Michelle Chung, Psy.D.

You may not know how to get unstuck. But curiosity can open the way to finding out.

When you’re curious, you’re open to ALL possibilities without judgement (and not just the ones we catastrophize in our minds). Curiosity isn’t over-intellectualizing, but a practice of connecting to yourself and others. The goal isn’t to fix or solve your fear, hurt, or negative feelings; but to better observe it. And observe aspects about ourselves we might have not realized without an exploratory mindset. And it’s through flexible thinking that helps opens the door for growth.

When we commit to staying curious and observant of our patterns, fears, triggers, and pain points (which requires putting in the work), we begin to form a new relationship with those once very uncomfortable emotions...allowing us to grow and heal from our wounds.

** For more tips follow @𝗱𝗿.𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴 **
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Create this week…

Write “poorly.” Draw “badly”. Don’t be discouraged by a dropped stitch.

You don’t have to be amazing at your hobbies to do them. That’s not the point. Pick up a project because you enjoy it, not because you’re good at it.

Because when you set time to create (whether good or bad), your mental wellbeing will thank you! You’ll learn new skills, have new experiences, and you get to discover new things about you.

** For more tips follow @𝗱𝗿.𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴 **
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Hesitation may feel like protection, but sometimes it can just be fear asking for more time.

We might always be waiting, if we’re holding out for the ‘perfect,’ ‘ideal,’ or ‘right’ in an imperfect and uncertain world. Instead of action, we often just find ourselves still.

Still while we wait for the: ‘perfect’ moment, the ‘ideal’ circumstances to fall into place, or the ‘right’ amount of courage.

But there’s no right timing or perfect moment to begin. Life moves in its own rhythm, and the only time you truly have is now.

So show up despite the fear or uncertainty, starting where you are with what you have, and trusting that you’ll be able to figure it out as you go (mistakes and all). And the momentum will follow. And along the way you’ll find the courage and the confidence you were looking for. And usually, on the other-side we’ll find something meaningful waiting for us

You can let go of hesitation by:
➞ Allowing discomfort and uncertainty to exist without acting on it.
➞ Accepting what you can’t control.
➞ Taking action despite being anxious or fearful
➞ Accepting that we are all imperfect - living in an imperfect world.

** For more tips follow @𝗱𝗿.𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴 **
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Sometimes we treat our energy like it belongs to everyone else first.

We can give it out until we’re running on whatever is left. But caring for others doesn’t require abandoning yourself. Your energy is meant for you first.

Your energy is a limited resource. Give yourself permission to be intentional about where you spend it, protect it when needed, and care for your own needs too.

You deserve to experience your life with more than just the leftovers of yourself.

** For more tips follow @𝗱𝗿.𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴 **
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A baby has to fall many times to learn how to walk.
So why are you so hard on yourself when you repeat the same mistakes? Maybe the lesson you’re learning looks a lot more complete now.

No, repeating the same mistakes doesn’t automatically mean you’re failing. Sometimes repeating the same mistakes allows us to better understand the lesson. Choose self-compassion.

** For more tips follow @𝗱𝗿.𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴 **
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Even our most difficult emotions can remind of us what we hold close.

Anger, fatigue, disappointment, and grief can all point toward something we deeply care about… ourselves, the people around us, our relationships, our hopes, or the world we want to live in. Recognize this as a sign of a good heart, a basic goodness, even if it sometimes leads us to tougher feelings.

And sometimes that caring gives rise to difficult feelings. That doesn’t make those feelings bad, wrong, or something we need to push away. They can be reminders of the values, connections, and hopes that matter to us. There is something tender in recognizing the care beneath the discomfort.

So can you be present, without judgement, and notice them even among the discomfort?

** For more tips follow @𝗱𝗿.𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴 **
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Sometimes, we get so close to a problem that we can only see it in one color.

When we overfocus on our thoughts, problems, or anxiety, they can start to feel one-dimensional. Our attention narrows, our emotions intensify, and it becomes harder to see the bigger picture or consider what might help.

Creating psychological distance can help us step back and see more of the spectrum.

Psychological distance is the ability to mentally step outside of our immediate experience and observe it from a different perspective. This space can help us regulate emotions, think more flexibly, and make better decisions.

Try these self-distancing exercises:
➞ Watch yourself from a distance.
Take a step back mentally. Imagine observing yourself from a distance or from above. Become your own observer. What do you notice? What are you doing? What might an outside observer see that you can’t see when you’re in the middle of it?

➞ Create linguistic distance.
Talk through your thoughts, feelings, or problems using your name instead of “I.” “Michelle, you can think through this. Michelle has been through things like this before. Michelle has made it through difficult moments before.”

➞ Look back from the future.
Imagine your future self looking back at this moment. What might they notice about what you’re thinking, doing, or worrying about? What might they want you to remember?

Gaining perspective doesn’t mean changing what happened, but stepping back far enough to see more of the spectrum.

** For more tips follow @𝗱𝗿.𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴 **
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We lose more than we realize when we don’t celebrate the small wins.

It’s easy to measure yourself against what’s visible: milestones, timelines, big wins, outward change. The kind of progress that can be seen, validated, and shared.

And yet so much of real progress happens quietly and gradually.

Like threading a needle, the “small” wins may look tiny to some. But what took you to get there (the courage, the effort, the setbacks, the persistence) can be anything but small. That’s what deserves to be recognized and celebrated.

So when we overlook these moments, we miss the opportunity to see our own growth. Celebrating small wins helps our brain register that progress, strengthens our confidence, motivates, builds momentum, and creates space for emotions like gratitude, contentment, pride, hope, and joy.

So take in the accomplishment:
➞ Pause for 10–20 seconds and let yourself fully experience the accomplishment without rushing or minimizing it.
➞ Take a deep breath and notice any feelings of relief, pride, hope, contentment, or gratitude. Allow yourself to fully it.
➞ Reflect on: what you overcame, and what helped you get there.
➞ Acknowledge it with a statement like: “I did that. That was hard, AND I followed through.”

When progress isn’t as obvious to the eye, it doesn’t make it any less real, meaningful, or worthy of recognition. So celebrate anyway.

** For more tips follow @𝗱𝗿.𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴 **
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We often treat emotions like math problems that need to be solved before they’re even allowed to exist. We think… “Why am I anxious,” “I shouldn’t be sad,” “Nothing bad happened, so why do I feel this way?”

This is one form of emotional perfectionism, the belief that our emotions need a logical cause before they’re valid.

But emotions don’t always arrive with a clear explanation. Your nervous system is constantly processing experiences, memories, stress, physical sensations, and subtle changes in your environment. And much of it outside conscious awareness.

Sometimes insight comes later. And sometimes it never comes.

Instead of asking, “Do I have a good enough reason to feel this?” let it exist and ask, “What might this feeling need from me right now?”

You don’t have to understand every emotion to respond to it with compassion. In fact, acceptance is often what creates the space for understanding to emerge.

** For more tips follow @𝗱𝗿.𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴 **
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Happiness isn’t just about what you find.
It’s also about what you choose to look at.

This quote offers a simple but powerful reminder on finding perspective.

What things might you be missing by dwelling on the negative?

Let’s not dwell on the closed doors, too long. Instead, look for the other doors that may open.

Some of them may have always been open, but you didn’t notice.

Some of them may be new doors that open.

Some of them may be propped open only by a sliver.

** For more tips follow @𝗱𝗿.𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴 **
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