Dr. Chloe Carmichael Blogs

The holiday season is here, and while this can be a wonderful and joyous time it can also come with plenty of stress.  If you’re lucky enough that your entire family is full of nothing but warmth and kindness (or at least courtesy), then you may not even need to read this blog- congratulations!  However, many people who enjoy a larger extended family find there may be one person in the mix who maybe is “more difficult”.  Even if you really love the person (in fact, sometimes especially if you really love the person), even minor conflicts can seem stressful.  For many people, family dynamics can contribute to anxiety about holiday gatherings… but the beauty of this type of stress is that it can be planned for. Family pattern stressors are, by nature, predictable stressors allow us to fill our tool belts with the necessary items for managing holiday interactions before any difficulties are met.

As a clinical psychologist, people often ask me how to "get rid of anxiety." They are usually surprised to learn that anxiety actually has a healthy and essential function: to help stimulate preparation behaviors and provide us with the extra energy we need to carry out those behaviors. A little bit of anxiety can bring adrenaline and focus—which can actually be quite handy when we're in a "go time" situation like taking a test, bringing our A-game during an important presentation, or even getting ready for a first date or job interview. I've come to label this boost as "nervous energy," which can be a gift if we learn how to harness it.

Learn about ANXIETY for today's #MentalHealthMinute!

Yes! You read the title right! Whether you’re with me on this or not, I’m sure about this— anxiety is not bad after all. Snap out that negative list you have about anxiety. It’s time to look at the other side of the coin— the good thing that comes out from being anxious.

Dr. Chloe talking about REJECTION SENSITIVITY and how to handle your fear of rejection.

Every one of us has our fair share of rejections; some may handle it pretty well, but some people who have a high level of nervousness struggle to overcome it.

Toxic positivity can sound like a confusing phrase at first: after all, positivity is supposed to be positive, right?  However, just like even something as innocent and healthy-sounding as jogging can become toxic if taken to an extreme, so can positivity.  

Bad habits can be hard to kick. We all probably know the old saying that it takes twice as long to break a habit as it does to form one, so it isn’t surprising that having bad habits ingrained in our daily life can be pretty common! 

As a clinical psychologist, I have encountered many women in their late 20’s and early 30’s who have anxiety because their biological clock is ticking, and they are nowhere near ready to have a baby– many of them feel they are too busy with careers or graduate school; and others struggle because they want to wait till they find a husband before becoming pregnant– yet they have no way of knowing when Mr Right will materialize.