Jennifer Noll Sparks

If you struggle with worry, you may notice that your mind spends a lot of time living in the future. "What if this happens?" "What if I fail?" "What if something goes wrong?" Many people assume they're simply "wired this way." But another way to think about worry is that it can become a really well-practiced mental habit. Over time, worry and overthinking can begin to feed off each other. The more your mind rehearses future possibilities, the easier it becomes to get caught in the same mental...

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed something I don’t like. I’ve started saying no more often. Not the healthy no, the boundary-setting, self-protective ones. I'm talking about the shrinking no that comes from overwhelm. The kind that quietly says, It’s too much. You can’t handle it. Sit this one out. And the more I listened to that voice, the more I realized I was pulling back from the life I actually want: to have more fun. So when my kids asked me to join them on a high ropes course during...