience has to be aesthetic or romanticized. Sometimes, a cup of coffee is just a cup of coffee.

At The End Of The Day…

There’s nothing wrong with embracing your main character energy now and then. But the real magic happens when we recognize that we’re all protagonists in a shared world, with overlapping narratives, unexpected plot twists, and co-stars worth listening to.

Real connection is about embracing life in all its unfiltered, unedited moments. So go ahead and romanticize your life, capture the aesthetic, but don’t forget that sometimes the best scenes unfold when no one’s watching.

The post Dear Main Character, You’re Not the Only One in the Story first appeared on SUNGJEM AIER.

What Is Selective Morality? The Psychology Behind Convenient Ethics

The dissonance is deafening. We talk a big game about values but only until those values come home for dinner.

This isn’t about hypocrisy. This isn’t about judging you. It’s about understanding why we do this and how our minds work. And why being morally consistent is much, much harder when love, guilt, tradition, and identity are in the mix.

Moral at a Distance

Somehow it’s surprisingly easy to call out people we don’t know. You can comment, block, rage-cry in a tweet thread and sleep peacefully. But when it’s your best friend who cheated on their partner, or your uncle who said something offensive at a family gathering, suddenly it’s “not my place.” This common justification highlights how selective morality operates in personal relationships.

Psychologist Albert Bandura coined the term moral disengagement to describe how people rationalize behavior that contradicts their personal ethics. We tell ourselves it’s “different” when it’s someone we love. That they’re not a bad person. That they’re “just going through a phase.” We convince ourselves that silence is protection.

When Blood Dilutes Ethics: Selective Morality Within Families

A man steals from an old woman. It’s on the news. We’re furious. We repost, we write angry captions, we say “justice must be served.” We shame not just the thief, but his family, his friends, anyone remotely related.

But now imagine it’s your sister.

She didn’t rob anyone, but she did take something intangible. Maybe she manipulated a coworker. Gaslit a friend. Pulled strings at work. It’s still harm. And the moment someone brings it up, your defense kicks in.

You go from being a critic to their crisis manager like a PR agent for the behavior you once condemned.

This is where cognitive dissonance hits the hardest. When your actions and beliefs don’t line up, your brain scrambles to resolve the tension caused by this selective morality, and often, the easiest way to ease the tension is to rewrite the narrative. Downplay the wrongdoing. Focus on the “good parts” of the person.

You can call this in-group bias – our tendency to protect our own- the closer they are to us, the harder it becomes to see them objectively. And now, you’ve got a family WhatsApp group full of silence and saved face.

Selective Outrage: Who Gets Held Accountable?

We hold public figures to higher moral standards than we hold our families. And ourselves.

You’ll cancel a celebrity for a problematic tweet from 2008, but excuse your cousin’s slurs at the dinner table because “that’s just how he talks.” You’ll call your coworker out for body-shaming, but stay silent when your aunt comments on your niece’s weight in front of everyone.

And again, it’s not because you’re a bad person. It’s because confronting the people we love risks more than just being uncomfortable. It risks closeness. And for many of us, especially in collectivist cultures, family harmony > personal values.

The Unspoken Rulebook: Family First, Morals Later

Somewhere along the way, we were taught not to “air dirty laundry.” That family matters more than truth. That blood comes before boundaries. Even when it means protecting someone who needs to be corrected.

Ethics is not about being perfect. It’s about being honest- with ourselves and with the world. Because at the end of the day, the hardest battles are not the ones we fight in the streets but the ones we fight inside our own homes.

The Psychology Behind Selective Morality

When we see a wrong committed by someone we don’t know, we evaluate it using the cold cognition part of our brain. Logic, facts, right vs. wrong. But when the same thing is done by someone we love, it activates hot cognition and which is the emotion-driven decision-making.

Research on moral licensing also show that when people feel morally validated in one area (“I stood up for this one issue!”), they tend to give themselves a pass in other areas (“So I can let this one slide.”), a cognitive loophole enabling selective morality. You stood up for the environment at work so you let your dad’s plastic dumping slide.

It all adds up.

Combine that with years of social conditioning (be loyal to your tribe, respect elders no matter what), and you’ve got a recipe for moral silence.

Does Empathy Justify Selective Morality?

Compassion is important. Nuance is necessary. But we can’t keep confusing empathy with avoidance.

And no, confronting someone doesn’t mean cutting them off. Sometimes, love can look like difficult conversations.

Now That We Know, What’s Next?

There’s no easy answer. This blog won’t end with a 3-step plan to fix your family’s moral inconsistencies. (You’d ignore it anyway. We all would.)

But maybe the next time someone you care about messes up, you won’t rush to sweep it under the rug. Maybe you’ll sit with the discomfort and ask yourself, “If I didn’t know this person, how would I react? And what does it say about me if I only act when it’s easy?”

Morality isn’t convenient. That’s what makes it moral.

The real test of our values isn’t what we scream in public. It’s not the silence in courtrooms or protests. It’s what we whisper at the dinner table- where truth gets served cold, or not at all.

The post Selective Morality 101: Why We Cancel Celebrities, Not Cousins first appeared on SUNGJEM AIER.

There’s a kind of grief we don’t talk about enough. And it’s the grief of unlived lives, of who we could have been. It lingers in the spaces between our choices, in the roads we never took, in the lives we imagined but didn’t live.

It sneaks up on you in small moments like when you scroll past someone living the life you once dreamed of, when an old ambition resurfaces out of nowhere, when you wonder, what if? It’s not exactly regret but something softer, and it’s heavy nonetheless. It’s a mix of nostalgia, curiosity, and sometimes, a little bit of sadness.

And this grief is not just personal, but cultural too. A lot of our choices never felt entirely our own. We came of age in a time that preached independence and ambition, especially for women. We were told we could be anything, do anything but in the background, tradition kept whispering reminders of what we should be. Marriage, family, stability- those age-old benchmarks that have long defined a woman’s worth. So while we reached for more, we also carried the weight of expectations that inadvertently shaped our decisions.

By mid to late 20s, we’re expected to have a steady job, an income, and a life that looks put together. But what if getting there meant giving up parts of ourselves? What if, in choosing the practical path, we had to let go of the dreams we once nurtured?

And if so, how do we live with this grief? More importantly, how do we stop mourning the lives we didn’t live and start embracing the one we have?

The ‘Job by 26’ Rule

Remember those kids in school who swore they’d be astronauts, artists, or world-famous chefs? Fast forward a decade or two, and most of them (like us) are just trying to figure out how to reply to emails without having an existential crisis.

Maybe they wanted to be an artist but ended up in a government job because you can’t eat dreams.

Maybe they swore they’d leave town, yet here they are, running the family business.

And maybe you too see yourself in them.

Most of us didn’t choose our careers out of passion. We chose them out of necessity. And now, at 28, still figuring things out feels heavier than ever, especially in a world where every teenager seems to already own a startup.

Many of us weren’t just chasing a career, we were stepping into roles as family breadwinners, cultural torchbearers, and proof of success for our parents’ sacrifices. The weight of responsibility often shaped our choices before we even realized it.

The Psychology Behind the Grief of Unlived Lives

This longing for a parallel life is more than just a passing thought, it has deep psychological roots.

The “What If” Loop: Our Brain’s Obsession with Alternate Endings

Psychologists call this counterfactual thinking. Our brain’s tendency to replay past decisions and imagine different outcomes. It’s a survival mechanism. If we analyze our past mistakes, we might avoid similar ones in the future. But when this becomes obsessive, it can trap us in a cycle of regret, making us feel like we failed simply because we didn’t choose a different path.

Neuroscience also backs this up with studies that show how the medial prefrontal cortex (a region linked to self-reflection), lights up when we think about our past choices. The more emotional the memory, the stronger the brain’s response. That’s why we feel the deepest regret when our identity – our careers, relationships, or personal goals- is on the line.

Erik Erikson’s Theory

Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development explain why this grief intensifies at different life stages.

• In our 20s and 30s (Intimacy vs. Isolation), we’re making major life decisions like career, relationships, independence. This is also the time when regret creeps in because we compare ourselves to peers who “figured it out” faster or seem more successful.
• By middle age (Generativity vs. Stagnation), we start questioning our impact. Did we build something meaningful? Did we waste time? This is where people feel the strongest pull toward “what could have been.”
• In old age (Integrity vs. Despair), all those bottled-up regrets can start to bubble over and not in a poetic, healing way. You know that one grandpa on the block who grumbles at kids for existing? Or the aunty who always looks like life personally offended her? We joke and call them hags or grumps, but honestly that could be any of us if we don’t make peace with the “what ifs.” That kind of cynicism doesn’t just come from age but are the results of emotional leftovers from a life full of should-haves and could-haves, microwaved over and over till it sours.

We Pretend We’re Fine, Then Scroll and Compare Anyway

Ah yes, the age-old villain of every TED Talk, therapist’s office, and Sunday night existential crisis- social media. That highlight reel we keep doom-scrolling through has turned into a full-blown comparison Olympics. We’re out here watching everyone’s greatest hits- job promotions, Bali vacations, baby announcements- while sitting in our pajamas wondering if switching shampoos counts as personal growth.

What we don’t see is the behind-the-scenes mess. They also pushed through bad days, wrestled with silent doubts, and made compromises to get where they are. And yet, it’s so easy to believe everyone else made all the “right” choices while we accidentally took a nap during life’s roadmap briefing. No wonder this stuff feeds our grief; especially the grief of the life we never lived.

Rewriting the Grief: Finding Meaning in Your Current Life

So, how do we stop circling the what-ifs and start moving forward? How do we release the lives we didn’t live and fully embrace the one we’re in?

It starts with reframing regret- not as a sign of failure but as proof that we cared. That we had dreams. That we were capable of imagining different possibilities for ourselves. And that, in itself, is a beautiful thing.

1. The Myth of taking the “Right” Path

One of the biggest lies we tell ourselves is that there was one perfect path, and we missed it. But life isn’t a linear story with a single correct script. It’s a collection of choices, circumstances, and chance.

If you’re a Marvel fan like me, maybe you’ve had this thought too- the multiverse theory. Somewhere out there, another version of you chased her passion, moved to a new city, or married someone else. But here’s the thing we don’t consider: even in that timeline, she has regrets too.

Every choice comes with trade-offs. We romanticize the lives we didn’t live because we don’t see the behind-the-scenes: the doubts, the sacrifices, the struggles. But they’re always there. Just hidden behind a prettier filter.

2. Reframe Regret : What Did Your Choices Give You?

Instead of mourning what you lost, ask yourself: What did I gain?

Sure, you didn’t become an artist, but maybe you found stability and a way to support your family.

You didn’t move abroad, but you built a community where you are.

You didn’t follow your teenage dreams, but you discovered new ones along the way.

We call this benefit-finding– the practice of recognizing positive outcomes from past decisions, even if they weren’t what you originally planned.

It’s not about toxic positivity or pretending everything’s perfect. It’s about shifting your focus from “what I missed” to “what I gained.”

When we reframe our past decisions through this lens, we stop seeing them as mistakes and start seeing them as meaningful stepping stones. Because even the so-called wrong turns had something to offer.

3. Flip the Script on Your Story

The stories we tell ourselves about our past shape how we feel about our present. If you constantly replay your life as a series of missed opportunities, you’ll always feel like you fell short. But if you see it as a journey- one with detours, unexpected lessons, and second chances, it becomes a story of growth.

You’re not “too late” for anything.
There’s no invisible timeline you need to catch up to.
This is your life and you’re allowed to move through it at your own pace.

4. Find Ways to Honor Your Grief

Just because you didn’t take a certain path doesn’t mean you have to bury that part of yourself forever. Maybe you can’t go back and redo your 20s, but you can still:

• Take that art class.
• Visit the place you once couldn’t stop thinking about.
• Write, dance, create- whatever it was you once loved.
• Mentor someone who’s walking the path you once considered.

The dream doesn’t have to die, it can just grow up with you.

5. Letting Go of the Need to “Prove” Yourself

A lot of our grief comes from feeling like we need to show the world we made the right choices. That we have something to show for our decisions. But true contentment doesn’t come from external validation, but it comes from internal peace.

As Erikson’s theory suggests, we reach true life satisfaction when we stop trying to compare, compete, or prove, and instead find meaning in what we have.

And if you ever feel like you “should be further ahead” by now, remind yourself:

You are not a failure for taking a different path.
Your worth isn’t measured by a timeline or a title.
You are allowed to be proud of the life you’ve built, even if it’s not the one you imagined.

You Are More Than Your Grief

The grief of who you could have been is real. But so is the beauty of who you are now. Life was never about ticking all the right boxes. It’s about stumbling, learning, growing, and learning to hold space for both the dreams we lost and the person we became instead.

And if you ever find yourself looking back, wondering what could have been, just remember:

The version of you who made those choices was doing the best they could with what they knew.
The version of you today still has time to create, explore, and redefine what fulfillment looks like.
And the version of you in the future will thank you for choosing to be present, instead of living in the past.

The post The Grief of Who You Could Have Been: Rewritten first appeared on SUNGJEM AIER.

Somewhere deep inside, I’d internalized this idea that if I chose not to forgive, it somehow made me a bad person. Ungodly. Unkind. Falling short of the “good example” I thought I was supposed to live by. That guilt creeps in when you least expect it. Even when you’re protecting yourself.

The Bigger Person Problem

I mean the people who never take accountability. The ones who leave you with the mess. The ones who expect you to do the emotional labour of forgiveness while they screw up over and over again.

Is forgiveness always the answer?

I used to think forgiveness worked like one of those fake-it-till-you-make-it things; like peace would follow if I just kept pretending I was over it. But it never did.

But Doesn’t Forgiveness Heal You?

But here’s what I’m learning- you don’t have to forget to move on. And you can protect your peace without playing the martyr.

That might look like forgiveness from the outside. But inside, it’s something quieter, more personal. It’s just you choosing to finally let go of what’s too heavy to keep carrying.

Is Forgiveness Even Necessary?

Here’s what I tell clients now, especially the ones who feel stuck on this idea that they have to forgive in order to heal: Don’t force it. Ride it.

Because the truth is, anger isn’t always toxic. Sometimes it’s clarity. Sometimes it’s the only thing keeping you from going back to a place you don’t belong.

But do you have to forgive yourself to move on?

I think… yes. But not in some big, dramatic, ceremonial way. You don’t have to write yourself a letter or shout it from the rooftops. Yes, you can let go of what has been eating your mind without having to be the bigger person or make excuses. You just have to decide you’re done punishing yourself for being human.

If You’re Feeling Forgiveness Fatigue Right Now…

Just know that you’re not a bad person for being tired. You’re not “lesser” for being angry. You’re not failing some invisible moral test because you decided your heart has limits.

You Don’t Have to Do It All Today

Release isn’t linear. Some days you’ll feel light and free. Other days, the weight sneaks back in. The goal isn’t to become some perfectly healed, endlessly forgiving, endlessly loving person who never feels hurt or anger again.

The goal is just peace. Whatever that looks like for you. Maybe that’s walking away and saying, “I forgive you, but I’m done.”

The post Forgiveness Fatigue and the Cost of Always Being Kind first appeared on SUNGJEM AIER.

When it comes to psychology and therapy, there are many misconceptions that prevent people from seeking the help they need. Let’s debunk five of the most common ones:

It’s Just Talk Therapy

One of the most common misconceptions about therapy is that it’s just a one-to-one conversation with the patient and therapist sitting across from each other.  Although that’s not how every therapy session goes, you can’t be blamed for only thinking that therapy is all about talking because popular TV shows and movies only show this side of therapy. Except for a few, the therapist is always a glasses-wearing, formally dressed, writing pad holding, excessively nodding person!

There are so many types and forms of therapy in the world. The extensive study of psychology has introduced many pioneers, founders, and developers of different forms of therapy that benefit society in many ways.

Psychologists have always understood that each person is unique and thus needs unique approaches to tackle their problems. 

So, no. Talking is not everything a therapy session is. Depending on what type of therapist you go to, you will have different experiences. Therapists use various techniques, like role-playing and group sessions, to understand client needs.

Misconceptions About Who Needs Therapy: Only for Serious Mental Illness

This age-old stigma has glued on to us like gum on our shoes. It never really goes away. Tiny traces of it always remain.

Anything that gives you solace, lets you feel at peace and maybe takes your mind off of the stress a little bit, if not all, is therapeutic. 

You don’t need to have a raging, life-threatening problem to go to therapy. Not everyone who goes to therapy needs to pop pills to feel better.

People come for struggles with relationships, self-confidence, career choices, self-esteem, motivation, and so many more. 

When repressed, suppressed, and not dealt with, the minor, seemingly insignificant problems and issues are prone to manifesting themselves into more extensive issues and consuming power over you. 

I can’t stress enough the power our mental state holds on our physical life. We think by suppressing such thoughts, we are growing, and we’re not affected by it. But more often than not, this issue comes back and manifests itself in many forms that we don’t even realize why it happens. This is where therapy comes in.

What you think might be a trivial matter could be the biggest struggle for some. So when someone comes to you for help on such issues, be open to lending them a listening ear; that could be all they need. 

You’ll never know unless you deep dive into your own self and uncover the truth. 

Therapists Blame Your Past for Present Problems

Therapists believe in “no shame, no blame.” But one of the most used phrases with misconceptions about psychology is that they blame your past for your problems.

However, the entire repertoire of a therapist consists of “no judgment” no matter what. The job exists so people have a safe place to talk about problems without fearing judgment or shunning.

Contrary to popular belief, not all therapy focuses on the past. Yes, many problems can have their roots in the past, and uncovering the past truth will give you answers. There’s no denying that flipping through your book of life will undoubtedly bear the answers to some of the problems you have now. But sometimes, the answer lies in the now. 

Take Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, for example. Therapists who specialize in this form of therapy focus on the problem at hand. They do not need to know your past to understand your situation now. Focusing on solutions, they say ‘the problem is the problem, not the person.

Misconceptions About Therapy Results: Immediate Improvement After 1-2 Sessions

Misconceptions that therapy is a quick fix, is widespread. But therapy is not a quick fix. Unlike traditional pain killers, therapy does not have a one-stop solution to all your problems. 

They say “good things take time,” and I believe that taking your time to navigate through life, with each step, calculated in a way that benefits you, adds up to make a life for yourself that’s free from unnecessary stress.

A typical therapy session lasts 40-45 minutes, and this can be repeated 2-3 times a week. It will depend on your case and what your therapist deems is beneficial for you. Although, some new forms of contemporary therapy, like Brief therapy, are considerably shorter than traditional therapy. 

With that said, the beauty of therapy lies in the relationship you build with your therapist and vice versa. A healthy relationship takes time and effort from both ends. When this happens through days, weeks and months, it makes the relationship even more important to your mental health.

There is a fundamental importance in the building of a strong client-therapist relationship. Only if the connection is strong will you trust your therapist, be open, and eventually allow you to accept yourself. 

Trusting your therapist is everything in a therapy session. And for this, you need a positive therapeutic relationship.

Therapists Give Clear-Cut Solutions

When we talk about psychology misconceptions, one thing that rings loud is the idea that therapists give you all the answers. But the truth is, you should never go into therapy expecting clear-cut solutions to all your problems. You can, but if you do, you’ll most probably come out of it discouraged or dissatisfied. 

The main goal of therapy is to guide you and give you the necessary tools to navigate your life correctly. Therapists are there to listen to your problems. They try to understand how you feel, and develop coping strategies to help you find your way in life successfully.

In many ways, your therapist is the older adult in the movies, spewing wisdom. Or they can be the person you meet to ask directions when you’re lost, the one that ushers you to your seats in a show. Ultimately, your therapist is the one with the map. 

They first learn where you’re coming from, where you want to go, then give you the directions and the tools you need to get there.

I once heard a saying that goes something along the lines of, “if you give credit to your therapist for feeling better, the job of the therapist is not yet complete. But if you credit yourself for getting where you are, then you have had the opportunity of finding the right therapist for you.”

Don’t let misconceptions hold you back from achieving mental well-being. Discover practical strategies for building a healthy mindset in our article, What goes into building a healthy mindset?

The post Debunking Five Misconceptions About Psychology first appeared on SUNGJEM AIER.

Clockwork gears grind, a feeling starts low…

It starts in the chest…

a little hollow, a little heavy.

In a walk-jog manner

picking up speed so fast, it skips over the lump in my throat.

Crash lands into soft flesh…

A little empty, a little crammed

in full throttle

with no signs of slowing down, it marmalizes my grooves and ridges.

Setting sail without a word…

a little relieved, a little hurt

in a sluggardly manner

makes its way down, down to the kickback.

The post CLOCKWORK first appeared on SUNGJEM AIER.

Mental well-being is a description of your mental state- emotionally, psychologically and socially. Good mental health means thriving and being productive, not just the absence of illness.

It also means that you are able to cope with all the normal stressors of life and even able to contribute efficiently to society. Mental health and wellbeing is dynamic in nature and can vary from person to person over a period of time.

Fuel Your Body, Fuel Your Mental Well-Being

Our brain is always ‘alive’ and working, taking care of essential internal activities such as breathing and keeping the heart beating. Just like fuel to engine, the brain needs its own fuel that comes from the food that we consume.

Therefore, we are, quite literally, what we eat!

It goes without saying that being in good physical health contributes to better mental well-being. It gives you ample energy to get through the day; even adding exercising and keeping your body active- which has been found to reduce anxiety and depression. Regular exercise can also help you sleep better at night, decreasing the likelihood of developing stress symptoms.

Stress Management: Tame the Chaos

Stressors can come from different sources depending on where, who and what we engage with, in our daily lives. A major contributor to mental health issues is stress, which if gone untreated, carry the risk of developing into complex mental disorders. Stress management techniques vary from person to person because we all experience stress differently and thus, deal with it differently.

A key step in stress management is identifying the source of stress and coping with it using methods like breathing exercises, meditation, relaxation techniques, and exercise. These techniques allow us to be calm in the face of adversity, build resilience and even develop healthy coping strategies.

It is advisable to completely eliminate the source of stress whenever possible, for example, ending an abusive relationship or quitting a job that is causing too much stress.

Setting Goals that Nurture Mental Well-Being

Life goals change as we grow older. We go from wanting to be a superhero as children to aspiring to be an engineer or writer. However, as adults, we often set unattainable goals that lead to fatigue and burnout.

Sometimes, we aim too high without fully understanding our capabilities and feel discouraged when we don’t achieve them. By setting smaller, realistic, and manageable goals based on our abilities, we increase our chances of success and stay motivated.

Break the Monotony and Refresh Your Mental Well-Being

A vacation to an exotic island, a trip around the world, going to a concert, taking your family or friends to a new restaurant, trying out a new look,  even just reading a new book. Changes, small or big, can have a positive impact on your mental health.

A monotonous life can harm the brain, leading to a decline in cognitive functioning. Sometimes it can lead to boredom and loneliness or even depression.

Taking the time to unwind and do something that breaks the monotony will positively impact your mental well-being; like a breath of fresh air, your brain will automatically register new activity and increase performance.

Socializing for Better Mental Well-Being

We, as social animals, are attracted to building relationships and strive for companionship. Support systems hold immense value in the psychology of a person. Surrounding yourself with people you enjoy, those who share your thoughts and experiences, or even those who challenge you, is key to maintaining stable mental health.

You can also practice socializing through altruism by giving yourself to society, such as volunteering at community events. This creates a sense of belonging, which is essential for personal growth, boosting self-esteem, and discovering your identity.

Find an outlet

Some people like to write, some like to paint, some like to make music while others might enjoy pottery, sculpting, and an endless number of hobbies. All these are potential outlets for healthy venting.

Doing whatever makes you feel good about yourself, anything that calms you down when you feel agitated or stressed can be very therapeutic.

Seeking Help for Mental Well-Being

The most important step in taking care of your own mental well-being is knowing when you need help and realizing you need help. It is fair to say that we still suffer from stigmatization when it comes to mental health. 

Some fear asking for help, worried it will make them appear weak, while others deny they need help. We sometimes get so focused on being strong for others that we neglect obvious red flags in our own mental health.

When you accept help, you are already on your way to recovery. We should normalize looking out for ourselves because at the end of the day, if we don’t look out for ourselves, who will?

It is important to note that we are all unique human beings and we all deal with issues differently. There is no hard and fast rule about which way is better than the other- some methods may work for you while others may not.

If the need arises, seek professional help as soon as possible and gradually work towards developing a stronger and better mental health.

While these seven strategies can enhance your mental well-being, understanding the foundation of a healthy mindset is equally important. Explore more in our post on what goes into building a healthy mindset.

The post 7 Ways to Take Care of Your Mental Well-Being first appeared on SUNGJEM AIER.

We live in an era where the internet has rapidly and dramatically transformed society since its inception. Everything from the way we interact to the way we gain knowledge has been incalculably altered the world online.

In a world where everything is becoming more accessible to us, we face the dilemma of whether this is a blessing or a bane. Countless debates on the subject have born the answer that it helps us gain access to a number of things from the comfort of our homes.

This is quite the conundrum given that this accessibility in the world online can work for or against humanity. For the most part, the outcome of this is dependent on how we make use of the information available to us.

How the Online World is Reshaping Our Lives

A large number of studies have found a strong association between digitalization and poor mental health. The most common problem is, perhaps, cyber-bullying. Anonymity behind a screen lowers inhibitions and can lead to harmful behavior.

The internet can also be home to communities that pose a threat to society. Even the idea of sex has become disproportionately unrealistic through pornography which is easily accessible to anyone.

Content in the world online is often carefully curated to fit certain ideals. Unfortunately, these ideals can be harmful, leading to mental distress and triggering anxiety, social exclusion, and body image issues.

The Double-Edged Sword of Accessibility

Social media stands as a prominent facet of the digital age. It is true that social media has brought the world closer but at the same time, driven us apart. Social media has caused people to draw comparisons between their lives and the lives of the people online. But little do we know that it often only displays what they want people to see. 

How much ever we understand that ‘nobody is perfect,’ this idea is seemingly impossible to grasp due to the content that we see. We strive for perfection based on this which poses a threat to mental health. Such as, having unrealistic goals that can hamper growth and sometimes even lead to depression, body dysmorphia and eating disorders.

Cyberbullying and the Dark Side of the Internet

Social media addiction has emerged out of the advancement of technology. There is so much content being created. Each new one striving to be more different than the other which keeps us ceaselessly interested.

There is also a fear of missing out which is like fuel to social media addiction and drives us to stay connected.

The currency of ‘likes’ and ‘views’ provides the validation that we seek to feel good about ourselves. It sets off a series of chemical reactions in the brain that work like any substance addiction.

The World Online and Its Impact on Young Minds

Most of us check social media daily, making it deeply woven into our lives. Its overuse has an even greater impact on developing children and teenagers, who are more vulnerable to its influence.

It goes without saying that they are more susceptible to the negative impacts of digitization. Thus, mental health care concerning technology should be tailored to their needs.

Navigating Health Care in the Online World

Technology advancement has also shifted our outlook at health care. It is so easy for us to find help online these days. When we experience something unusual or uncomfortable, we often turn to the internet. But this can lead us down a rabbit hole, exaggerating symptoms and leaving us convinced we have a deadly disease with only hours to live!

While many of us are guilty of this, there is also a positive side to having almost everything online and accessible to us. We can choose online counseling through smartphone apps or explore blogs and articles that address a wide range of issues. This is mainly beneficial to those seeking help who wish to remain anonymous. Although there are benefits to practicing self care, in many cases, seeking help in person potentially have a much better success rate.

Building a Healthier Relationship with the World Online

These instances give us the answers as to why mental health is such an important aspect right now. Although the misuse of the world online places a burden on our mental health, there are ways to reduce the negative impacts. Practicing digital hygiene can help form a better, much healthier relationship with technology and foster connectivity to the real world.

Growing evidence linking mental illnesses to digitization highlights the urgent need to prioritize mental health. Having a strong mental health means you are more resilient to adversities that can sometimes be unavoidable. Furthermore, mental health and physical health is strongly correlated so, maintaining a healthy body will contribute to a healthy mindset.

Building a healthy relationship with the online world starts with taking care of your mind. For simple, effective ways to support your mental health, read 7 Ways to Take Care of Your Mental Well-being.

The post The World Online: How Digital Life Impacts Mental Health first appeared on SUNGJEM AIER.