Friends and readers, thanks for being out there! I’m so glad to be writing this newsletter and interacting with lots of people in the community. Here’s our 12th roundup of community notes, featuring reader comments, links, and more.
Most posts have the option to comment—and it’s always fun to see readers jumping in!
In this section I’ll highlight a few recent comments that were upvoted the most by the community. (These are edited lightly for brevity, without changing the tone. Read the full comments and many more on each post’s page.)
From Billy Bumbo, on the post A Few Things I Worried About Today
Life has taught me to paint in broad strokes! However my travails with Paranoid Schizophrenia have compelled me to think again. I’m making headway but it’s alien to me to zoom in and be as vulnerable as you are in this newsletter. As a fifty-something progressive, I know I am a paradox. Vulnerability has long since been embodied as weakness.
The progressive in me, intellectually, knows that vulnerability is strength so there’s a gap I need to bridge. And yet, to see the world the way you do, I know I must find the nuances in life if I am to find peace. I know the gap is reducing; yoctometre by yoctometre. But in any case, thanks for the steer on what I’m pursuing, inspirational!
From Mary Martin on the post The Ideal Routine Blueprint
Sound advice. I need to be more diligent on time management & accomplishing daily tasks. I believe that following your plan may be the key for me, even if it means setting an alarm in the beginning to get me started!
From Leïla, on the post "Take a moment every day to listen to a kid": A Conversation with Brad Montague
So much positivity and emotional honesty! Very refreshing and uplifting. I resonated a lot with what Brad shared, especially the value of presence, and the ability to find joy in ordinary things (it takes practice and requires intentional efforts at first—before it can become a habit—but it can really change your perspective towards life and your entire experience as a result). We could all use more joy in our lives.
From Sarah Allen Short, on the post Be the Voice in the Wilderness
I have been thinking about this a lot as I start a formal coaching practice and am nervous about being too different but also … why does the world need another exec coach talking about growth maxing and shareholder value and working til you’re sick and tired?
One thing I love about Gen-Z is that they are collectively the voice in the wilderness on so many things for they older generations (I’m Gen-X)—questioning why we live and work the way we do, refusing to put up with the same shit that we did.
From Rachel Shubin, on the post Run Towards the Danger
The first time I went dancing after separating from a long-term relationship with someone who spent the whole time making me feel bad for liking to dance, I had a panic attack in the bathroom.
So, I purposely went again a couple weeks later. Three hours before it was time to head out to the venue, I started feeling really anxious again.
So, I kept an eye on it. When I arrived, before I went inside, I sat in my car and paid attention to my breathing for several minutes and just went slow.
Why should someone else's hangups ruin what I love for me? If I want to do those things, I have to *do* them until they become comfortable and fun again. And it's worked. Now dancing feels good again, and so do all the other things I had quit doing for the same reason.
From Crystal Dufour, on the post 8 Ways to Feel Better About Yourself
#2 had the biggest impact on my work environment. Simply turned my desk to face the window so I can glance out anytime and watch nature do its thing. I hated the idea of my desk blocking part of the window, but let that tiny thing go to enjoy the view. Major improvement in my mental state. I can just pause, look away from my screen and out the window. Also added some candles, got my diffuser, got a new desk chair that has an ottoman attached because I curl up in weird positions while working, have a cozy blanket that sits on my lap. All those little things greatly help.
From Patrick Maguire, on the post The Things That Go Wrong Make the Best Memories
I love this. Immediately brought me back to my days as a Peace Corps volunteer. SO much waiting around, learning how to be patient—but I was also just constantly in places where something might go wrong, or something completely unexpected might happen.
One thing I deeply miss is having experiences that I never even dreamed might be possible. Many of them weren't even all that remarkable or exciting, it just never crossed my mind that I would experience them. Skydiving is crazy and amazing, but you know it exists. Living by Lake Victoria and seeing huge clouds of lake flies blow in and cover every surface was just something I never considered being part of my reality.
And from Michelle B., on the post Three Lies About Hard Things
Time certainly gives you perspective to examine your wounds or tend to your wounds, but it will never heal them. Grief over a loved one, a lost job, a missed opportunity—this can come in waves for a long time. I would never say I'm "healed" after losing my mom nearly 14 years ago, but I do have some latitude to appreciate things about her now that I didn't understand before she passed away. Sometimes that is part of the healing, but not the cure.
Note: if you like any of these images, be sure to click through on the links. What’s included here is just a small selection of the full work.
In addition to my regular browsing, every couple of weeks I do a public call for submissions. I’ll share many of the links that people send me in future posts.
Here are a few posts I’ve enjoyed recently:
Note: if you’re publishing a newsletter, feel free to comment in this post with the name of your publication so that other readers can find you.
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We’re now 38 weeks into the year. So far we’ve covered:
Introduction, It Was Going So Well, Unhelpful Life Advice, From Rejection to Reflection, Overthinking, A Couch Can Make You Happy, “I Wish I’d Made That Change Later,” Why This Now?, “Your Voicemail Isn’t Working,” Your Last 40 Minutes, Imposter Syndrome Isn’t What You Think, Consider the Opposite of What You’re Worried About, How I Use (and Don’t Use) Adderall to Focus, You Can Be Better than You Are, Is It Always Best to "Do What Makes You Happy"?, A Tale of Two Yoga Teachers, The Felt Sense, No One Teaches You How to Breathe, The Trauma of Adult Undiagnosed ADHD, “What matters to me right now?”, Lessons From Your Six-Year-Old-Self, Try This When You Aren’t Sure What To Do, Time Anxiety: Can You Take a Quick Survey?, If You Can't Learn Math It's Not Your Fault, Consider this if you like taking care of people, Time Blindness, The Perks of Being Misunderstood, You’re Always Going to Lose at Something, Election Anxiety Is Real, So Make a Plan to Disengage, Attention Has a Cost, What Is "Demand Avoidance"? A Case Study, Can You Be Much Happier than You Thought?, Do You Have a “Granny Hobby”?, 15 Ways to Self-Sabotage, Why Is It Hard to Be Different?, Why Do I Put Off Seeing My Friends?, Exposure Therapy, You Are Not the Failure Point, Antidepressants Save Lives, Who Should Read “A Year of Mental Health”?, “Everything changes as long as you keep moving.”, What If You Could Work Only One Hour a Day?, Unlearning, Gentle Productivity: 5 Tips for Neurodivergent-Friendly Work Habits, “What matters to me right now?”, Take Moderate Risks Every Day, The Myth of Laziness, A Year of Mental Health Is Now 100% Free, Don't “Eat the Frog,” Practice Structured Procrastination Instead, Why Is It So Hard to Do Small Things?, Executive Functioning and the Limits of Hyperfocus, “Bad with Money?” Maybe There’s More to It, The Importance of Talking to People Who Understand You, A Short List of Things I Never Learned to Do, The Neurodivergent "Bad With Money" Task Checklist, The Family Who Doesn’t Understand, Adventure Is Worthwhile In Itself, The Counterfeit Self, 8 Ways to Have More Time, Develop Your Dominant Questions, Congratulations On Your New Life, Everyone Is Making It Up As They Go (Really), Lack of Strategy as a Core Value, How to Do One Thing at a Time, The Things That Go Wrong Make the Best Memories, “I haven’t always been happy, but I’ve known joy.”, You Don’t Have to Live the Way Others Expect, Three Lies About Hard Things, 8 Ways to Feel Better About Yourself, Be the Voice in the Wilderness, A Few Things I Worried About Today, What Are You Maximizing For?, “I am an actor playing a role”, Run Towards the Danger
Also! A set of simple activities that can each be completed in 15 minutes or less:
As well as an interview series, featuring people with something to say that the world needs hearing:
"The world is a better place when I take up space": A Conversation with Marc Typo
“Wellbeing is about capacity”: A Conversation with Emma Gannon
"There’s no one life script for everyone": A conversation with Sari Botton
“Laziness Doesn’t Exist:” A Conversation with KC Davis
"Uncertainty is the gateway to possibility": A Conversation with Jonathan Fields
"Am I truly paying attention to my life?": A Conversation with Nora McInerny
"Minimalism is not about restriction.": A Conversation with Shira Gill
"I’m better when I am still": A Conversation with Ryan Holiday
"Never say yes automatically": A Conversation with Melissa Urban
"Your thoughts are not the problem": A Conversation with Joseph Nguyen
"Take a moment every day to listen to a kid": A Conversation with Brad Montague
I’m looking forward to seeing these lists expand as the year progresses.
As promised, most content on A Year of Mental Health will be completely free. Paid subscribers make this possible.
Even though most posts are freely available at the time of publication, many of you have already upgraded your subscriptions—and I am grateful! Thank you. 🙏 🙏 🙏
Whenever someone upgrades, the platform offers subscribers a chance to write a note to the creator, which can be shared with the subscriber’s permission.
Here’s one that I received this week from Vanessa Lowry:
"Chris, I've followed you and your work for years. But I find these Year of Mental Health postings to be especially helpful. I find myself saying ‘me too’ a lot and not feeling as much an outsider to how others seem to relate to life.”
Again, I want this project to be helpful and valuable to you. We’re just getting started, and there’s much more to come.
What if you want a paid subscription but can’t afford it? It’s all good, we’ve got you covered! 🤝
Specifically, we now have a scholarship plan where you can pay whatever you can afford. These scholarships are covered by our Founding Members—thank you, Founding Members!
If you’d like one, just send a note to team @ chrisguillebeau .com with the word “Scholarship” in the subject line. We’ll help you get whatever option you need.
That’s it for now, but I’ll be back every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7am Pacific time. Upcoming topics include: status anxiety, working memory, and the introduction of a course on Doing Things.
And maybe a surprise guest or two! Like I said, there’s much more to come. 🎁
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