Rachel Morgan

The Author's Club of Augusta is hosting the Literary Lounge at the annual Arts in the Heart of Augusta, Georgia on the weekend of September 18-20, 2026. This is a must-do...

I may be selling at the Evans Market when they reopen in the Fall! Keep an eye out for new announcements!

I have another cognitive distortion for you that really does a doozy on me that I know wrecks havoc with others, too.

It’s called personalization.

We talked about “Should Statements” earlier, which is also a cognitive distortion, which you can find here. I have also written a short series on other cognitive distortions, which you can find here, here, and here.

Thanks for reading Mental Wellness! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Cognitive Distortions is the term we use...

Cognitive distortions are a conglomeration of different patterns of thinking which negatively impact our mental health. I wrote a short series of posts about them, which you can find here on Cognitive Distortions Parts 1 and 2 . Should Statements is one of the cognitive distortions that I struggle with the most, so I thought it would be a good idea to break this down for those of you who might grapple with it too.

WHAT ARE SHOULD STATEMENTS?

We have all thought them, heard them, said them.

I...

Today I feel overwhelmed at all the things I need to do, the things that need to happen, the things that worry me and make me sad. Anxiety escalated and when panic began to emerge, I made myself sit down with one of my favorite mindfulness exercises from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) called Leaves on a Stream. In case you are having one of “those days” too, I encourage you to try this out. Therapist Aid offers a helpful worksheet here as well.

1. Find a quiet, peaceful place devoid of...